Charlotte, North Carolina Employment Law
At Fosbinder & Van Kampen, PLLC, our firm is devoted exclusively to representing employees in employment law disputes. We offer the same high-end, aggressive representation to employment discrimination victims that is available to companies with deep pockets when they hire attorneys from large firms to defend discrimination suits.
When employment discrimination occurs, it is seldom blatant or obvious. Employers have grown increasingly savvy in building a paper trail of alleged performance "problems" or otherwise taking steps to obscure their discriminatory motives. For these reasons, it takes determination, time and (above all) years of experience in this unique field of the law to prevail in an employment law claim. After years of devoting our practice exclusively to employment law, we know where to look for the bits and pieces of evidence that can (when coupled together) persuade a court or jury that unlawful discrimination occurred.
Our firm’s litigation strategy involves methodically probing and challenging each and every component of a company’s defense in written discovery and during the depositions in order to unearth the defense’s weak points. When a company seeks to frustrate that effort by hindering or delaying the discovery of evidence, we promptly file motions with the court to force the company to turn over the relevant records and documents. In some situations, companies will even destroy evidence or conveniently fail to find documents that may be damaging to their defense. As a result, our firm has experience with hiring computer forensic experts to retrieve these “lost documents” and exposing the company’s evasive conduct.
Studies have shown that the overwhelming majority of civil lawsuits settle before trial. How much cases settle for and when they settle varies widely. Our years of experience allow us to help our clients accurately value their potential claims so that they don't undersell their claims in settlement discussions or mediation, or make the mistake of walking away from a fair settlement offer. Often times, our lawyers have previously litigated cases against the lawyer defending the company, which can (in some cases) also have the benefit of facilitating settlement discussions. In short, we believe we are the firm you will want in your corner if you’ve been the victim of employment discrimination or sexual harassment in the workplace.
To schedule a confidential appointment, call us today at 1.866.899.9245 or contact our offices online.
The Training and Experience You Need
Both of our lead attorneys have focused on employment law for the entire duration of their careers:
- Founding Partner Julie Fosbinder has over twenty years of experience and worked as a Senior Trial Attorney for the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- Partner Josh Van Kampen has practiced for over ten years; he spent the first five years of his legal career defending employers in labor and employment matters at two nationally recognized employment law defense firms in Chicago: Seyfarth Shaw and Franczek Sullivan. For the past five years, Mr. Van Kampen has brought that defense training and skill to bear in Charlotte, where he has devoted his practice to exclusively representing employees in employment disputes. Despite being relatively new to Charlotte, Mr. Van Kampen has already garnered widespread recognition as a leader in the field in North Carolina. In 2009, he was recognized by both North Carolina Super Lawyer Magazine and Business North Carolina Magazine as one of this state's top labor and employment lawyers under 40. From 2008-2009, Mr. Van Kampen has also served as Chairman of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Labor and Employment Law Section, and was recently also appointed as that Section's Ethics Chair.
Ms. Fosbinder and Mr. Van Kampen consult with each other on each case. Coming from the polar opposite backgrounds of prosecution and defense work, together they bring a robust, comprehensive perspective to all of the firm’s clients’ cases.
Any Employee, Any Problem
At Fosbinder & Van Kampen, PLLC, our services are often sought after by professional and executive level employees. However, our firm is committed to representing individuals from all walks of life –- from a factory worker being denied overtime to the high-level executive negotiating a favorable severance agreement.
We handle all types of employment law claims, including complaints involving workplace discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and many other state and federal employment laws.
Collaboration and Communication
Given the inherent challenges to successfully bringing an employment law claim, it is imperative that attorney and client closely collaborate from the outset of the case. For that reason, we devote extensive time to meeting with our clients early in the case to ensure we are armed with as much information as possible and so that we can avoid or even eliminate mistakes or miscommunications. Those lines of communication need to stay open and flowing throughout a case’s life span. We take our obligation to promptly return client phone calls seriously, and we expect the same diligence from our firm’s clients.
If you strongly feel you have suffered the negative effects of discrimination or harassment; if you know you need a lawyer's help to leverage your bargaining power or negotiate an enhanced severance agreement; if you suspect your rights have been violated and you're ready to take action; we're here and we're fully prepared to help.
To schedule an initial consultation, call 704.323.7886 or our toll free number 1.866.899.9245. You can also contact us online and we'll get back to you soon.
