Employment Litigation
The risk of litigation is an ever-present factor in today’s employer-employee relationship. Countless lawsuits are filed by disgruntled employees every year.
While we have a proactive Employment & Benefits attorney team, some litigation tends to be unavoidable. Employers faced with a complicated employee claim need effective, informed counsel to efficiently resolve the issue. Our attorneys bring a wealth of experience to this area with a thorough knowledge of the statutes, regulations, procedures, and current case law and agency decisions.
Working directly with business owners, managers, and human resource professionals, our attorneys represent employers in state and federal courts in Wisconsin and in administrative hearings throughout Wisconsin and the rest of the country. We have particular depth within the manufacturing, construction, banking, health care, insurance, fiduciary and professional services, transportation, real estate, and ag industries. As a business-focused law firm, our attorneys understand how companies of all sizes operate and our employment litigators are extremely familiar with the complexities of the employer-employee relationship.
Services offered to employers in the area of employment litigation include:
- Discrimination and sexual harassment claims
- Wage and hour claims
- Whistle blower and retaliation claims
- Employment Contracts
- Wrongful Termination, contractual claims as well as other workplace claims
- Covenants Not to Compete
- Agency proceedings (such as EEOC, state and local human rights agencies)
- Noncompete and trade secret claims
- Employment issues in shareholder litigation
- Workers’ Compensation safety violation and refusal to rehire claims
- Uninsured Workers’ Compensation claims (safety violation, refusal to rehire, etc.)
- Employment discrimination and sexual harassment
- Wage & Hour audits and litigation defense
Should legal disputes extend beyond Wisconsin, Ruder Ware’s affiliation with Meritas®, an international alliance of law firms, means our network of lawyers can provide counsel for clients anywhere in this country or around the world.
Founded in 1920, Ruder Ware provides business, employment, estate planning, and litigation services. A full-service law firm, over 45 attorneys provide clients with a one-stop approach to their legal needs. Ruder Ware, Business Attorneys for Business Success.
Posted on February 28, 2023 by Sara J. Ackermann
Last week in Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. v. Hewitt, the Supreme Court affirmed employees must be paid a fixed salary of $684.00 per week to be considered “exempt” under the popular administrative, executive, and professional exemptions. The case involved Michael Hewitt, an oil rig worker who was paid a daily rate. His paycheck, issued […]
Posted on February 14, 2023 by Sara J. Ackermann
If you are a federal contractor, keep reading. Last summer, the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a notice to all federal contractors that the Center for Investigative Reporting had requested EEO-1 reports for 2016-2020 pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). While the motive is uncertain, it is likely that this […]
Posted on January 11, 2023 by Sara J. Ackermann, John H. Fisher II and Nicole L. Stangl
Dear Ruder, we are getting lots of long emails from various sources about this proposed noncompete ban. Can you please break this down in easy-to-read language so we don’t have to review the entire 216 pages of the FTC’s proposed rule? Dear Reader, Yes we can! See our answers to some frequently asked questions below! […]
Posted on January 6, 2023 by Sara J. Ackermann and John H. Fisher II
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) started the new year off with a bang when it announced in a press release on January 5, 2023 that it is proposing a new rule that would ban many employee non-compete clauses. The press release follows a 3-1 vote by the FTC to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking […]
Posted on January 5, 2023 by Nicole L. Stangl
The Speak Out Act (“Act”) became law on December 7, 2022. The Act prohibits the enforcement of non-disclosure or non-disparagement provisions which are agreed to prior to an allegation of sexual assault or sexual harassment (“sexual misconduct”). The Act applies to disputes regarding alleged sexual misconduct that occur after December 7, 2022. A full version […]
Posted on December 29, 2022 by Mary Ellen Schill
The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2023 optional standard mileage rates today for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes. The most notable change is the three-cent per mile increase for businesses. Effective January 1, 2023, the optional standard mileage rates for the use of a car […]
Posted on October 21, 2022 by Mary Ellen Schill
On October 21, 2022 the Internal Revenue Service announced the cost-of-living adjustments for the various qualified retirement plan limits. All of the limits shown below have increased (in some cases significantly) from last year. Qualified Plan Limit Cost-of-Living Adjustments 401(k) and 403(b) elective deferral limit 2022 – $20,500 2023 – $22,500 $200,000 compensation limit […]
Posted on October 20, 2022 by Mary Ellen Schill and Amy E. Ebeling
Recently, we have been fielding a fair number of inquiries from clients who have been approached by third parties urging them to claim the Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”). The ERC, which the federal government enacted back in 2020 to help blunt the economic impact of COVID-19, is a refundable tax credit designed to reward businesses […]
Posted on October 19, 2022 by Sara J. Ackermann
Today the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released a new poster that is required for employers covered by Title VII. The new poster is entitled “Know Your Rights” and includes these changes: Notes that harassment is a prohibited form of discrimination; Clarifies that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or […]
Posted on October 5, 2022 by Sara J. Ackermann and Kelly T. Wilfert
Do you have employees in the Viking state? If so, keep reading! On July 1, 2022, Minnesota adopted a new law legalizing the sale, purchase, and consumption of edible cannabinoid products to people aged 21 and over. The law legalized the use of edible cannabinoid products made from substances extracted from certified hemp plants. The […]
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