Firm Description
Bello Black & Welsh LLP is a premier labor and employment boutique law firm concentrating in the representation of management in all aspects of labor and employment law, including litigation, labor-management relations and day-to-day advice and counseling. Located in the Back Bay area of Boston, the Firm is committed to providing high quality representation by senior attorneys at cost-effective rates. We understand that most employment matters do not require large, inefficient teams of attorneys, but rather that the full focus and attention of an experienced attorney provides the best value and results for clients.
The Firm's clients range from Fortune 500 companies to small start-up ventures and cut across many sectors of the economy, including (among others) biotech, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and non-profits. The Firm's practice is national in scope; the Firm's attorneys have acted as lead counsel in litigation matters throughout the United States, including in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
The Firm and its attorneys have been recognized by numerous organizations for their outstanding work, including Chambers & Partners, which identifies Bello Black & Welsh as one of the Leading Law Firms for Business in the United States.
Primary Practice Areas
Employment Litigation:
The Firm's partners are experienced litigators and trial attorneys with significant appellate court experience. The Firm's partners have appeared in numerous jurisdictions as lead counsel on behalf of management in the full array of employment litigation, including claims of employment discrimination under Title VII and its state law equivalents, ERISA, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, wage and hours laws, and employment-related tort and contract claims. The Firm also has extensive experience representing businesses in litigation involving non-competition, non-solicitation and related confidentiality obligations. Based on the Firm's business model, Firm partners are the primary working attorneys and client contacts on the matters they handle. The Firm focuses on practical, cost-effective approaches to litigation, and will use alternative dispute resolution measures, such as mediation and arbitration, to achieve resolution when appropriate. If trial is required, the Firm's partners are aggressive courtroom advocates with strong records of success.
Employment Counseling:
The Firm provides day-to-day counseling and legal advice to over 100 businesses, from Fortune 500 companies to small, start-up organizations. The Firm regularly advises clients on hiring, discipline, and termination decisions; the creation and implementation of employment policies and procedures; the FMLA and other laws and regulations applicable to employee illness, disability, absences and leaves of absence; employment law aspects of corporate acquisitions, mergers and divestitures; reductions in force, plant closings and plant relocations; wage and hours laws; post-employment non-competition, non-solicitation and non-disclosure obligations; and the various laws and regulations concerning unlawful workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. The Firm also regularly drafts and negotiates executive employment agreements.
Labor Relations:
The Firm's attorneys have extensive experience and deep expertise in representing employers in all aspects of management/union relations, including representing clients in union organizing/representation campaigns, responding to union "corporate campaigns," collective bargaining negotiations, union contract administration, representation and unfair labor practice cases before the National Labor Relations Board, and grievance/arbitration representation. The Firm's approach to labor relations focuses on practical, cost-effective approaches to achieve clients' immediate and long-term goals.
Security Clearance Representation:
The Firm represents numerous defense industry contractors seeking to obtain and maintain security clearances for companies and employees from the U.S. Department of Defense. The Firm regularly counsels corporations on employment-related security matters, such as facility level clearances, and has represented numerous individuals at administrative trials before the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals.
Investigations and Training:
The Firm's attorneys conduct internal investigations concerning complaints of workplace discrimination, harassment and retaliation, workplace misconduct, executive malfeasance and corporate policy compliance. The Firm conducts audits for clients to ascertain levels of compliance with various federal and state laws governing terms and conditions of employment, including record-keeping obligations, overtime and wage payment practices, equal employment opportunity requirements, and managerial training obligations. The Firm trains client managers and employees on appropriate workplace behavior and on the prevention of unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. The Firm also assists clients in the creation and modification of employee handbooks, employment policies, and employment-related communications.
