Severance Agreements in New York

The New York employment lawyers of Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP have experience reviewing severance agreements and go beyond traditional analysis of specific provisions of an agreement and perform a thorough review of all of the facts and circumstances related to your involuntary termination. This comprehensive process helps us see the bigger picture that often is more complicated than merely language written in the agreement. We will ask questions and request your help in providing facts and any materials related to your employment and termination. We can offer our best recommendations only when equipped with knowledge of the facts surrounding your case.

What Does a Severance Agreement Do for Me?

The signing of a severance agreement releases or prevents you from suing your employer for any claims against them that you have, so it is essential to first determine whether legitimate claims exist. Upon the signing of a release, you will not be able to assert claims against the company at any point in the future.

We frequently learn during the initial consultation that circumstances surrounding the person's termination could involve discrimination of some sort, such as racial discrimination or unfair treatment based on religious beliefs of the employee being terminated or those of this person’s supervisor.

The lawyers of Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP carefully evaluate the circumstances surrounding a severance agreement through active listening, precise inquiry, and investigative research and review. At this point, meaningful and knowledgeable guidance can be offered, but not before these crucial steps are taken. It is with that knowledge that we proceed to review and analyze your severance agreement.

Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP Can Examine Your Case

The severance agreement's conditions provide for benefits and impose specific obligations that could prove to be significant and should be examined by an attorney who has experience with such agreements. We possess that experience since we have been reviewing and successfully negotiating severance agreements for years. The experienced employment law attorneys at Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP protect clients' interests by identifying and making changes to the employment severance agreements when possible. We do our best to work into the agreements as many modifications as possible to further the interests of our clients. We will also highlight provisions in your agreement that must be weighed carefully by you before signing the agreements.

Some agreements will suggest that you seek the advice of a lawyer and we wholeheartedly agree. Do not go at it alone. Frequently, part or all of an agreement is subject to a deadline by which point the agreement must be signed, so do not put off discussions with a lawyer about your severance agreement.

Severance agreements relate in detail the amount of financial compensation you will be given and how and when it will be delivered. The agreement, in addition to including any obligations on your part, will state other information relevant to the separation, including payouts for unused vacation pay, health insurance policy termination and COBRA benefit information, and any other benefits due you. It is standard practice for the Agreement to stipulate confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses, restrictive covenants, non-compete clauses, and other conduct-related restrictions usually applicable upon the termination of an employee. The experienced employment attorneys at Schwartz Perry & Heller LLP will be able to help you dissect and understand the ramifications of such provisions with your best interests in mind.