COVID-19 brought the life sciences industry front and center as employers and employees alike looked for policies and best practices to keep the workplace and our communities safe. Life sciences industry employers face a wide range of compliance challenges and workplace law risks, as they respond to the immediate crisis and reimagine the workplace of the future.
With a proven track record of representing some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical, medical devices and other life sciences companies, Jackson Lewis P.C. lawyers have developed sharply-focused knowledge and experience in this sector. Our understanding of the business issues facing life science clients, combined with up-to-the-minute knowledge of emerging workplace law developments, allows us to craft legal solutions that fit with the client’s culture and business needs.
Our experience counseling employers in the life sciences industry spans all aspects of workplace law, including litigation, labor relations, immigration, benefits, privacy and disability management. Some of the specific services we offer include:
Outlining best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19;
Advising on the most recent recommendations from federal and state regulators for PPE and other precautions available;
Providing guidance on how to prepare the workplace for employees and design policies to address all aspects of the reimagined workplace including telecommute policies and employee concerns upon return;
Conducting internal investigations and advising on the design and implementation of compliance policies, including codes of ethics, that take into account the highly-regulated manufacturing and distribution environment;
Defending wage and hour litigation, including cases involving the FLSA's administrative and outside sales exemptions;
Defending class and collective actions and assisting with preventive measures such as company-wide audits to ensure consistent implementation of pay and promotion policies;
Counseling on restrictive covenants in employment agreements, employee raiding claims, unfair competition claims and other employment-related business torts;
Advising on all aspects of leave management, including the applicability of relevant laws to outside sales representatives;
Reviewing employment handbook policies and designing training for management personnel;
Advising on all aspects of workplace safety and health; and
Advising on international issues, guided by the co-leader of our International Employment practice who formerly served in-house at a major pharmaceutical company.
