Massachusetts Employment Law Update

Adam is a director in McLane Middleton’s Litigation Department and chair of the firm’s Employment Law Practice Group, concentrating his practice in the areas of business, employment and probate litigation. Adam regularly assists clients on a variety of commercial and employment litigation matters, including claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, and violations of restrictive covenants. Adam also has extensive experience working on will contests, fiduciary litigation and guardianships.

Peg O’Brien assists employers with legal compliance and risk management in all phases of the employment relationship, as well as defense of employers in matters pending before government agencies and courts.

Peg provides on-site and virtual training for employees and supervisors on harassment prevention and documentation and discipline best practices, and other employment law matters.

In addition, Peg conducts workplace investigations as an internal or outside independent investigator, and recently completed the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination’s Certified Course on Conducting Discrimination Complaint Investigations.

Amy is a member of the Litigation Department and the Employment Law and Cybersecurity Practice Groups.

She has an extensive business background with over 20 years of experience as an Human Resources and Safety professional and as a business owner before becoming an attorney. She graduated from the University of Maine School Law and earned a Certificate in Information Privacy from their nationally recognized program. She is also a Certified Informational Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).  Her experience includes teaching at the University of New Hampshire for the past ten years in their professional development program.

Brian has extensive experience in a broad range of complex education and employment matters throughout the country, including in state and federal courts, in alternative resolution processes, and before various administrative agencies.

In the employment context, Brian guides clients with respect to issues involving hiring and on-boarding employees, wage-and-hour compliance, establishing and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries, performance management, and risky terminations. Brian also assists clients with the myriad compliance documents such as enrollment agreements, offer letters and employment agreements, student/parent handbooks, employee and faculty handbooks, trip permission and release forms, student health audits, separation and settlement agreements, and drafting various additional policies and authorizations.

Vineesha focuses her practice on employment and education matters. She has extensive experience advising higher education institutions, public school districts, and independent schools in a full-spectrum of areas, including but not limited to student- and parent-related issues, disciplinary matters, special education and civil rights. Vineesha also has extensive experience representing education institutions in matters before the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and the Division of Administrative Law Appeals in MA .

In the context of employment, Vineesha advises clients on a range of employment matters such as separation agreements, terminations, discrimination/harassment, and she has significant experience conducting workplace investigations. Vineesha has represented a range of clients in arbitrations, collective bargaining and before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

Sean works on a broad array of litigation matters, throughout New England, including work before State and Federal Courts as well as before various boards and governing bodies. Sean has focused his practice on serving the needs of both students and educational institutions as they navigate legal and practical issues. He has extensive experience working closely with small to large educational institutions, where he provides advice and analysis on a wide variety of issues, including employment and board of trustee policies. Sean provides services regarding employment contracts, waivers, severance agreements, compliance, risk analysis, and navigating state and federal laws.