Labor & Employment

To address the unique labor and employment issues of the hospitality industry, Quarles & Brady's Labor & Employment Group has formed a national team of attorneys with a proven track record in representation of hospitality-related businesses and organizations. Our attorneys have advised and represented hospitality industry clients across the spectrum of legal challenges they encounter in this cyclical, labor intensive and competitive industry.

Clients we serve in this initiative include owners, operators, managers, investors and developers of hotels, restaurants, resorts, timeshares, country clubs, golf courses, caterers, and gaming facilities.

Representative Hospitality Industry experience:

• Provided legal guidance in the expansion of an upscale restaurant group, from startup as a single restaurant to a highly successfully regional brand, including assisting with the development of hiring procedures, employment policies, employment law compliance and counseling, and corporate structure.
  
  
• Successfully defended a national restaurant chain before Immigration Authorities and the Ninth Circuit on allegations of knowingly hiring an undocumented worker.
  
  
• Helped a high-profile regional restaurant group remain union-free in the context of a corporate campaign.
  
  
• Successfully resolved a union's regional bannering of a national restaurant chain.
  
  
• Protected a resort's proprietary recipes as trade secrets against the efforts of a departing chef.
  
  
• Guided a Country Club operator, in connection with the start up of operations, a development of a golf course, and related gaming activities in Nevada, including development and enforcement of employment policies and compliance.
  
  
• Obtained summary judgment for a Resort operator in connection with employment law and premises liability claims associated with the alleged sexual assault of an employee by a coworker.
  
  
• Represented resort operators in connection with Justice Department audits of IRCA compliance and DOL audits of wage/hour compliance.
  
  
• Defended several resort operators in connection with various claims for religious accommodation based on scheduling, appearance, facial hair, apparel, and on the job "celebrations" conflicting with religious beliefs.
  
  
• Represented hotel investors concerning the redevelopment of one of their Chicago area properties.
  
  
• Represented owner-operators seeking regulatory approval of new hotel developments.
  
  
• Successfully defended a hotel operator against disability discrimination and workers' compensation retaliation claims brought by former housekeeping employees claiming work-related back injuries precluded lifting.
  
  
• Represented in employment and contractual matters a company specializing in locating, transporting and housing legally-approved foreign workers who staff many of the largest resort hotels in Southwest Florida.

For more information on how our Hospitality Industry Group can help you resolve your workplace issues, please contact Otto Immel at 239.659.5041 / , Mike Aldana at 414.277.5151 / or Scott Watson at 312.715.5149 / .