Grace McGuire has a broad range of experience advising and defending clients in commercial and employment matters. She appears frequently in both federal and state court in Colorado and before numerous government agencies. In addition to her wide knowledge relating to employment issues, Grace has extensive experience in managing disputes that arise out of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the post-closing period.
Grace’s practice also focuses on consulting with a wide range of employers on Colorado employment statutes, with focus on Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights (POWR) Act. She is a thought leader with respect to Littler’s approach to the POWR Act with respect to compliance of employer nondisclosure agreements.
After graduating from Harvard Law School, Grace practiced commercial and general civil litigation in Boston, Massachusetts and Anchorage, Alaska before joining Littler as an associate to focus on employment matters. She then worked in-house with a professional shareholder representative organization, advising sellers in merger transactions on management of post-closing transaction disputes. She rejoined Littler as special counsel to leverage her skills in service of Littler’s broad corporate client base and Colorado’s growing community of entrepreneurs.
Selected Matters
- Filed lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Part 2 of Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act as unduly burdensome on interstate labor market because of compliance costs for employers
- Advised large multistate national employers on compliance with compensation/benefits and promotion posting requirements under Part2 of Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act
- Won summary judgment for manufacturing company on claims of former employees claiming they had been wrongfully discharged without just cause in contravention of their union agreement, and in violation of Title VII, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- Won summary judgment for government contractor on claims of former employee claiming she had been wrongfully discharged for being perceived as disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho
- Won summary judgment for Colorado hospital on claims of former employee for breach of contract and unpaid wages, in Denver District Court
- Won summary judgment for fintech company on claims of former employee for wrongful termination alleging retaliation for complaining about unpaid wages, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- Won private arbitration for wrongful termination based on Colorado’s lawful off-duty conduct statute, resulting in full defense verdict and order for payment of client fees incurred to compel arbitration based on arbitration agreement
- Successfully defended many charges of discrimination in state and federal agencies, guiding clients through the process from initial agency response to no-cause findings
- Led multiple mediations, settlement conferences, and informal settlement negotiations in order to efficiently resolve disputes on favorable terms for her clients
- Drafted handbooks and policies to comply with new Colorado employment statutes, including implementation of new paid sick and safe time and public health emergency leave requirements