Julie works closely with business owners and managers to meet their legal needs.  Whether a company's area of concern involves a contract question or dispute, understanding its insurance obligations and protections, responding to events in the workplace, or other issues affecting day-to-day operations, Julie utilizes creative problem-solving to provide both short- and long-term solutions.      

Every industry presents different opportunities and challenges.  Julie understands this through representing a wide variety of international, national, regional and local clients in various industries including construction, shipping, insurance, retail, supermarket, hotel, food service, and real estate.    

Services include: 
 
(1)   Commercial Contracts / business related agreements: 

*  Analyzing rights and obligations in existing contracts; 

*  Identifying areas of concern;

*  Making recommendations with goal of minimizing future exposure and controlling losses.

*  Negotiating / preparing new contracts.  

Julie places great importance on client communication.  She earns the trust of her clients through careful listening and empowers them by providing meaningful choices and alternatives for carrying out their goals, within the confines of the law.  She explains contract provisions in simple terms, and answers questions clearly, helping clients to understand their rights and obligations.  She strives to provide clients with helpful insight into how their various business related agreements may affect their bottom line, and tries to see that her client's interests are protected as much as possible through a close line-by-line analysis of the relevant documents.    

(2)   Employment Law / Workplace Issues:

*   Analyzing company policies and employment-related documents including:
                job descriptions  
                employee confidentiality/trade secret agreements
                non-competes
                management contracts
                employee counseling/discipline and personnel action forms
                risk management materials
                safety training and awareness
                crisis response
                policies concerning unlawful discrimination and harassment
                company vehicle use agreements
                applicable industry-specific standards and guidelines
                severance agreements

*   Assisting management and human resource professionals with delicate personnel matters including hiring practices, employee counseling and discipline, terminations/layoffs, compensation/wage & hour questions, workplace injuries, accommodation of disabilities, return to work/modified duty, interaction between workers’ compensation laws, the Amercians With Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and other applicable state and federal laws.  
 
*   Helping employers maintain proper documentation in the foregoing areas, in accordance with state and federal record-keeping requirements. 

*   Helping employers investigate and properly respond to allegations of unlawful employment practices; seeking appropriate and prompt resolution to prevent unnecessary litigation. 

*   Helping oversee claims handling, litigation management, and/or settlement strategy where needed. 

(3)   Insurance Law:

*   Helping companies evaluate the adequacy of their insurance coverage, with the goal of minimizing risk. 

*   Working with insurance professionals to review and amend policy language where needed to provide additional layers of protection (commercial general liability, workers’ compensation, employment practices liability, automobile, director and officer, professional liability, commercial property, environmental, excess liability, etc.) 

*   Exploring ways to increase coverage through "additional insured" status.

*   Analyzing insurance coverage and primacy issues.

*   Advocating on behalf of policyholders. 

(4)   Growth:

*   When company operations are expanded into new areas, identifying which laws and regulations apply to this new activity; making recommendations accordingly.
 
(5)   Dispute Resolution:

*   Helping companies resolve business and employment-related disputes so as to avoid expensive litigation.