Tara Toevs-Carolan is a partner in the Firm’s Labor & Employment Practice. Providing timely guidance and training on the latest developments in labor and employment law, Tara advises employers on litigation avoidance practices. She focuses on compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour, employment, and labor laws.

Tara handles all aspects of labor and employment law, including:

• Employment relations counseling regarding employee discipline, pay practices, leaves, disability accommodations, and reductions in force
• Workplace standards, employment policies, and employee handbooks assessment and drafting
• Non-discrimination and anti-harassment training
• Conducting internal investigations into complaints of discrimination and harassment
• Employment agreements, confidentiality and protectable interest agreements, and severance agreements.

Tara represents employers and business owners in the defense of single and multiple plaintiff wage and hour litigation before New York State and federal courts, as well as investigations and audits conducted by the U.S. and New York State Departments of Labor. Notably, during the pandemic, Tara provided COVID-19-related legal guidance in real time to employers and business owners regarding reopening and re-entry to the workplace.

Beyond traditional labor and employment law, Tara represents employers, businesses, residential building owners, and managing agents in the defense of employment and housing-related discrimination claims before New York State and federal courts, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the New York State Division of Human Rights, and the New York City Commission on Human Rights.