Retaliation has become one of the most frequently filed employment claims, often surviving even when the underlying complaint fails. We help you respond correctly when an employee engages in protected activity, and we defend the retaliation claims that follow under Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA, and similar laws.
Breaking the Causal Chain
Retaliation cases turn on causation: did the protected activity cause the adverse action, or would it have happened anyway? We build a record of legitimate, non-retaliatory reasons, attack suspicious-timing arguments, and show that the decision-makers acted for business reasons. Cutting the causal link is the most direct path to defeating the claim.
Coaching Managers After a Complaint
The danger window opens the moment an employee complains, files for leave, or reports a concern. We coach managers on how to discipline, evaluate, and even terminate that person without creating the appearance of payback. Sound real-time guidance prevents the impulsive moves that generate most retaliation exposure in the first place.
Defending the Claim
When a retaliation claim is filed, we defend it from the agency charge through trial and appeal. We test whether the plaintiff actually engaged in protected activity, whether the decision-maker even knew about it, and whether the claimed harm rises to an adverse action under the governing standard.