Peg O'Brien is a shareholder of the firm and a member of the Labor and Employment Practice Group. She devotes her practice exclusively to assisting public and private employers in all aspects of employment law and litigation. Prior to joining the firm in 1995, Peg worked for the New Hampshire Public Defender Program where she handled serious criminal matters from arraignment through jury trial and appeal.

Peg has extensive experience advising employers in all phases of employment matters, including:

• Claims of employment discrimination based on race, gender, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation and sexual harassment;
• Best employment practices with respect to individuals with disabilities;
• Lawful options for conducting pre-employment background checks;
• Workplace privacy issues, including drug testing in the workplace and email/internet use monitoring;
• Employer Handbooks and Policies, including drafting and revising entire handbook, sections of handbooks, or individual policies;
• Job classifications, compensation and wage and hour rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act and State Law;
• Leaves of Absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Workers' Compensation Act, and other regulations, polices and practices;
• Advice and counsel on disciplinary matters, including drafting and revising related paperwork, and advising on any implicated federal and/or state laws on discrimination;
• Negotiating employment contracts for key employees;
• Conducting investigations into allegations of employee misconduct; and,
• Overseeing successful terminations, layoffs and reductions-in-force.

Peg has presented numerous training seminars tailored to clients' specific human resource and management needs. In addition, she has successfully represented a variety of employers against claims filed in state and federal courts and agencies.

Peg welcomes emails and telephone calls from new and existing clients regarding their employment questions and concerns, and understands that immediate legal advice is often the key to successful management of employment problems. She answer emails and calls from employers on a daily basis regarding the employment matters listed above.

EDUCATION:

Colgate University, Bachelor of the Arts, 1987
George Washington University Law Center, Juris Doctorate, 1992

BAR ADMISSIONS:

New Hampshire