Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Employment arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques can help employers and employees achieve quicker and more efficient resolutions to employment disputes. Using ADR, especially arbitration, can reduce the burden and expense of litigation while maintaining fairness to all parties.

Ogletree Deakins’ Arbitration/ADR Practice Group assists employers throughout the country and across industries to create, roll out, and enforce employment arbitration agreements and other ADR programs. We advise employers on potential costs and benefits and on effective ways to structure solutions according to each employer’s goals, industry, workforce, and location.

Coast-to-Coast Coverage

Members of the Arbitration/ADR Practice Group are located in our offices around the country in all major jurisdictions. Through our national arbitration practice, Ogletree Deakins’ substantial resources are available to employers of all sizes, from those with a single location to those with widespread, multistate operations. Our attorneys have significant experience addressing unique issues under state and local laws that can affect arbitration, including California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).

Custom Arbitration Programs

Ogletree Deakins attorneys work with employers to develop arbitration/ADR programs best suited to their needs. Multijurisdictional employers or those with varied workforces may find that arbitration is more effective for some types of claims and portions of their employee populations than others. If your circumstances might benefit from a customized approach, our attorneys will work with you to tailor your current policy or develop a new one focused on your specific needs and goals. Our attorneys can also advise you knowledgably regarding class action waivers, forum selection clauses, choice of law provisions, delegation clauses, and other key terms.

Experience

Ogletree Deakins attorneys have handled all aspects of ADR issues. In particular, Ogletree Deakins has taken a lead role in defending the enforceability of class action waivers in arbitration agreements in several widely influential decisions. Our attorneys also have experience working with the leading providers of ADR services, including JAMS, the American Arbitration Association, and others.

Alerts and Updates

We are committed to providing all of the resources and information that employers need to stay aware of developments that affect their workplaces and businesses. In addition to multiday national seminars and local programs, we alert employers to breaking news through our articles, webinars, and electronic and print newsletters. Employment laws, including those related to ADR, are constantly evolving, and we keep employers up-to-date on changes that can impact them.