Providing HR Advice And Consulting

Our firm is here to help your business with its personnel-related legal needs. At the Law Offices of Denise Eaton May, our experience is grounded in effective representation of businesses and public entities in California.

Our founder, Denise Eaton May, has served as Director of Human Resources for Alameda County, Assistant Director of Human Resources for Contra Costa County, Vice President of Human Resources for California Transplant Donor Network (CTDN), and as General Counsel to the Alameda County Employees Retirement Association (ACERA) during her 30-plus-year legal career.

We provide legal counsel across a broad range of areas related to federal and state employment law. Our services begin with an inquiry from a prospective client, which may relate to:

• Staff conflicts
• Questions regarding constructive feedback
• Employee performance reports
• Recent or forthcoming organizational change
• Team dynamics

The Law Offices of Denise Eaton May offers a variety of advisory services including:

• Disciplinary actions and documentation
• Weingarten Rights – Union/Non Union settings
• Use of independent contractors
• Firing employees, termination of workers or independent contractors
• Workplace harassment and discrimination
• Reasonable accommodation for workers with disabilities
• Hostile workplace
• Hiring

Our Goal Is To Help You Achieve Your Goals

Our goal is to help our clients formulate and implement lawful personnel policies that serve the organization as an effective management tool, and avoid difficult personnel issues before they lead to litigation. Although there are times when one must take a very firm stand to achieve management’s objectives, our goal is to assist you in managing your organization in a respectful, collegial and effective manner.

As an HR professional, you understand that there are many local, state and federal laws that your business must follow in order to avoid costly liability. However, ensuring that your business stays in compliance with a dynamic and ever-increasing regulatory system can be a formidable challenge, even for the most experienced administrators.

Whether you are responsible for personnel matters for a small business or lead the HR department at a large company, we offer experience you can rely on as you seek to ensure compliance with the law and avoid employee disputes.

Among the services our attorneys offer businesses are:

• Litigation defense
• Dispute mediation
• Preparing and reviewing employee handbooks
• Conducting employee training
• Developing human resources policies
• Conducting audits of employee classifications
• Assisting with employee benefits, including open enrollment

Personnel Law Representation And Training For The Public And Private Sector

Whether you own a private business or oversee a department in the public sector, you probably know the inordinate amount of time, financial resources and staff energy is expended on resolving or litigating personnel problems. It is most frustrating because most disputes and litigation can be prevented.

Disputes among staff have a negative impact on:

• Worker productivity
• Morale leading to turnover
• Management time
• Financial resources

In the public sector, the collective bargaining agreement and the civil service system yields protections for workers that make managements knowledge of the discipline process and legal requirements essential for resolution of personnel disputes. One of the best ways to prevent personnel problems is to educate both managers and your workforce as to their legal rights and responsibilities.

The Law Offices of Denise Eaton May conducts trainings in the follow areas:

• Conducting effective and thorough internal investigations
• Management issues in Civil Service organizations
  • Where Did I Go Wrong
  • Effective Documentation
  • Managing the Problem Employee
  • Maintaining Appropriate Employee Personnel Files
• Progressive disciplinary measures: discipline and dismissal in the public and private sectors
• Diversity and affirmative action in 21 st Century
• Creating and using personnel policies and manuals – how to avoid the pitfalls
• Avoiding claims and lawsuits for retaliation
• What you need to know about FLSA wage and hour laws
• Managing through the spectrum of ADA, FMLA and CFRA regulations
• Workers’ compensation claims
• Laying off public sector employees

We Will Come To You

We will deliver our training services at your place of business or other convenient training venue. With more than 20 years of experience practicing law in the area of employment, The Law Offices of Denise Eaton May can ease your mind and reduce the anxiety associated with managing your workforce through difficult times.

Through training, investigations and mediation, effective solutions are discovered. The Law Offices of Denise Eaton May is dedicated to giving you quality advice when you need it.

Companies turn to our firm to handle a full range of legal needs for them on an ongoing basis. We also provide targeted counsel to businesses during open enrollment periods or other times when they have discrete legal needs. Whether your business has specific issues requiring legal advice or needs ongoing HR or legal support, our firm has the experience and resources to assist.

Schedule a consultation with a lawyer now: Call our Oakland-area office at 510-244-3307 or complete our online contact.