Rees Broome, PC Law Firm

Federal, state and local laws that govern employment (including minimum wage, overtime laws, family medical leave laws, disability compliance, discrimination laws and employee health and safety matters) are complex and ever-changing. Our experience can be invaluable in helping our clients avoid the expensive and distracting problems that arise every day in handling personal issues.

Rees Broome attorneys regularly counsel clients regarding employment law matters such as employment contracts, severance agreements, non-compete agreements, restrictive covenants, employment manuals and policies and EEO matters. Our attorneys have substantial experience defending clients from charges of discrimination filed with the courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state and local agencies.

We believe that an ongoing dialogue with our clients is essential to delivering effective results to our clients. We therefore provide advice throughout the employment relationship, from instituting appropriate hiring practices and developing affirmative action plans to assisting with proper disciplinary actions and terminations. We also routinely draft and review employment manuals, employment contracts and severance agreements, including covenants not to compete, non-solicitation clauses and confidentiality provisions.

DISCLAIMER: THE RESULTS OF ANY LEGAL ACTION DEPEND UPON FACTS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. NEITHER REESBROOME, PC, NOR ITS ATTORNEYS GUARANTEE OR PREDICT SIMILAR RESULTS IN ANY FUTURE CASE UNDERTAKEN BY REESBROOME, PC OR ANY OF ITS ATTORNEYS.

Joel M. Birken
Over his thirty-five years in the legal profession, Joel Birken has been repeatedly selected as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” in the specialty of Corporate Law (most recently Best Lawyers, 2011). His practice focuses primarily on small privately-held businesses and professional practices, from formation through merger, recapitalization, sale or dissolution. He has extensive experience advising executives and owners of professional practices in employment contracts, non-compete agreements and ownership rights.

Represents executives in negotiations with public and private enterprises in the government contracting, telecommunications, associations and professional services industries as well as owners of professional practices. Typical issues are employment contracts, compensation arrangements, non-compete agreements, severance packages, wrongful termination and ownership rights.

Maureen E. Carr
Maureen Carr represents individuals, businesses and community associations in cases involving a variety of employment disputes. Maureen also counsels and represents clients before courts and agencies which deal with employment matters including discrimination, retaliation, enforcement of employment agreements, FMLA, USERRA and wage and hour issues.

• Obtained dismissal of multiple EEOC charges of discrimination
• Represents businesses in wage and hour audits conducted by Department of Labor
• Defends individual client in internal investigation by federal agency
• Defends against internal investigations by federal agencies
• Responds to EEOC charges of discrimination
• Facilitates wage and hour audits conducted by the Department of Labor
• Develops practical and effective employment policies and procedures
• Drafts a variety of employment-related agreements, including independent contractor agreements, non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, and separation agreements

Susan R. Salen
Susan Salen has an unusual legal background that combines litigation, corporate transactions and employment law, giving her an exceptional understanding of how to successfully structure business agreements, work through personnel matters and provide clients with practical solutions for day-to-day business problems. She has focused her practice on private companies and community associations, working with owners, purchasers, management, governing boards and individual executive employees in a broad range of employment disputes. These have included executive compensation, non-compete and termination situations, as well as business personnel issues ranging from developing correct hiring practices, writing employment manuals, answering operational HR questions and defending wrongful termination suits.

• Represents clients in defense of claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and local equal employment opportunity agencies
• Counsels clients with respect to issues arising under federal, state, and local employment and anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans With Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and Fair Labor Standards Act
• Counsels businesses and executives on compensation, non-compete, ownership and severance arrangements