De Castro & Morrow advises small and mid-sized businesses on the complex state and federal laws relating to employment issues. De Castro & Morrow are proactive consultants and advisors, working closely with their clients to ensure that potential problems are avoided.

The firm routinely counsels companies on the following:

• Rules regarding wages, rest breaks, meal breaks and overtime pay requirements
• Understanding “employee” versus “independent contractor” classification
• Discrimination and harassment in the workplace
• Hiring and firing of employees
• Promotions and demotions of employees
• Development of employee handbooks, employment policies and procedures, employment contracts and separation agreements
• Rules regarding leaves of absence
• Workplace safety and employee privacy

De Castro & Morrow also handles employment litigation matters including claims for wage and overtime violations, sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination. De Castro & Morrow has the experience and qualifications to handle any employment claim in State or Federal Court, and in arbitration and administrative hearings.

Do you want to fire an employee?

Do you have an employee that is not performing?  Is the employee creating more trouble than she is worth?  Are you ready to terminate her but are worried about legal ramifications?  De Castro & Morrow, LLP can help.  We routinely counsel companies on how to properly terminate an employee and can often ensure that a “wrongful termination” lawsuit will not be filed.

We will first conduct a thorough interview with you to understand your company and the reasons for the termination. We will then go through our “termination checklist” to evaluate the risk of a future claim. Based on our analysis and our extensive experience in employment law, we will then recommend various options. Armed with knowledge, you will then be able to make the right decision that achieves the company’s goal without increasing risk.

Don’t take any action against an employee without speaking to us first.  Call De Castro & Morrow, LLP now and we will give you first rate advice.

Are you being sued?

Have you recently received a claim by a former or current employee? It could be a claim of harassment from the Department of Fair Employment and Housing;  A Charge of Discrimination from the EEOC; A notice from the Labor Commissioner; A threatening letter from an attorney. Or an actual lawsuit filed in Superior Court.

While any of these claims can be damaging, if you hire the right attorneys, you can protect your company and quickly and efficiently end the case so you can get back to running your business.

Before you respond to any legal claim, contact De Castro & Morrow first. We will fully evaluate the claim and conduct a thorough interview to evaluate the merits of the case. We will also listen carefully to your concerns and taken into account your goals.

Based on our more than 40 years of combined knowledge and experience we will then provide you with a clear analysis of the case and our recommendations for the best course of action.

If the case must be fought, we have the skills and resources to win at trial. Our firm has litigated many cases in front of judges, juries and arbitrators and has an excellent track record of success.

Or, if the case is one that should settle, De Castro & Morrow will make every effort to resolve the case early. The attorneys at De Castro & Morrow have been formally trained in litigation techniques and strategies and will put those skills to use for you. Because our opponents know that we have the experience to win at trial, we can achieve excellent settlement results for our clients.

Are you concerned that you are not complying with State and Federal Employment laws?

Most companies focus all of their time running and growing their business. What is often left behind is ensuring that the company is complying with the complex State and Federal employment laws. That is where we step in.

For a low flat rate, De Castro & Morrow will conduct a thorough review of all your employment practices. Think of it like an oil change for your company. Some preventative maintenance to make sure the engine of your business is running smoothly. We believe that being proactive now is much better than facing a costly lawsuit down the road.

Included Services:

• Review Employee Handbook.
• Review meal break and rest break policies.
• Review record keeping policies.
• Review other employment policies including performance review, discipline and grievance policies.
• Review Employee Application and new hire packet.
• Review all insurance policies.
• Review personnel files to ensure all necessary documents are in file. (Eg. I-9, W-4, application, performance review, discipline report, etc.).
• Review classification of employees to ensure that each employee is properly classified as “exempt” or “non-exempt”.
• Review independent contractor agreements (if any), and determine if accurately classifying individuals as independent contractors.
• 1 hour of time toward future services.
• Additional services may be charged separately.

Pricing Schedule:

• 1 to 10 Employees — $2,000.00
• 11 to 20 Employees — $2,500.00
• 21 to 50 Employees — $3,000.00
• More than 50 Employees — Flexible rates are available depending on the number. Please call to discuss.

Who Can Benefit from These Services?

We recommend a review every one to two years. In addition, any company that is growing or going through a transition would benefit from this review. De Castro & Morrow represents small and mid-sized businesses in the following industries: manufacturing, technology, entertainment, real-estate, food service, construction, financial and retail.