Overview
– Client Testimonial in Chambers USA
During, and after, your most important transactions, your company needs proactive counsel to minimize legal liability and protect your business interests. McDermott’s global employment team guides public and private companies across all industries through complex employment law and labor issues associated with M&A deals and other high-value transactions.
We leverage deep knowledge of emerging litigation trends and new employment laws – including evolving regulations and state wage-and-hour issues – to help you identify and mitigate legal risk during your buy-side and sell-side transactions.
Our full-service employment team works closely with lawyers in McDermott’s market-leading corporate and transactional practice at the outset of a deal to ensure a smooth transition. With a thorough understanding of market practices and trends, our employment and executive contracts lawyers are well-positioned to:
- Conduct due diligence reviews to identify risks and develop solutions to mitigate those risks
- Negotiate executive employment and compensation agreements
- Provide counsel on sensitive personnel issues
- Coordinate with our corporate and transactional practice on definitive deal documents and purchase agreements
- Advise on post-acquisition employee integration
Capabilities
- Counsel on domestic and global employment issues involved in M&A deals and other transactions, divestitures, carve-outs, spin-offs, corporate reorganizations, post-acquisition integrations, and outsourcings
- Develop tools to manage the various human resources (HR) aspects of a deal cycle, including domestic and global due diligence lists, transaction agreement matrices, HR step plans, and implementation labor maps
- Partner with in-house legal and HR teams to update internal policies and protocols after a merger or acquisition, ensuring compliance with ever-evolving state and federal employment regulations
- Advise companies that are expanding into new jurisdictions on appropriate employment structures and onboarding requirements
- Conduct post-deal trainings for employees at all levels of an organization, including customizable programs for board members, C-suites and other executives, legal teams, and staff
- Defend clients in government investigations and compliance audits related to the transaction, providing effective plans to minimize the investigation’s scope, evaluate the position, and deploy a response
- Conduct extensive internal investigations and, when appropriate, guide clients on corrective action and process improvements
- Advise employers and executives in negotiating complex employment and compensation agreements and arrangements, including employment agreements, equity agreements, bonus arrangements, and commission plans
- Counsel clients on corporate reorganizations, employee transfers, reductions in force, and WARN Act compliance
