We counsel on gating issues, conduct due diligence, draft and negotiate relevant provisions of definitive agreements, interface with lenders and RWI underwriters, advise on workforce structuring and provide solutions to smoothly progress clients toward their objective.

We advise on and manage all aspects of retirement and health and welfare benefit plan termination/integration. We also provide any and all levels of support for managing the onboarding process of the target’s employees, harmonizing policies and practices, and refreshing employment agreements and other documentation.

Clear agreements, in plain language, that reflect the business deal struck by the parties, yield the best outcomes. We help clients use a variety of tools — including retention agreements, change-in-control agreements, equity-based compensation plans, phantom equity plans, and cash bonus plans — to incentivize, retain and reward management.

A key aspect of attracting and retaining top talent is employee benefits. We advise clients on the design and implementation of health and welfare, retirement, profit sharing and employee stock ownership (ESOP) plans.

In a rapidly evolving legal landscape, our Restrictive Covenants, Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition practice is at the forefront of providing effective strategies for protecting the critical assets of a company’s intellectual property, customer goodwill or both

We leverage the information gleaned during the diligence process to develop cost-effective risk management strategies — from certain policy revisions to more sweeping actions — that build value and result in successful exits. Our Data Analytics team, which includes lawyers, data scientists and statisticians, enhances this effort with exposure analysis in areas such as overtime, leave entitlement and reductions in force.

Our national footprint uniquely positions us to assist portfolio companies with litigation avoidance wherever they are and whenever they need us. We help clients keep employee handbooks and policies up to date, providing them with clear and actionable guidance to handle employment issues in compliance with ever-changing federal, state and local laws.

We have litigators in all of our offices and can also “parachute” members of our national trial team into employment litigation matters of particular importance to clients. Additionally, we are approved defense panel counsel for virtually every major insurance carrier writing policies for U.S. employment law risks.

We assist clients with workforce structuring considerations (e.g., benefits, payroll taxes, IP, governance, risk management and unions) and rightsizing plans. We execute reductions in a defensible manner, which, as circumstances dictate, can include exit incentive or early retirement programs, severance and release agreements, compliance obligations under the WARN Act and impact analyses for protected groups.

When the time comes to exit an investment or divest a portion of a business, we are there for our clients at every juncture as they navigate the employment and benefits issues implicated to ensure a smooth and successful sale.