Michael P. Sams & Christopher Kenney, Co-FoundersKenney & Sams’s employment attorneys craft sound and creative solutions to manage employment-related risk for clients. If litigation is advisable or required, Kenney & Sams’s attorneys provide effective, impactful, and zealous representation focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for clients.
The following is the conversation that Manage HR had with Kenney & Sams’s Co-Founders, Christopher A. Kenney and Michael P. Sams:
Key Challenges Companies Now Face in the Employment Law Space
Perhaps the most significant challenge companies face in employment law are keeping abreast of constantly changing employment laws and related guidance.
Employment laws are continually evolving at both the state and the federal level. The panoply of leave laws, wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination laws, and laws relating to non-competition agreements have had ground-breaking developments in the last few years. As a result, employers are challenged to remain informed and comply with applicable laws and regulations.
In addition, employers inevitably must address personnel matters head-on. Examples of such matters include leaves of absence, requests for reasonable accommodations for disabilities, and wage and hour issues. As a result, employers must spend time educating their management team on key employment issues to anticipate potential issues, prevent litigation, and decrease risk.
Kenney & Sams’s Response to the Impending Challenges
We keep our clients informed about the changes to the employment laws and potential consequences to their businesses. We do this by issuing timely client alerts and offering webinars to educate our clients. And, of course, we timely and substantially respond to any specific questions or concerns an employer might have on a particular issue. Our team also works with clients on updating policies, procedures, and handbooks and provides management training to assist with legal compliance and best practices.
A good example of this approach is our firm-wide response to COVID-19. Throughout the pandemic, we have provided timely information and updates relating to the ever-changing COVID-19 regulations and guidance and information for employers in a variety of formats, including webinars and trainings. For clients with specific issues or questions, we were, and we remain, available around the clock to assist them in navigating the myriad of issues relating to COVID-19 and the workplace.
COVID-19 has permanently changed the American workplace in many respects. For example, use of remote work is now widespread. These changes necessarily implicate laws governing the employment relationship. Our team of seasoned employment lawyers works with our clients on risk management and provide counseling to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations while balancing the employer’s interest in employee morale, productivity, and the employer’s bottom line.
Given the diverse backgrounds and experience of our employment lawyers, we are able to embrace a versatile approach to advising our clients, which has proven to be an invaluable resource. Our extensive and diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills allow us to approach and attack risk management and legal issues with creativity, directness, and empathy—all of which result in better problem-solving and decision-making for our clients.
A Team of Experienced Trial Lawyers
When our clients are faced with litigation, we immediately gather the relevant facts and information to develop our theory of the case – the narrative we will present to the jury based on the undisputed evidence, our client’s version of the disputed evidence, and the applicable substantive legal principles.
As the case progresses, we continually refine our evaluation of the case as the evidence evolves while keeping apprised of any changes to or developments to the law. As a result, when we present our case to a jury or other factfinder, we have crafted a solid theme to present that is based on the facts and buttressed by the law. Of course, no litigant is guaranteed a win at trial. Indeed, the cases that are most likely to go to trial are “close calls” -- those in which the stakes are high both sides have strengths and weaknesses. In these cases, effective trial lawyers make the difference between victory and defeat.
Kenney & Sams is focused on keeping clients informed of and compliant with rapidly changing employment laws and regulations
The Distinct Features of Kenney & Sams
At Kenney & Sams, we embrace a team approach to planning and executing case strategies. Every Monday morning, our attorneys meet to collectively review the firm’s new cases. Although specific attorneys are assigned to each case, these case review meetings leverage our collective knowledge, experience, and relationships to ensure that we leave no stone unturned. This gives us a “running start” on each case that helps our clients to seize the offensive, shape the narrative, and proactively drive the case toward a favorable resolution. We focus on effective, responsive representation leading to positive results. This gives us a competitive advantage as we use case review as a “think tank” to ensure that our clients receive the absolute best representation and that certain legal strategies and approaches are reviewed by our entire team.
In addition, the firm’s lawyers have a wealth of trial experience that allows us to handle cases with confidence in achieving the most favorable result through trial or favorable settlement.
