Biography
Abby Warren is a member of the firm's Labor, Employment, Benefits + Immigration Group, where she represents employers in labor and employment matters. She focuses her practice on counseling private sector employers, including multinational corporations, health care organizations, educational institutions, and manufacturers, in all areas of employment law. Abby also defends employers in federal and state court and before administrative agencies. In addition to counseling and litigation, she provides workplace training for clients and conducts workplace investigations.
Employment Counseling, Compliance, and Training
Abby counsels employers and human resource professionals in all areas of employment law, including discharge and discrimination issues, workplace investigations, affirmative action compliance, employee discipline, wage and hour issues, disability and reasonable accommodation, family and medical leave, unemployment, employment and independent contractor agreements, severance and separation agreements, individual terminations and reductions in force, and workplace health and safety issues. She also negotiates and drafts employment and separation agreements on behalf of clients, in addition to reviewing and revising employee handbooks and personnel policies. She also conducts training sessions on a myriad of employment issues, including topics such as sexual harassment, workplace civility, and avoiding discrimination claims.
Employment Litigation and Administrative Advocacy
Abby regularly defends employers in discrimination, leave, harassment, and a wide range of labor and employment matters. She represents clients in matters from inception to trial and through appeal in federal and state courts.
She represents clients in administrative agency matters before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Federal Contract and Compliance Programs, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Abby represents clients at private and public arbitration hearings and in alternative dispute resolution and mediation sessions with federal, state, and private mediators.
Workplace Investigations
As an Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder, Abby is a trained workplace investigator, and she regularly conducts, manages, and provides advice regarding workplace investigations involving all types of employment-related issues, including sexual harassment, ethics, interpersonal conflicts, and workplace misconduct.
Labor Relations and Union Avoidance
Abby represents employers in matters before the National Labor Relations Board, such as unfair labor practice charges and representation petitions. She has provided training on labor issues to supervisors and provided advice and strategy related to union avoidance. She also represents employers in arbitrations arising from collective bargaining agreements.
Pro Bono
Abby performs pro bono work on behalf of Connecticut non-profit organizations through the Pro Bono Partnership. She serves as a trusted advisor to non-profit organizations with labor and employment issues, including assisting with wage and hour matters, executive transitions, and handbook and policy development.
She regularly writes and presents on employment and labor-related matters, often focusing on the impact of key court decisions and compliance issues. Abby has been a contributing editor to The Developing Labor Law for several years and is an active author for the firm's Manufacturing Law Blog. She was selected to the Connecticut Super Lawyers list for 2022 and as a Rising Star from 2017 to 2020. Prior to entering private practice, she served as a clerk in the New Haven Superior Court to judges in both the civil and criminal divisions.