Employment & Labor Law

Practice Areas

Nevada Employment & Labor Law and Litigation Attorneys Serving Corporate Nevada

The relationship between employers and employees is fraught with legal pitfalls. Corporate employers of all sizes and in every industry must remain compliant with the many federal and state requirements applicable to employment statutes and regulations. Because employment and labor law is one of the most heavily litigated areas of practice, it is critical to retain counsel that understands every facet of employment law in order to aggressively defend the employer. McDonald Carano has represented businesses and other clients involved in all phases of the employment relationship, from employee handbooks and employment agreements to wage and hour issues and breach of confidentiality litigation. The results our employment litigation attorneys achieve are among the best in Nevada. Our Employment & Labor Law Practice is led by Kristen Gallagher (Co-Chair), Daniel Aquino (Co-Chair), and Chelsea Latino (Vice-Chair).

Our clients include startups, corporations, public entities, non-profit organizations, trade associations, and public-private partnerships throughout Nevada. We have assisted employers in all sectors of the economy, including insurance, financial services, telecommunications, retail, professional sports, gaming, hospitality, lodging, manufacturing, agriculture, education, technology, energy, transportation, construction, real estate, utilities, healthcare, entertainment, and tourism. We provide operations-focused advice and counsel to Nevada employers, handle investigations and charges from administrative agencies (including EEOC, NERC, DOL, and the Nevada Labor Commissioner), and defend employers in litigated actions.

Our Nevada employment and labor law attorneys, including those recognized as “Best Lawyers” in Reno and Las Vegas as well as “Ones to Watch”, are dedicated to a client-focused approach, one that entails a high level of service and personal attention. We want to know you, your preferences, and your objectives. We are appreciated for our assertive yet pragmatic approach to litigation, mediation, arbitration, labor negotiations and representation before administrative agencies like the Nevada Equal Rights Commission, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the U.S. Department of Labor. At the outset of any matter, we uncover and leverage every relevant fact in order to best advise our client. If a complaint lacks merit, we advise defending the case, which often results in disposing of the groundless claims through summary judgment during litigation or at trial.

Our attorneys routinely work on the following types of engagements for Nevada employers:

  • Advice and counsel on hiring packets, including offer letters
  • Employee handbooks, including state-specific addenda for multi-state employers
  • Employment agreements, including commission structures, breach of confidentiality provisions, and non-compete and non-solicitation covenants
  • Classification of exempt vs. non-exempt employees and employee vs. contractor
  • Advice and counsel on wage and hour matters (exemptions, overtime, commissions, etc.)
  • Anti-harassment training (both in-house and external)
  • Internal investigations
  • Termination advice and severance agreements
  • Day-to-day employment advice, such as navigating legalized marijuana and ADA/religious accommodations
  • Responding to investigations and administrative charges before the Nevada Labor Commissioner, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, EEOC, and NERC
  • Discrimination, harassment, and retaliation litigation
  • Wage and hour litigation
  • Wrongful termination and retaliation
  • Counseling and training employers and employee
  • Employee health and safety
  • Employee privacy
  • Federal contractor compliance
  • Leave and other benefits
  • OSHA investigations and citations
  • Unfair competition and trade secrets
  • Workers’ compensation

Practice Area News

NLRB Ruling Restricts Severance Agreements

UPDATE: In a March 22 memo to agency staff, the NLRB Office of the General Counsel answered 15 questions regarding the Board’s February 21 decision in McLaren Macomb. The decision…

Nevada Supreme Court Rules Employees May Sue Employers for Failure to Accommodate Medical Marijuana Use

As a matter of first impression in Freeman Expositions, LLC v. Eighth Judicial District Court (Dec. 1, 2022), the Nevada Supreme Court interpreted whether, under Nevada law, employers must accommodate an employee’s…

FTC Proposes Rule Banning Non-Compete Provisions: How Would It Impact Nevada Employers?

On January 5, 2023, in a 3-to-1 vote, the Federal Trade Commission proposed eliminating non-compete provisions in employment agreements, with limited exceptions. The proposed Non-Compete Clause Rule was not entirely…

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