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I have a breadth of knowledge and years of experience in the employment area. I’m very detail-oriented and learn about all aspects of my clients’ operations, culture and industry so I can understand their businesses and objectives and then help them to achieve these goals. Connection and communication are very important to me, and I get along well with people and build long-term relationships. When I’m in a consulting mode helping clients avoid problems, I’m quite understanding and sensitive to their issues. When I’m in litigation, however, I’m much more aggressive.

Lauren Tafaro draws on her diverse background in insurance defense, toxic tort and personal injury litigation. Her labor and employment practice focuses on both insured and uninsured employment claims, and she represents employers in administrative proceedings before state and federal agencies. Lauren defends employers in lawsuits alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination pursuant to federal and state anti-discrimination statutes. She also authors and argues dispositive motions.

Lauren provides guidance and counseling to employers, advising them on employment-related matters, including: employee discipline and termination, reasonable accommodations under the American with Disabilities Act as amended (ADAAA) and requests for medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). She advises clients on the enforceability of restrictive covenants and arbitration agreements, the proper classification for exempt and nonexempt employees and how to best comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) and state wage penalty statutes, as well as employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). She also drafts employment, severance and noncompetition agreements for employers.

Lauren makes herself available to her clients whenever they need her and offers training to help them steer clear of potential problems with their labor and employment policies. She truly enjoys the challenge of wage-and-hour work – which usually involves juggling a number of issues in collective action and big litigation – and understands how best to position her clients in these high-risk matters that are so crucial to their businesses.

The practice of law appeals to me because it is both challenging and rewarding. It is challenging in that we are faced with new issues on an almost daily basis. And it is rewarding when we advance the interests of our clients.

Education

  • Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, J.D., 2004
  • Louisiana State University, B.S., 2001

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana

Acknowledgements

  • Benchmark Litigation - Litigation Star, 2024
  • Best Lawyers® - Commercial Litigation, Employment Law - Management
  • Women of the Year - New Orleans City Business, 2023
  • Leadership in Law - New Orleans City Business, 2022
  • New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute (NORLI), Class of 2019
  • Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel Frank L. Mariast Award Finalist, 2016

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
  • Louisiana State Bar Association
  • New Orleans Bar Association
  • Raintree Children and Family Services, Board
  • Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
  • The Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) Alliance
  • Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, Board of Directors