Health Care: Providers & Payors

Quarles & Brady stands above other law firms in its capacity to identify and protect the labor and employment interests of the largest health care institutions. As the legal profession becomes increasingly specialized, a firm — and, more specifically, a practice group — that "does it all" (and does it well) is difficult to find. With more than 50 attorneys in our Labor & Employment Practice Group, including a team of attorneys who have focused on the Health Care industry for years, we have the breadth and depth of experience to deftly navigate the unique legal issues that health care providers face on every level. Our Labor & Employment Practice Group has a unique combination of attorneys that practice in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, and immigration, which allows us to provide our health care clients with a broad spectrum of services that few other law firms can provide.

The unique laws and regulations that apply to health care institutions require the services of lawyers who understand how an institution’s culture shapes its attainment of its business goals while complying with regulatory and other legal requirements. Our labor and employment services for health care systems include:

• Advising on problem avoidance and the handling of problem employees, including impaired professionals.
  
  
• Defending discrimination charges and employment-related litigation, including claims under Title VII, the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, the ADEA, and similar State Anti-Discrimination Laws, State and Federal FMLA, ERISA, the FLSA and HIPAA.
  
  
• Handling union-management disputes (union avoidance, negotiations, arbitrations, etc.).
  
  
• Advising on the application and implications of the Caregiver Background Check Law, where applicable.
  
  
• Reviewing and recommending policy changes, and changes to employment agreements and non-competes.
  
  
• Assisting with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganizations and reductions in force.
  
  
• Counseling on OFCCP, affirmative action and civil rights compliance plan matters.
  
  
• Providing guidance and advice on all types of leaves, from FMLA to military leave.
  
  
• Counseling on wage-hour matters, including class and collective actions, mandatory overtime, on-call and training time, wage claims, and tort and contract lawsuits over employment terminations.

We not only represent our clients as counselors and advocates, but also act proactively, providing in-service learning sessions on topics such as:

• how to safely navigate the complicated relationship between Worker's Compensation, the Family Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, all of which are influenced by special EEOC guidance related to health care providers;
  
  
• how to prepare appropriate and defensible discipline/coaching documentation and performance appraisals; and
  
  
• how to effectively deal with problem employees.

For more information on how our Health Care Labor & Employment team can assist you, please contact Mary Pat Ninneman at  / (414) 277-5153 or your local Quarles & Brady attorney.