Employer Defense Success Stories: Resolving Discrimination, Wage Act, and Employee Claims
Explore Real Examples of Defending Against Employee ClaimsWelcome to our collection of example case studies showcasing our expertise in successfully defending employers against a variety of legal challenges, including discrimination allegations, Wage Act disputes, and various employee claims. At slnlaw, we understand the complexities and potential risks businesses face in today's workforce landscape.
Our expert legal team has consistently delivered strategic defense solutions that protect our clients' interests, ensuring that their rights and reputations remain intact. Through these case studies, you'll gain insight into the diverse range of challenges employers encounter and the effective strategies we employ to navigate them. MCAD Defense: Claim of Discrimination for Military Service
Our client, a prominent small business in the restoration industry, faced a discrimination claim by an employee who alleged discrimination based on his National Guard service. In this case study, we detail how we successfully defended the employer against the discrimination allegations, resulting in the dismissal of the complaint. The employee's declining performance and unprofessional behavior played a crucial role in our defense, demonstrating that the termination was unrelated to his National Guard service. Read more here.
MCAD Defense: Claim of Race Discrimination
The case involved an employee's claims of racial discrimination against a small restaurant based on his African American heritage. Our client, the restaurant owner, was taken aback by these allegations, as they had always prioritized fostering an inclusive work environment.
The case explores the employee's history of disputes with a colleague who was also his supervisor. These disputes occasionally resulted in heated exchanges marked by profanity. The employee's consistent tardiness and occasional early departures posed challenges for dough production. Despite these issues, our client accommodated the employee's schedule until he failed to show up entirely for work and effectively resigned his employment. Read more here. Wage Act Defense: Unlimited Vacation and Termination
An out-of-state employer, with an employee based in Massachusetts, found itself entangled in a legal battle stemming from a significant vacation policy overhaul. The company had recently shifted to an unlimited vacation policy and sought to establish clear guidelines regarding the amount of vacation time employees would receive upon the conclusion of their employment. However, an unexpected twist emerged when a former employee, who had voluntarily resigned, pressed for compensation related to vacation days accrued before the policy shift.
This employee initiated a claim against the company, invoking the Massachusetts Wage Act. Read more here. |
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Equity Compensation and the Massachusetts Wage Act
A Massachusetts start up company had a detailed agreement with a part time advisor, detailing the compensation structure for advisory services rendered to the company. The agreement left no room for ambiguity, specifying that the sole compensation would be 200,000 shares of company stock and reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. Crucially, the agreement featured an integration clause, highlighting the necessity for written modifications signed by both parties.
However, the crux of the matter lies in the plaintiff's challenge, asserting that the absence of monetary wages constituted a violation of the Massachusetts Wage Act. Remarkably, the plaintiff did not furnish any documentation or evidence of an agreement that specified a particular monetary payment, but simply claimed that since he was paid no monetary wages he was owed the market value of his services and treble damages under the Wage Act. Read more here.
However, the crux of the matter lies in the plaintiff's challenge, asserting that the absence of monetary wages constituted a violation of the Massachusetts Wage Act. Remarkably, the plaintiff did not furnish any documentation or evidence of an agreement that specified a particular monetary payment, but simply claimed that since he was paid no monetary wages he was owed the market value of his services and treble damages under the Wage Act. Read more here.
Wage Act and Minority Freezeout Challenge
Our client, a privately held company, found themselves facing potential litigation after terminating an employee who also happened to be a minority shareholder within the company.
The looming threat was based on claims under the Massachusetts Wage Act and concerns regarding the impact of a merger with another entity on minority shareholders' rights. While these claims initially appeared daunting, the case study chronicles how strategic legal counsel, proactive negotiations, and comprehensive legal strategies led to an early settlement, saving our client a significant amount in potential legal fees. Read more here.
The looming threat was based on claims under the Massachusetts Wage Act and concerns regarding the impact of a merger with another entity on minority shareholders' rights. While these claims initially appeared daunting, the case study chronicles how strategic legal counsel, proactive negotiations, and comprehensive legal strategies led to an early settlement, saving our client a significant amount in potential legal fees. Read more here.
Meet Our Employment Litigation Attorneys
Emily Smith-Lee is the owner and founder of slnlaw. She is a 1996 graduate of Boston College Law School. She was previously a partner at the Boston office of a large international firm, where she worked for thirteen years before starting the firm that became slnlaw in 2009. She has been recognized as Massachusetts Superlawyer each year since 2013, and in 2018 earned recognition as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Lawyers of the Year. She has written a book on employment law: Rules of the Road, What You Need to Know About Employment Laws in Massachusetts, and helped thousands of clients on both the employee and employer side with severance and non compete review and negotiation, wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, and advice about employment law generally.
Elijah Bresley: Eli is a 2014 graduate of Seton Hall Law school, and has worked with slnlaw since 2020. He previously worked for a boutique employment law firm outside of Boston, and then for the Labor and Employment department of a large Boston firm. He also spent a year clerking for the judges of the Superior Court in Hartford, Connecticut. Eli has helped clients on the employee and employer side with all varieties of employment law issues, including employment discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour issues, litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts, and advising employers about employment policies and practices.
Sharleen Tinnin: Sharleen is a 2010 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, and has been with slnlaw since 2023. Prior to joining slnlaw, she worked with King, Tilden, McEttrick & Brink, P.C. on complex civil litigation matters. She previously worked for the United States Department of Justice, and received an "Excellence in Justice" award in 2017. Sharleen has helped clients with wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation disputes, review and negotiation of severance agreements, and litigation in MCAD and state and federal courts on employment related issues.
How We Can Help
At slnlaw, we specialize in providing robust legal defense solutions for employers facing discrimination, Wage Act, and employee-related claims. Trust us to protect your business interests and reputation.You can use the button below to schedule a call back from a member of our team, or give us a call at 781-784-2322.
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