Lauren Paxton

Practice Areas

Employment Litigation & Counseling

Criminal & Regulatory Defense

Internal Investigations & Legal Compliance

Litigation

Business & Tax Law

Outside General Counsel

Career

Lauren, a Partner with Calcagni & Kanefsky, focuses her practice on employment law, representing management and individuals in executive employment negotiations, high-stakes workplace disputes, investigations, and litigation.

Lauren has vast experience structuring and negotiating employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, and separation agreements. Having spent her early career investigating and litigating employment disputes as an Assistant United States Attorney, Lauren is adept at identifying litigation risk in the workplace and crafting custom tailored solutions to mitigate exposure. She provides training and counsels her clients throughout the employee lifecycle, from onboarding through performance management, dispute resolution, restructuring, and terminations.

A seasoned trial attorney, Lauren brings her litigation background to bear for her clients when needed, handling internal investigations and litigation of employment and commercial disputes.

Professional Memberships

Lauren is the Past Chair of the Employment Law Section of the New York County Lawyers’ Association (NYCLA).

Lauren has delivered presentations for the Healthcare Businesswoman’s Association Annual Conference, the Society of Human Resource Management Annual Legal Update, and the Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association.

Lauren is a regular panelist in continuing legal education programs hosted by NYCLA, as well as the New York City Bar Association and the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Publications

Lauren’s contributions to national publications include the following:

“Employer ‘Hounding’ Worker for His Baby’s Birth Certificate Sparks Debate,” Newsweek (Mar. 9, 2023), available here.

“Impact Of Covid On Civil Rights In Workplace Will Be Focus Of EEOC Hearing,” Forbes (Apr. 27, 2021), available here.

“EEOC Hearing Highlights Covid’s Many Challenges For Companies And Workers,” Forbes (Apr. 28, 2021, available here.

“CFO Job-Hopping: How Much Is Too Much?,” CFO Magazine (Apr. 8, 2021), available here.

Lauren is a published academic writer. Her writings include:

“Networking in the Internet Age,” American Bankruptcy Institute Annual Meeting (2010); and “Take this Cash,” FINalternatives, Hedge Fund and Private Equity News (March 2008), reprinted in Asset Based Financing Journal, Vol. 6., No. 5. (May 2008).

Work Highlights

-Conducted workplace investigations on behalf of government entities, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

-Represented executives and other senior professionals in internal investigations in a number of industries, including finance, healthcare, professional services, consumer packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, athletics, and food and beverage.

-Litigated and achieved favorable settlements in compensation and restrictive covenant disputes, on behalf of management and professionals.

-Represented businesses in state and federal government audits concerning misclassification of independent contractors and other wage and hour issues.

-Successfully defended employers in federal court litigation concerning claims of sexual harassment and discrimination.

-Appointed to serve as outside investigative counsel to the Governor of the State of New York, led a team investigating employment complaints in the Executive Chamber.

-Achieved precedent-setting ruling in appeal of tax discovery issue in employment litigation.

-Provided general employment compliance counseling and human resource guidance to local, regional, and national organizations.

-Advised hedge funds, private equity firms, financial advisors, real estate investors, management consulting firms, and a variety of organizations in the blockchain/cryptocurrency industry, on workplace disputes and contentious employee separations.

-Negotiated employment agreements for executives and other professionals in finance, emerging technologies, consulting, professional services, and healthcare.

-Advised executives and management on employment issues in mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, and other business transitions.

Education