Lyndsey M. Kruzer

Lyndsey represents clients across a broad range of labor and employment matters, including counseling, transactions and litigation. She has a proven track record of successfully representing companies in numerous lawsuits involving diverse claims. Lyndsey frequently advises private equity, venture capital and strategic investors on employment diligence, regulatory and transactional matters. She also counsels companies on terminations, reductions in force, accommodation of employee disabilities and leaves, wage and hour compliance, equal employment opportunity training and compliance, independent contractor arrangements, employee classifications, and other employment-related issues.

Lyndsey has led internal investigations into various harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims. She frequently negotiates and drafts executive contracts, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, and employee handbooks and policies.

In the realm of employment disputes, Lyndsey handles litigation, arbitration and administrative cases concerning discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, noncompetition and other postemployment restrictions, Employee Retirement Income Security Act benefits, and contract- and tort-based employment claims. She also has significant experience managing various litigation issues beyond employment matters.

Lyndsey’s clients include technology and biotech companies, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and private equity funds along with their portfolio companies.

Lyndsey’s representative matters include:

• Represented employers in wage and hour class actions and putative class actions in state and federal courts, including serving as counsel to Cultural Care in the recently settled “bet-the-au-pair-industry” case (Beltran v. Cultural Care, Inc.) in federal court in Colorado*
• Secured trial victory for a popular Boston restaurant group accused of violating minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Massachusetts Wage Act*
• Successfully represented an employer in a jury trial to recover damages for tortious interference*
• Represented Dartmouth College (Rapuano v. Dartmouth) in a putative class action case involving Title IX claims in federal court in New Hampshire*
• Obtained dismissal of breach of contract and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing claims for a pharmaceutical company in federal court*
• Represented employers in front of state and federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, US Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division, Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and agencies in other states*
• Conducted workplace investigations on wrongdoing, such as unlawful harassment and whistleblower retaliation*
• Conducted workplace audits to ensure compliance with wage and hour laws*
• Defended employers against whistleblower claims under the Dodd-Frank Act and other state and federal statutes*
• Represented both union and nonunion employers with regard to unfair labor practice charges and advised employers on union-related concerns, including organizing campaigns, elections, labor arbitrations, neutrality agreements and collective bargaining*

* Representation handled before joining Cooley