As we reflect over the completion of the 15th year of our law firm, a few personal thoughts are appropriate. The last few years have been especially busy as we have catered to a broader amount of client matters and a larger and more diversified client base. For this, we are tremendously thankful to you, our clients, friends and business associates. The firm’s continued success is a testament of your belief in us and we will continue to work every day to deliver on the promise inherent in that trust.
Our newsletter, with an audience of over 2,000 readers, continues to be our primary communication piece, as we keep our clients and friends abreast of rapidly expansive legislative and case developments, and on occasion, provide personal comments on our firm’s evolving roles.
Employment Law
The main focus of our firm continues to be partnering with our clients’ management, to help them enhance the quality of their workplaces, prevent them from running afoul of the myriad of state and federal employment laws and regulations.
Unfortunately, harassment and discrimination are not new phenomena. This type of behavior has been going on for some time, however, the current 24/7 media environment brings these issues to light more frequently. The resulting backlash has led to stiffer fines and massive bad press when such behavior is not properly addressed. In addition, the growing trend is to have anti-harassment training mandated by state law.
We have been presenting anti-harassment training and counsel, conducting internal employee investigations where appropriate, and counseling clients on the risk analysis, both legally and monetarily, as well as the growing exposure of reputational risk. We provide daily counsel on complex employee relations issues. And we design state-of-the art Human Resources handbooks, which reflect both legislative developments, as well as a renewed emphasis on having clear and steady policies in an ever-changing workplace.
Our mission is clear: to help our clients improve the quality of their workplaces and implement policies and procedures that protect their organizations.
Clients
We cater to a diverse group of clients, representing many industries, including: professional services, retail, hospitality, food services, manufacturing, home care, real estate security, and not-for-profit organizations.
Private and Charter Schools
We counsel private schools, from pre-nursery through university level, who deal with a large range of matters, reflective of societal and cultural issues. These include the latest frontier of educational problems, such as bullying, boundaries between teachers and students, student immunization, security planning, challenging student disciplinary actions that arise, and a more demanding parent body. Senior leadership in educational institutions look for ongoing legal guidance in performing their sacred duty of educating the next generation of students. This allows them to stay ahead of areas where schools can be exposed to liability and safety concerns.
Individual Workshops and Representation
We continue our unique role of presenting quarterly workshops to employees who are in transition, to coach them on employment and independent contractor agreements. Our goal is to assist them, as they land positions, and require affordable counsel to review their agreements.
Other Professionals
As state and local laws protective to employees continue to multiply, we are called upon to assist other practitioners who support employers, including general business attorneys, professional trainers and HR consultants, who come to rely on us to review the technical foundation for their counsel.
2019 and Beyond
We look forward to 2019, ever conscious of our expanding role, and sensitive to providing the highest level of cost effective, creative and practical counsel to our maturing client base.
As the frontiers of the workplace continue to evolve, our goal remains steadfast: to provide our clients with prompt and reliable direction for their legal needs. In this manner, our clients will be protected against employment litigation, regulatory fines, reputational risk, and can concentrate on achieving their mission and business objectives. We wish our clients, colleagues and friends a professionally satisfying 2019, where we can continue to influence your success.
Warm regards,
Jules Z. Halpern and Paul L. Scrom