Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Representing Both Defendant-Employer and Defendant-Employee

By William C. Martucci, Kristen A. Page, and Jennifer K. Oldvader
May 26, 2009

The last decade has marked a dramatic rise in the number of executives, supervisors and managers who are being sued in their personal capacity for their work-related actions. This rise is largely the result of the expansion of many state discrimination laws to allow for lawsuits against not only the corporate employer, but also individual supervisors.

This trend toward naming individual employees as co-defendants in employment suits means that lawyers are increasingly being asked to defend both the employer and the individual co-defendant. Of course, whenever a lawyer is faced with a joint representation, he or she must carefully examine the facts for actual and potential conflicts of interest between the two defendants. The employment context presents unique risks in this regard and the lawyer must consider not only the ethical implications, but also the practical concerns that come with representing both the company and the individual.

This premium content is locked for Employment Law Strategist subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Compliance Officers: Recent Regulatory Guidance and Enforcement Actions and Mitigating the Risk of Personal Liability Image

This article explores legal developments over the past year that may impact compliance officer personal liability.