Labor & Employment

Our Labor & Employment attorneys help employers manage complex human resources matters. Whether you need legal opinions on new or evolving employment laws or guidance on an internal investigation, our attorneys provide advice and counsel for the workforce issues you encounter every day. We help you navigate workforce situations with sophisticated legal insights, practical advice, and compassion.

Our team has earned a national reputation for helping clients stay ahead of evolving state and federal labor and employment regulations. As one of the largest, dedicated employment practices in Virginia, our attorneys handle sophisticated matters across the country—from discipline and termination issues to contentious union negotiations to complex Title VII investigations.

The Woods Rogers Labor & Employment practice is ranked at Band 1 in Virginia by Chambers and Partners, with four individually ranked attorneys. Clients note the team’s ability to provide “honest assessments that are clear, concise and well defined" and the group’s “strength in regulatory compliance, litigation, and labor negotiations.”

HR Solutions

Training 

Our attorneys can provide your executives, managers, and staff customized onsite or online workplace training in areas including: 

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance 
• Annual legal updates 
• Discipline, performance improvement plans, and discharge 
• Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation  
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs 
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), pay equity, and wage and hour compliance 
• Workplace investigations 
• Safer Seas Act's SASH requirements for the merchant marine
• Workplace violence prevention
• Compliance with laws and OFCCP regulations governing federal contractors, such as the Davis Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act.

Investigations

Sometimes adverse incidents happen in the workplace despite your best efforts. When an issue or dispute arises, our attorneys will walk beside you through your investigation from beginning to end. Whether the investigation is internal or involves an outside regulator, we are experienced in navigating difficult situations with sophisticated legal insights, practical advice, and compassion.

We also represent businesses in administrative matters, such as:

• EEOC investigations 
• DOL audits
• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) audits

Employment Litigation Defense

Lawsuits and damage awards can debilitate most businesses. When litigation is a possibility, you need a practical and experienced legal team. We defend against all types of employment litigation, including wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment and retaliation, wage and hour claims, employee benefit and leave issues, and whistle-blower claims. We have represented employers in complex lawsuits involving:  

• Discrimination  
• Harassment (including sexual harassment) 
• Retaliation and wrongful discharge  
• Wage and hour violations 
• Breach of contract 
• Noncompete agreements 
• Trade secrets 
• Unfair competition

Labor/Management Relations 

For many years, employers were able to ignore the threat of unionization. That is no longer true. With a strong National Labor Relations Board and many high-profile unionization efforts, no employer can be sure their workers will not organize.  

Whether you are dealing with an existing union or facing new organization efforts, you need an experienced attorney to guide you through negotiations. Woods Rogers attorneys are experienced in traditional labor law and have built strong reputations in Labor/Management Relations representation through leading tough but fair negotiations on behalf of employers. Our attorneys can advise you on the law and on the subtle nuances of labor-relations issues, including: 

• Collective bargaining negotiations 
• Grievances, arbitrations, and mediations 
• NLRB proceedings 
• Strike-related representation 
• Unfair labor practice charges 
• Union avoidance and decertification 

Employment-Based Immigration

Our immigration attorneys counsel businesses through the complex and often arduous immigration process. We help companies comply with the law, protect their rights, and seek extraordinary workers from around the world: 

• Business visitors
• Employment authorization
• Employment-based immigrant visas
• E-Verify Requirements
• Foreign visa requirements
  and procurement
• Form I-9 and Other Regulatory Compliance
• Intracompany transfers
• Labor condition applications
• Non-immigrant work visas

Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH and OSHA) 

Our counsel starts by making sure you understand federal regulations and how to provide a safe and healthy working environment for employees. Our team provides regulatory interpretation and variance applications. After an OSHA or VOSH visit, we are experienced in contesting and resolving citations.

Our experience includes: 

• Investigating workplace accidents 
• Handling OSHA/VOSH inspections 
• Negotiating and resolving OSHA/VOSH citations 
• Utilizing best practices to improve safety and health performance 
• Handling due diligence of OSHA/VOSH issues in mergers and acquisitions 
• Formulating safety and health programs 
• Conducting safety and health audits 
• Representing clients in whistleblower and retaliation claims 
• Counseling clients to help ensure compliance with OSHA standards 

“Love the unbiased approach to HR legal issues! The speakers were engaging and knowledgeable; I’ll definitely be back.” -Past Seminar Attendee 

“I love this bunch of presenters; they are knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. They make hard topics interesting.” -Past Seminar Attendee 

Guests at our annual Labor & Employment Seminars return year after year to learn about legal developments and cases that affect the workplace. We are also recognized by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP^® or SHRM-SCP^®. We also meet the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of the eight credentials recognized by the HR Certification Institute^® (HRCI^®), including SPHR^® and PHR^®.

As companies grow and the legal landscape evolves, employment issues are not confined by state or international borders. To enhance the service we provide to clients with multi-state and international needs, Woods Rogers serves as the exclusive Virginia affiliate for the Employment Law Alliance (ELA).

Through the ELA, Woods Rogers clients gain access to an experienced network of labor and employment law counsel across the United States and around the globe. Woods Rogers attorneys can leverage these relationships to help clients navigate complex legal challenges across jurisdictions. In addition, other ELA members and their clients can count on Woods Rogers attorneys for legal solutions in Virginia.

With more than 3,000 lawyers in more than 100 countries, ELA is the world’s largest and most prestigious network of labor and employment lawyers. Like the Woods Rogers Chambers-ranked (Band 1) Labor & Employment group, many ELA members are ranked by Chambers and Partners in their respective jurisdictions. For more information about ELA, visit www.ela.law.