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The practice of labor and
employment law continues to be the foundation of Vercruysse Murray &
Calzone, and many of our experienced attorneys solely specialize in this
area of the law. The firm's roots in labor and employment law run deep.
Vercruysse Murray & Calzone was originally formed in 1996 by five highly
experienced and nationally recognized labor and employment attorneys
specializing in providing counseling and litigation services to local and
national employers. The firm has grown significantly since its inception,
and the national reputation of the firm has grown with its size. Four of
our attorneys -- Robert Vercruysse, Gregory Murray, David Calzone, and
Virginia Metz (retired) -- have been selected by their peers from across the
United States as members of the American Bar Association's
College of
Labor
and Employment Attorneys. Four attorneys are listed in various editions of
The Best Lawyers in America, and five are Fellows of the Michigan
State Bar Foundation. Robert Vercruysse and Virginia Metz have both served
as Chair of the Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar of Michigan,
and David Calzone has served for several years as a member of the Section's
governing council. Our firm's attorneys have a number of publications to
their credit, including the monthly Michigan Employment Law Letter, a
multitude of articles in legal periodicals, and chapter contributions and/or
book editing responsibility for the following books: Employment
Litigation in Michigan (ICLE 2004); Employment Discrimination Law
(BNA 2002), Age Discrimination in Employment Law (BNA 1999),
Employment Law in Michigan: An Employer’s Guide (ICLE 2005) and
Michigan Wrongful Discharge and Employment Discrimination Law (ICLE
1994). Our firm also takes its expertise into the classroom. Several
attorneys have taught classes at The University of Michigan Law School,
Wayne State Law School, and the University of Detroit-Mercy Law School, and
Robert Vercruysse has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at The
University of Michigan Law School. The firm's attorneys are also
frequently featured speakers at American Bar Association, state and local
bar association, and Institute for Continuing Legal Education programs and
seminars.
Continuing in the
tradition of the firm's founders, Vercruysse Murray & Calzone’s attorneys
have extensive experience representing employers in state and federal courts
in age, race, sex, national origin, religious, and disability/handicap
discrimination litigation, sexual harassment claims, and ERISA litigation.
We also represent employers in affirmative action and discrimination matters
before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Ohio Civil Rights
Commission and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. A
significant portion of our work also comes from in-house counsel and law
firms located across the country who have come to rely on our advice and
expertise in resolving complex labor issues resulting form the sale, merger,
or acquisition of a corporation, plant closures, and large force reduction;
sensitive employment issues such as problem employees, terminations, sexual
harassment, and violence in the workplace; and complex cases involving
difficult and cutting-edge issues.
Members of the firm have
successfully defended both private and public employers in class actions and
complex litigation in federal and state court. Our attorneys are likewise
heavily involved in the defense of wrongful discharge cases, contract and
commission claims, implied employment contract claims, slander and libel
claims, negligence and negligent retention claims, and whistleblower claims.
We have also defended employers and trustees in class action and complex
ERISA litigation. Trial experience in both judge and jury trials is
extensive.
We also have an extensive
practice prosecuting and defending trade secret, breach of fiduciary duty,
and non-competition agreement cases in state and federal court, as well as
in arbitration under the NASD rules. These cases are typically fast-paced
and often involve seeking preliminary injunctive relief and money damages.
We further specialize in negotiating and drafting executive and employee
employment contracts. These contracts often include protections for the
client’s intellectual property rights, trade secrets, and confidential
information, as well as protecting against unfair competition through
non-competition provisions. We also provide advice to our clients to help
minimize the risk of litigation when hiring a competitor’s employees.
In traditional labor
practice, our attorneys have considerable experience in negotiating
collective bargaining agreements on behalf of employers and multi-employer
associations in both the public and private sectors. In addition, the firm’s
attorneys defend employers before the National Labor Relations Board and the
Michigan Employment Relations Commission in both representation and unfair
labor practice proceedings. Members of the firm also represent employers in
wage and hour, OSHA, and MIOSHA matters before both the United States and
Michigan Departments of Labor. We also represent employers in arbitration
matters throughout the United States and have considerable expertise in the
use of alternative dispute resolution procedures. Members of our firm serve
on advisory committees for both the Michigan Employment Relations Commission
and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
While the majority of our
work consists of litigation, we also provide valuable advice and counseling
to our clients on a wide variety of human relations and personnel matters
with the intent of avoiding litigation or unionization and finding workable
solutions to complex problems. As part of this effort, we assist employers
in the development of personnel policies and procedures, affirmative action
plans, disciplinary policies, employee handbooks, drug and alcohol testing
programs, and reductions in force. We also have extensive experience in
counseling employers on compliance with federal and state law, including the
Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act, ERISA, Title
VII,
Title IX, the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, the Michigan Persons with
Disabilities Civil Rights Act, 1-9 compliance, NAFTA and IRCA discrimination
matters and many others. |
