I like to collaborate with my clients, working with them on matters as partners. They know that their business is my business. Clients say they appreciate that I take the time to understand their companies and institutions and familiarize myself with their people, processes, and problems. Clients also value my accessibility; if they need my help in litigation, in planning human resources strategy, or in an emergency, they know that I’ll respond immediately and be right there with them.
Magdalen Blessey Bickford represents businesses and management in labor and employment litigation and provides general legal counsel on a variety of workforce matters. As a provider of management counsel, training, and education, Mag advises employers on best practices in the workplace and on drafting and implementing effective policies and procedures.
Because the regulatory framework is constantly evolving, Mag helps clients navigate the changes in statutes such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Labor Relations Act (LRA), Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other laws. In this capacity, she not only helps them adjust their practices to the current requirements, she helps prepare them for what will likely be the standards in the near future. Additionally, Magdalen has successfully advocated on behalf of management in courts and administrative agencies in several states and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
At the start of her career, Mag represented unions and their employees in labor matters, tort, and workers’ compensation claims. She subsequently shifted her focus to a management-side legal practice, serving as vice president of human resources and corporate counsel for a regional independent telephone directory company, helping to grow the business from 40 to approximately 300 employees, with operations in six states. These experiences and her understanding of labor unions, in-house operations, and business perspectives converge within her current practice, enhancing her ability to help clients attain efficient resolutions to their workplace issues and disputes.
With extensive litigation experience, Mag has also represented several non-profit and educational institutions in addition to her corporate clients.
Drawing on this valuable background, Mag has lectured on several areas of labor and employment law including such topics as labor relations, employment policies, employee handbook procedures, hiring, employee discipline, reductions in force, benefits, workers’ compensation, non-compete agreements, privacy issues, discrimination, arbitration, federal statutes, and many others.