Employment Law

Beresford Booth helps employers throughout the region to effectively manage their workforce. Our employment law team assists employers in identifying legal issues, meeting compliance requirements, developing best practices, building a solid defense and preserving management rights while upholding workplace laws. 

Employment Counseling

Every year, employers spend millions of dollars defending themselves in lawsuits brought by current and former employees.  Preventative maintenance is a cost-effective, time-saving means of avoiding workplace litigation. The best approach is the maintenance of lawful and up-to-date workplace policies and practices that are effectively communicated and fairly and consistently applied.

Beresford Booth attorneys partner with you to understand your business and its culture. We draft policies and employee handbooks that recognize the objectives of management and the needs of employees. We also provide counseling and training to managers and supervisors on the application, enforcement and documentation of these policies.

Trade Secrets, Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreements

Beresford Booth attorneys have a proven track record of helping employers protect themselves from unfair competition.  In addition to working with clients to develop comprehensive trade secret protection programs, our services include:

  • Drafting non-competition agreements, non-disclosure agreements, assignment of invention agreements and similar documents;
  • Preparing executive and individual employment agreements;
  • Consulting on electronic information retention and security policies; and
  • Training managers on policies regarding confidential information, non-competition agreements and the like.

Through these precautionary efforts, we put your business in the best possible situation should it become necessary to litigate any claim for breach of non-competition agreements, theft of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, employee raiding or unfair trade practices.

Wage And Hour Compliance

The frequent revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act and Washington State wage and hour laws along with the dramatic growth of multiple plaintiff and class action lawsuits under federal and state laws have made this area a pressing concern for employers.  Beresford Booth attorneys guide clients in compliance with federal and state laws governing independent contractor status; entitlement to overtime or other premium pay; calculation of overtime pay; recordkeeping obligations; and payment of and withholding of vacation, personal or sick pay.

We assist employers with the creation and administration of practices that comply with wage-hour and paid time off requirements, including: developing, reviewing, revising, and auditing wage and compensation policies; assisting with proper classification of exempt, nonexempt and independent contract workers; structuring commissions, bonuses, incentive payments and other compensation programs; and reviewing overtime pay calculations.

We work with clients on the creation of job descriptions, auditing of their payroll practices and the impact of employee disciplinary measures. Through the development of effective strategies, we help employers minimize the cost of legal compliance.