From its inception in 1964, Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. has concentrated in the field of labor relations and employment law, representing exclusively management. At Skoler, Abbott, we pride ourselves on providing high quality, cost-effective, legal representation for clients ranging from the smallest of not-for profit agencies up to and including national, multi-facility, Fortune 500 companies. Our clients include public and private sector employers throughout New England and in many other states across the country. The firm represents a wide variety of businesses, including health care, manufacturing, banking, higher education, and non-profit organizations. We are also approved defense counsel for many insurance companies that provide Employment Practice Liability Insurance coverage to employers.

Skoler, Abbott is proud of its long history of strength in labor relations, where it has assisted employers in matters arising under the National Labor Relations Act, including representation elections and collective bargaining as well as defending unfair labor practice charges and grievance arbitration. From its original roots in labor relations, Skoler, Abbott has grown over the years into a full service employment law firm, representing employers in all forms of employment litigation and advising on compliance with the many state and federal laws that now regulate the workforce. Skoler, Abbott has extensive experience in defending employers at proceedings before administrative agencies and federal and state courts throughout New England. The firm's attorneys are admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York, as well as federal courts in these and other jurisdictions, including the United States Supreme Court.

We believe that, in many cases, careful employment practices can lessen the likelihood of employment litigation or at the least improve the likelihood of success. With that as a major goal, we provide counseling and training in a wide variety of employment-related areas, including sexual harassment, wage and hour law, compliance with the ADA, FMLA, and Workers' Compensation law, proper documentation, and how to lawfully hire, fire, and discipline employees. The firm regularly helps clients develop, review, and update policies, procedures, personnel manuals/guidebooks, affirmative action plans, and other similar materials. We conduct formal audits of personnel practices, including in-depth analyses of employers' personnel policies and practices in action. We also can assist in planning for a reduction-in-force or layoff, with emphasis on employers' obligations under the WARN Act, drafting separation agreements and releases, and developing voluntary separation programs.

At Skoler, Abbott, we believe that a prompt answer to a pressing problem can sometimes prevent costly litigation, so we do our best to make ourselves available to our clients when they have employment concerns. We also routinely provide our clients with updates of significant employment law developments through our quarterly newsletter and e-mail alerts. We write and edit the Massachusetts Employment Law Newsletter , one of the best read employment law newsletters in the country, on behalf of M. Lee Smith Publishers. As a result of our special expertise and "plain speaking" style, our attorneys are frequent speakers before employers' associations and personnel groups, as well as bar associations and Continuing Legal Education programs.