Cuddy & McCarthy advises and represents a variety of public and private employers and individuals throughout New Mexico.  Our expertise encompasses all aspects of federal and state law pertaining to employment and civil rights, in matters pertaining to recruitment, hiring, at-will employment, contracts, promotion, substance abuse, privacy, employee violence, harassment, “whistle-blowing,” disability accommodation, family and medical leave, reductions in force, severance agreements, references, discharge, and arbitration.

We provide both counseling and defense of lawsuits.  We have successfully defended employers in all types of employment and civil rights proceedings, in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. That record includes representation of public and private employers against wrongful discharge; breach of contract; sexual harassment; disability; age, gender, religious, national origin, and racial discrimination; and Family and Medical Leave Act claims.  We have an even more extensive record of litigation on behalf of public employers in lawsuits involving civil rights claims, such as First Amendment retaliation, due process and equal protection violations, and other constitutional and statutory issues.

Our attorneys pride themselves in helping our clients avoid litigation through preventive measures.  That approach includes both long-term planning and prompt responses to immediate problems.

Our long-term planning assistance can include development of policies, procedures, forms of contracts and evaluation instruments, creation of employee handbooks, staff training, etc.  We are hopeful that costs for legal services can be lowered through the preventive strategies we can suggest and develop.

As important, however, is our ability to provide immediate guidance regarding unexpected and exigent situations. Due to our extensive experience representing and advising public and private employers, we know they need fast, reliable responses to sudden problems and questions. Because of the extensiveness and variety of our experience in employment and civil rights work, we can provide immediate advice and guidance over the telephone during the initial call, with written confirmation within whatever time frame is required.  We try to offer rapid responses to our clients, both because of the breadth of our attorneys’ experience, and because we understand that our clients are often involved in emergency or immediate problem situations.  We maintain a bank of information, policies, forms and opinions in many of those areas, which is constantly updated and expanded.