Practice Areas

Representing clients in employment, labor, estate planning and disability law

Employment And Labor Law

Federal, state, local, and common law prohibit workplace discrimination and harassment based on age, race, color, sex, religion, pregnancy, national origin, disability, veteran and military status, and sexual orientation. Employers must take all steps necessary to comply with these laws. Employees who have experienced discrimination or harassment are advised to seek legal advice before pursuing their rights. Potential claims include, but are not limited to:

  • Wrongful discharge;
  • Discrimination and harassment;
  • Overtime and other wage issues;
  • Breach of contract; and
  • Claims arising under the National Labor Relations Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1991, and Indiana Civil Rights Law.

I represent my clients in state and federal courts, before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Indiana civil rights commission, and in mediations/arbitrations. I am experienced litigating lawsuits pertaining to all types of employment matters, including:

  • Employment discrimination;
  • Wrongful discharge and termination claims;
  • Contract and labor disputes;
  • Unfair competition and trade secrets; and
  • Harassment claims.

I also have significant experience litigating claims and advising clients on wage and hour issues. These services include:

  • Defend and pursue wage and hour litigation;
  • Represent employers and employees during investigations and in disputes with federal, state, and local governments;
  • Prepare compensation policies and incentive plans;
  • Audit compensation policies and practices to ensure compliance; and
  • Train managers and employees in the proper administration of compensation policies.

In addition, I work closely with my clients to keep the everyday operation of a business, organization, or school district as disaster-free as possible. My goal is to set my clients up to be proactive rather than reactive; to set them up for success. To achieve this goal, I offer the following services:

  • Phone counseling to handle any unsuspected workplace issue;
  • Review and prepare employment and HR policies; and
  • Provide training for supervisors and human resource personnel on discipline, terminations, promotions, and workplace harassment.

Estate Planning

Complete estate planning includes much more than the preparation of documents. Wills, trusts, and a power of attorney may all be necessary, depending on a client’s needs. Just as important though is the willingness to take the time to understand a client’s wishes and fears. Estate planning is a difficult and simply uncomfortable issue for many people.

Open communication and a full understanding of your plan will bring a feeling of security, knowing that your wishes are properly stated. I will take the time to discuss your situation and to develop a proper plan, before any will or any other instrument is prepared. Once we determine what is necessary, I will prepare and fully explain the documents required to carry out your wishes. My services include:

  • Preparing a will, trust, power of attorney, living will, and other documents as necessary;
  • Minimizing estate and gift tax liabilities;
  • Planning for retirement;
  • Using life insurance policies; and
  • Litigating will, estate, and trust issues.

Disability Law

The area of disability law is vast, complex, and encompasses many issues. I litigate on behalf of adults with disabilities, individuals with civil rights complaints, and students and their families in court, hearings, and before various agencies, to enforce the laws described below. I also assist these same individuals to effectively communicate with companies, organizations, governmental agencies, and public facilities to resolve issues long before litigation becomes necessary. For many situations, a properly written letter to the appropriate official will resolve a dispute without resorting to contentious litigation.

I provide services in the following areas:

  • Accessibility;
  • Civil Rights litigation and representation;
  • Fair housing issues;
  • Social Security benefits;
  • Special education; and
  • Public and workplace accommodations.

The following is a sampling of major federal laws, with brief descriptions, that govern this area. This list is not exhaustive and the list of regulations, ordinances, and policies that protects the rights of individuals grows everyday.  Please contact me with questions or if you believe that you are experiencing discrimination.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. To be protected by the ADA, one must have a disability or have a relationship or association with an individual with a disability. An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.

Telecommunications Act
Section 255 and Section 251(a)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, require manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and providers of telecommunications services to ensure that such equipment and services are accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, if readily achievable. These amendments ensure that people with disabilities will have access to a broad range of products and services such as telephones, cell phones, pagers, call-waiting, and operator services that were often inaccessible to many users with disabilities.

Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act, as amended in 1988, prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Its coverage includes private housing, housing that receives Federal financial assistance, and State and local government housing. It is unlawful to discriminate in any aspect of selling or renting housing or to deny a dwelling to a buyer or renter because of the disability of that individual, an individual associated with the buyer or renter, or an individual who intends to live in the residence. Other covered activities include, for example: financing, zoning
practices, new construction design, and advertising.

The Fair Housing Act requires owners of housing facilities to make reasonable exceptions in their policies and operations to afford people with disabilities equal housing opportunities. For example, a landlord with a “no pets” policy may be required to grant an exception to this rule and allow an individual who is blind to keep a guide dog in the residence. The Fair Housing Act also requires landlords to allow tenants with disabilities to make reasonable access-related modifications to their private living space, as well as to common use spaces (The landlord is not required to pay for the changes). The Act further requires
that new multifamily housing with four or more units be designed and built to allow access for persons with disabilities. This includes accessible common use areas, doors that are wide enough for wheelchairs, kitchens and bathrooms that allow a person using a wheelchair to maneuver, and other adaptable features within the units.

Air Carrier Access Act
The Air Carrier Access Act prohibits discrimination in air transportation by domestic and foreign air carriers against qualified individuals with physical or mental impairments. It applies only to air carriers that provide regularly scheduled services for hire to the public. Requirements address a wide range of issues including boarding assistance and certain accessibility features in newly built aircraft and new or altered airport facilities.

Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act
The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 generally requires polling places across the United States to be physically accessible to people with disabilities for federal elections. Where no accessible location is available to serve as a polling place, a political subdivision must provide an alternate means of casting a ballot on the day of the election. This law also requires states to make available registration and voting aids for disabled and elderly voters, including information by telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDDs).

National Voter Registration Act
The National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the “Motor Voter Act,” makes it easier for all Americans to exercise their fundamental right to vote. One of the basic purposes of the Act is to increase the historically low registration rates of minorities and persons with disabilities that have resulted from discrimination. The Motor Voter Act requires all offices of State-funded programs that are primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities to provide all program applicants with voter registration forms, to assist them in completing the forms, and to transmit completed forms to the appropriate State official.

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act
The Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to investigate conditions of confinement at State and local government institutions such as prisons, jails, pretrial detention centers, juvenile correctional facilities, publicly operated nursing homes, and institutions for people with psychiatric or developmental disabilities. Its purpose is to allow the Attorney General to uncover and correct widespread deficiencies that seriously jeopardize the health and safety of residents of institutions. The Attorney General does not have authority under CRIPA to investigate isolated incidents or to
represent individual institutionalized persons. The Attorney General may initiate civil lawsuits where there is reasonable cause to believe that conditions are “egregious or flagrant,” that they are subjecting residents to “grievous harm,” and that they are part of a “pattern or practice” of resistance to residents’ full enjoyment of constitutional or Federal rights, including title II of the ADA and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their individual needs.

IDEA requires public school systems to develop appropriate Individualized Education Programs (IEP’s) for each child. The unique special education and related services outlined in each IEP reflect the individualized needs of each student. IDEA also mandates that particular procedures be followed in the development of the IEP. Each student’s IEP must be developed by a team of knowledgeable persons and must be reviewed at least annually. The team includes the child’s teacher, the parents (subject to certain limited exceptions), the child (if determined appropriate), an agency representative who is
qualified to provide or supervise the provision of special education, and other individuals at the parents’ or agency’s discretion. If parents disagree with the proposed IEP, they can request a due process hearing and a review from the State educational agency if applicable in that state. They also can appeal the State agency’s decision to State or Federal court.

Rehabilitation Act
The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by Federal agencies, in programs receiving Federal financial assistance, in Federal employment, and in the employment practices of Federal contractors. The standards for determining employment discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act are the same as those used in title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Architectural Barriers Act
The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires that buildings and facilities that are designed, constructed, or altered with Federal funds, or leased by a Federal agency, comply with Federal standards for physical accessibility. ABA requirements are limited to architectural standards in new and altered buildings and in newly leased facilities. They do not address the activities conducted in those buildings and facilities. Facilities of the U.S. Postal Service are covered by the ABA.

I look forward to working with you.

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