How to you go about choosing the right law firm for employment when so many profess their expertise in this area?

What are the best law firms for those seeking employment law issues and what criteria should be used when ‘hunting down’ a law firm that might suit your best requirements?

Remember that ‘best’ is a subjective word. There are a multitude of law firms in any Western jurisdiction and unlike other professions, there is no shortage of lawyers. So when choosing a law firm that handles employment law work there are some key criteria to consider, including:

–> a law firm that is close to you (if that is an issue)

–> a law firm handling employment law issues that has a top reputation for the type of advice or litigation you are seeking.

How employment lawyers Can Assist Employees

The rights of workers in the United States are protected by many different federal and state laws and regulations and it takes a good employment law firm to understand and appreciate what each of these can do in a particular case.

Among the applicable laws that might apply in any employment law case are the following –

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) an Act that covers wages and overtime pay requirements
The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) which provides standards for a safe workplace for employees
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) which provides protection for pensions and various other benefits that may apply
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) an Act that provides unpaid leave for a family dealing with various health issues
The EEOC prohibits and discrimination issue in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc

A good employment law firm can assist in the preparation of an employment law case that seeks to protect yourself as an employee and it is vital to ensure you have a law firm that has experience and a good record in the area.

For instance, if you are checking for top law firms in a particular area you can check a resource like BoardMember’s review of the top corporate law firms in the United States, as follows –

An In-Depth Look At America’s Best Corporate Law Firms

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (up from #2)
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. (down from #1) Website: https://www.skadden.com. …
Jones Day (steady at #3) …
Sullivan & Cromwell. (up from #6) …
Latham & Watkins. (down from #4) …
Cravath, Swaine & Moore. (down from #5) …
Davis Polk & Wardwell. (steady at #7) …
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. (up from #9).

Employment Law Firm Rankings

There are plenty of such resources, and in the employment law area you can check resources like US News & World Report on best law firms in the employment arena, which includes –

Littler“Law Firm of the Year” in Employment Law – Management National Tier 1 in Employment Law – Management

Akerman LLP National Tier 1 in Employment Law – Management

Baker & Hostetler LLP National Tier 1 in Employment Law – Management

Ballard Spahr LLP National Tier 1 in Employment Law – Management

Barnes & Thornburg LLP National Tier 1 in Employment Law – Management

Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLCNational Tier 1 in Employment Law – Management

Clark Hill PLC National Tier 1 in Employment Law – Management

There are ample examples of law firms that seek to discuss their success in the employment law practice area, with firms like ‘For the People’, discussing their 900 attorneys and multi-billion success in employment law claims.

Other Key Employment Law Firms

There are plenty of other employment law specialists with top reputations however (apart from those identified above in the the USN&WR ranking, including –

Locating a good employment law firm is more than undertaking a search on Google. (Using search queries like ’employment law firm near me’, ’employment law firm los angeles’, ’employment law firm new york’, etc). Enquiring of friends and others is an obvious direction for locating good employment law attorneys who can assist in disputes or issues.

You should aim for at least 3 or 4 attorney referrals when you’re looking for your ‘chosen law firm’. Once you’ve done that you should arrange a consultation with the short list you have prepared. Indeed in many cases someone from the firm will pre-screen you when you call to see if your case would be a good fit for their employment law practice. If so, you will be offered a consultation with the firm.

Most law firms offer a free initial consultation, but some employment lawyers will charge you their regular hourly rate for your first meeting with them to discuss your case.

Major directories like FIndlaw can assist in the location of a good law firm in this area, along with articles in leading law firm sites like our own here at LawFuel, but also Lawyerlist and Law Crossings, the AVVO directory, all of which provide articles and content that have updated information on leading employment law firm opportunities for clients and lawyers alike.

Remember that employment law disputes cover a raft of issues, such as sexual harassment, discrimination issues and other often complex issues that require determination and resolution.