issues

Employment Contracts & Separation Agreements

Employment and separation agreements aren’t just paperwork. They shape your future, your reputation, and your financial security.

Whether you’re starting a new job or navigating your exit, your employment agreement can shape your professional journey.

 

For executives and professionals facing a crossroads—whether it’s a new opportunity, a sudden exit, or a major transition—the stakes are high.

Employers have teams of lawyers working to protect their interests. Having a skilled employment attorney on your side ensures you’re protected, too.

Much of our work happens outside the courtroom: reviewing employment agreements, negotiating favorable terms, and helping you make decisions with confidence. In doing so, we pride ourselves on creativity, our pragmatic insights, and our ability to anticipate both the tone and the direction of a negotiation.

In everything we do, confidentiality is essential. That’s why much of our work is done quietly—advising, negotiating, and constructively resolving issues with your employer as they arise.

Employment contracts and separation agreements can be dense and intimidating. Restrictive covenants—non-competes, non-solicits, and similar limitations—can significantly affect your career options and future employment. Our team helps you understand which contract terms are enforceable and how they may impact your next move.

In addition to amicable contract negotiations, our team has a wealth of experience advocating for leading executives in litigation, mediation and arbitration. Our attorneys have aggressively litigated dozens of high-stakes contract disputes with many of America’s largest employers, securing the justice, equity, and compensation that our clients rightfully earned.

Our executives and professional clients come from a variety of industries and roles. What unites them is they’re driven to succeed, and they take their careers seriously. Outten & Golden attorneys share the same mindset. Drawing on our experience advising hundreds of leading executives, we deliver practical guidance that stands out in today’s high-stakes employment relationships.

Framing the Issue

  • Performance-based compensation—which lets CEOs cash in stock awards if the business meets targets—is increasing. Clear contract terms and performance metrics are critical to protect an executive’s interests.

  • Executive turnover is surging, driven by increased responsibilities and higher stress. Proactively reviewing and negotiating employment contracts and severance terms ensures protection if transition comes suddenly.
  • The persistent gender gap in the C-suite steers women into support roles, excluding them from the leadership tracks, executive positions, and compensation packages that drive wealth in corporate America.

Notable Matters

  • Negotiated compensation and employment-related agreements for a senior executive joining a Fortune 500 company. 
  • Represented an executive promoted to CEO of a global real estate services firm, structuring compensation and employment‑related agreements across international borders. 
  • Advised a healthcare executive on employment terms in connection with appointment to a top leadership role at a multinational company. 
  • Guided a senior executive retiring from a major consumer brand, analyzing compensation details including equity-based long-term incentives, supplemental savings, and retirement plans. 
  • Renegotiated employment agreements for two managing directors following the sale of their equity interests in the company as part of its acquisition. 

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Has your employer threatened legal action if you joined a competitor?

If you need help with an employment contract, a separation agreement, or anything in between, we’re here to support you.

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