Employment law firms with national and global reaches are much in demand these
days, as myriad legal issues confront employers in a global economy.
Barbara Brown, chair-elect of the American Bar Association’s labor and
employment law section, says she sees a lot of growth in the employer-defense
niche of the legal world. In a characterization that won’t please many
employers, she said the field is "very vibrant at the moment," with federal and
state court caseloads growing in the area of employment law.
Among those areas of growth are cases of overtime-rule disputes and claims of
unpaid compensation for "off-the-clock" work performed, discrimination,
whistle-blower retaliation and allegations of unpaid benefits and compensation
brought by employees who have jumped from job to job.
A big legal issue in California, says Brown, involves claims that rest and
mealtime breaks required by the state labor code haven’t been provided by some
employers.
The U.S. Supreme Court, meanwhile, is expected to rule in 2008 on arbitration
procedures for discrimination cases. And Brown expects a future federal law
banning discrimination against employees based on sexual orientation.
Meanwhile, the largest employment law firms have been adding offices overseas in
recent years. To tap into the global market for their services, they’re setting
up shop in places like London, Paris and China.
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