Labor & Employment
SKV’s depth in commercial and white collar allows us to handle complex employment matters.
Overview
SKV’s civil employment practice focuses on representing executives and whistleblowers in litigation and arbitration.
SKV has a broad labor and employment practice that reflects the Firm’s unique depth when it comes to civil, white-collar criminal, and hybrid matters.
The Firm’s civil employment practice is primarily plaintiff-side and focuses on representing executives and whistleblowers in litigation and arbitration. In recent years, SKV lawyers have successfully represented executives denied benefits under individual employment contracts, as well as those terminated on account of protected whistleblowing or due to illegal discrimination. SKV also has a strong history of representing businesses dealing with employee embezzlement/self-dealing and related issues.
On the defense side, SKV has frequently represented individuals and startup corporations accused of trade secret misappropriation or breaches of non-compete agreements. Indeed, many of SKV’s most significant intellectual property representations – for both plaintiffs and defendants – have begun as disputes around the exit/termination of key employees. While SKV lawyers are always ready to go to trial and relish the opportunity to do so, our track record of success and reputation as a formidable opponent in the courtroom means that we are often able to negotiate successful outcomes for our clients – and a great savings – long before trial is necessary.
SKV’s white-collar defense practice has focused on internal investigations related to companies’ and organizations’ most important labor-related disputes. In such investigations, SKV has represented companies, special committees, and individual witnesses, among others.
SKV’s boutique size and entrepreneurial spirit give clients numerous advantages. First, we are not a distinctly defense or plaintiff-side firm; while the majority of our insurance work is on the plaintiff side, we have a substantial defense practice. Second, because we are a trial firm, nearly all of our team, from senior partners to paralegals and secretaries, has significant experience in trials and arbitrations. Third, we staff matters leanly, which means that as a client, you will receive a dedicated and appropriately-sized team that learns your case thoroughly and is available to address your needs.
And finally, we have never been wedded to the billable hour and are always willing to discuss alternative fee arrangements with clients. At SKV, we use a straightforward approach to evaluating your case and your needs, making sure we never lose sight of your goals.
Representative Matters
- Quantlab Technologies Ltd. (BVI) & Quantlab Financial, LLC Godlevsky, et al.: Lee Kaplan and Alex Wolf won a federal jury trial for Quantlab in May 2015 in a case arising out of the theft of Quantlab’s trade secrets in both research and technology. The jury awarded Quantlab $7.2 million against a quantitative research scientist who previously worked six years at the company as well as $5 million against the Wisconsin attorney/investor who was the CEO of a company set up to exploit Quantlab’s trade secrets. The Court entered an injunction against these defendants. Four other defendants settled before trial for stipulated judgments of $28.5 million each. The case was noteworthy because of the difficulty of ferreting out the extent of the theft and use of the secrets, as the trial defendants and a settling defendant engaged in extensive spoliation of evidence. The verdict was upheld in its entirety on appeal in 2017.
- Weinstein A2 Holdings, LLC. Larry Veselka and Jarod Stewart successfully represented A2 in a dispute brought by executives over retention bonuses. The matter ultimately settled on confidential terms favorable to A2.
- Ross v. Cireson, LLC. Land Murphy and Alex Wolf successfully represented executive Ross in a lawsuit brought against his employer concerning a promised ownership stake and unpaid commissions. The matter ultimately settled on confidential terms after Ross prevailed on his motion for summary judgment.
- Perthuis v. Baylor Miraca Genetics Laboratories, LLC: Land Murphy and Jarod Stewart represented longtime client Baylor Genetics in a dispute over an employee’s claimed commissions. The matter settled confidentially after a jury trial and lengthy appeals.
