Labor and Employment
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- Employee classification and misclassification
- Minimum wage and overtime compliance
- Recordkeeping requirements
- Tip-credit notice and compliance
- Litigation defense
- Non-compete and trade secret disputes
- Employee handbook review and development
- Executive and employee severance and settlement agreements
- Race, gender, and other protected class discrimination
- Retaliation claims
- Hostile work environment
- EEOC and state agency charges
- ERISA litigation
- FMLA compliance and litigation
Ford Law’s labor and employment practice offers comprehensive legal support across diverse industries, including media, restaurant, healthcare, equipment and chemical manufacturing, and logistics. Darren represents clients in high-stakes wage and hour collective and class actions and employment discrimination cases and provides strategic counsel and representation for clients responding to EEOC and state agency charges. The firm’s services extend to proactive compliance guidance, including employee handbook development and revision, drafting and reviewing employment and independent contractor agreements, navigating state and federal leave laws, and ensuring wage and hour compliance (such as tip credit notification and classification issues). Additionally, the Firm assists with severance agreements and provides counsel for pre-litigation dispute resolution, helping clients address issues efficiently before they escalate.
Representative Matters
Represented a national restaurant chain in a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The plaintiff, a tipped employee, alleged violations related to tip-credit notification, unrelated nontipped labor, and excessive related nontipped labor exceeding 20% of work time.
Represented a home healthcare provider in a federal lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The case involved allegations of employee misclassification, minimum wage and overtime violations, and inadequate recordkeeping practices.
Represented a manufacturing company in litigation involving claims of trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract against a former employee. The case centered on the alleged misuse of proprietary information and competitive activity in violation of restrictive covenants.
Represented a national media company in a lawsuit alleging race discrimination, retaliation, and unpaid wages under federal civil rights laws and state wage statutes.
Represented national restaurant chain in private arbitration brought by former employee under under state anti-discrimination laws, alleging gender discrimination and hostile work environment.
Represented a national restaurant chain in a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The plaintiff, a tipped employee, alleged violations related to tip-credit notification, unrelated nontipped labor, and excessive related nontipped labor.
Represented a close corporation product supplier in federal appeal involving the enforcement of a non-competition covenant against a former employee and competitor. The case included disputes over choice of law, with implications for the enforceability of restrictive covenants.
Represented a financial institution in litigation involving alleged violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The case arose from claims of alleged improper distribution of retirement plan benefits, resulting in disputes over compliance with ERISA requirements and plan administration.
Represented a media company in a lawsuit involving claims of breach of contract, fraud, and failure to administer employee benefits, implicating ERISA.
Represented a manufacturing company in a collective and class action under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage laws. The plaintiffs alleged improper calculation of overtime wages and failure to compensate for hours worked.
Represented companies in various industries in responding to EEOC and state equal employment agency charges alleging violations of state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
Prior results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict future outcomes. Every legal matter involves unique facts and circumstances. The success or result of any prior representation should not be relied upon as an indication of future success or results. The outcome of any legal matter depends upon a variety of factors, including but not limited to the specific facts and circumstances of each case, the applicable law, the venue, and the parties involved. Any description of prior matters or results is intended only to provide information about the activities and experience of Darren W. Ford and should not be understood as a representation or guarantee of similar results in other cases.