401.455.0700

Employment Law

Employment Law

Discrimination Under State & Federal Law | Wage & Hour Claims | Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits | Medical Leaves | Employment, Consulting & Severance Agreements | Hiring & Firing | Compliance Investigations

We represent and guide clients — including major manufacturers,  services-centered businesses, waste management companies, physicians and healthcare systems, to name a few — in all areas of employment law to manage workplace risk. Duffy & Sweeney’s employment law attorney team offers day-to-day advice to reduce the likelihood of employment-related disputes.

We understand that relationships between employers and employees impact the bottom line in a multitude of ways …

…from protecting intellectual property and trade secrets to maintaining a strong management team and workforce. We prepare employee and supervisor policies and handbooks, and provide management and staff-level training.

We regularly work with clients on hiring and firing, discipline, wage-and-hour, medical and other leave, harassment and discrimination issues. Our employment law attorney team is often called upon to review restrictive covenants, employment contracts, severance agreements, and regulations affecting employment. We also assist employers in developing competitive executive compensation packages to attract qualified, exceptional executives to their workforces.

Duffy & Sweeney’s lawyers vigorously represent companies and executives in all areas of employment litigation, defending employment discrimination and related claims in state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and private arbitrations.

Our office is based on South Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island in the rapidly developing waterfront / I-195 region, connecting the East Side to Downtown and the Knowledge District. Contact us at 401.455.0700.

  • The firm favorably resolved, in a confidential manner, a breach of contract matter for a client and his former company in a post-closing dispute involving a consulting agreement.
  • D&S represented a former CEO/Director accused by her former employer of stealing trade secrets, breaching fiduciary duties to the company, and causing the company multiple millions of dollars in damages. After initial expedited proceedings, the company withdrew its request for preliminary injunction; the firm’s client counter-sued on several grounds including employment discrimination. D&S defeated two separate motions by the company to cut off the client’s right to indemnification for her legal fees and the company, ultimately, was forced to pay all legal fees. The case finally resolved through a confidential settlement.
  • The D&S team represented a firm client in the healthcare field in the successful negotiation of a separation agreement and executive termination with a highly visible employee.
  • The firm successfully represented a healthcare industry executive against claims by a former employer that she could not open a competitive business due to restrictive covenants and employment agreements. D&S attorneys obtained an early resolution of the claims including invalidation of the reemployment agreement and return to the executive of all materials withheld by her former employer, allowing her to proceed with her new business.
  • The D&S team represented a RI hospitality group in a successful multi-stage reduction-in-force effort, including complex components of severance and stay-bonus agreements, which was designed to restructure the company.
  • After filing suit in federal court, D&S litigators  obtained a voluntary temporary restraining order from a former executive of a fast-growing consulting firm who left to start a competing business. Subsequent negotiations during court-sponsored mediation resulted in a sizable settlement payment and permanent injunction favorable to our clients completed quickly in the span of a few months.
  • The D&S team represented a print-services company in an OSHA investigation in which they succeeded in mitigating the adverse consequences for the company while ensure the safety requirements were met to protect the 100-person workforce.
  • When a sales representative left a firm client and went to work for a competitor, D&S attorneys sent a cease-and-desist letter and obtained commitments from the sales representative and his new employer to limit employment to non-competing activities. This accomplished the client’s business goal of protecting its market without the expense and distraction of litigation.
  • The firm secured a $1.2 million judgment, including attorneys’ fees and punitive damages, resulting from an employee’s breach of non-compete and confidentiality provisions in his employment agreement. The case was tried before a jury on behalf of a RI publicly traded company against its former employee and competitor.
  • D&S represented a regional insurance agency against one of its former agents who solicited the agency’s clients in breach of his non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. The firm’s attorneys obtained a temporary restraining order and, ultimately, a favorable consent order protecting the insurance agency’s business.
  • D&S represented a waste disposal company in litigation against a former sales representative who started a competing business in breach of his non-compete agreement and stole substantial trade secrets, including logistics and pricing information. The firm settled the case swiftly and positively for the client, requiring the sales representative to return all trade secret information and cease his wrongful competition.