Ilene Berman, Employment and Labor Relations Attorney

Ilene W. Berman

Partner
iberman@taylorenglish.com
678.336.7158
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To be part of a law firm that pushed aside the traditional model to create one that provides the highest-quality legal services, delivered by experienced lawyers who are driven by efficiency, value and responsiveness – that is why I joined Taylor English.

Ilene Berman is the firm's vice chair and former chair of Taylor English’s Employment and Labor Relations group. Ms. Berman is dedicated to counseling and defending private employers in employment law matters. She has successfully litigated cases in numerous state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout the country. To avoid potential legal claims, Ms. Berman also counsels and provides in-depth training to her clients on a wide range of employment-related issues, such as employment contracts; severance agreements; employee policies; handbooks and procedural manuals; restrictive covenants; FMLA, ADA and FLSA compliance; drug testing; background checks; termination and other personnel decisions; and handling complaints of harassment, discrimination or other allegations of misconduct. When providing such advice, Ms. Berman focuses on developing practical solutions that minimize legal risks without losing sight of the client’s business and operational considerations.

Ms. Berman is a mentor in the 2018-2019 Labor & Employment Section's Mentorship Academy. She is a Member of the Advisory Board of the Cornell Institute for Hospitality, Labor and Employment Relations. She is also a regular panel speaker at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration’s Labor and Employment Law Roundtable where she addresses current employment issues in the hospitality industry. Ms. Berman regularly presents at workplace and employment law conferences throughout the United States for in-house counsel, human resources professionals and business organizations.

Memberships

State Bar of Georgia, Labor & Employment Law Section

Atlanta Bar Association

The Cornell Institute of Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, Advisory Board Member

Cornell University Alumni Association of Atlanta, Philanthropy Chair

Practicing Law Institute, Faculty Member

Labor & Employment Section's Mentorship Academy

Community Involvement

The Epstein School, Board of Trustees, Member, 2011-present

Practice Highlights

Experience

  • Summary Judgment awarded in age discrimination suit

    Represented global insurance company in age discrimination lawsuit following reduction-in-force. After extensive discovery, we successfully moved for summary judgment on behalf of the employer. This resulted in a judgment in the company’s favor, as well as an award of costs against the plaintiff.

  • Successful resolution of trade secret and breach of loyalty case

    Led defense of claims of misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of loyalty in connection with departure of group of employees and establishment of competitive business. The parties reached a confidential settlement. Wells Fargo Foothill, Inc. v. Cratos Capital Partners, LLC.

  • TBS, Inc. employment law counseling and litigation

    Active defense counsel for TBS, Inc. and subsidiaries, including CNN, CNN Español, and The Cartoon Network, Inc., in administrative charges filed at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and in federal lawsuits brought in Atlanta, Georgia, and New York, New York, alleging discrimination and retaliation under federal anti-discrimination laws. Taylor English regularly advises TBS, Inc. and its subsidiaries on complex employment law issues and prepare ...

  • RentPath, Inc.'s restrictive covenant enforcement

    Taylor English represents RentPath, Inc. in restrictive covenant lawsuits. Recently, we brought an action in Georgia Superior Court to enforce employee covenant agreements and recover damages resulting from the departures of several sales executives. Given the highly competitive nature of the industry, it was important that RentPath acted aggressively in enforcing its restrictive covenants. This matter resulted in a very favorable settlement in ...

  • Client awarded over $100,000 in attorney's fees defending emotional distress claim

    Successfully moved for summary judgment in favor of employer against disgruntled ex-employee for claims related to intentional infliction of emotional distress. By aggressively defending claim, and refusing to be held hostage to the claims asserted, client was able to obtain victory before trial was made necessary and was awarded more than $100,000 in attorney’s fees in so doing.

Newsroom

Speaking Engagements

Education

Emory University School of Law, JD, with distinction, 1990

Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, BS, 1986

Bar Admissions

Georgia

New York

Connecticut

Courts & Adjudicative Bodies

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit

Accolades

Georgia Trend Legal Elite, Employment, Labor, and Immigration, 2011 and 2013