Membership benefit
Employment law advice.
Real attorneys, no billable surprises.
Complying with employment law is hard. Regulations change constantly, and there is no such thing as a simple legal question. High fees make you think twice before calling. Catapult membership includes direct access to employment law attorneys at Ogletree Deakins, at no extra charge.
- No hourly billing
- Referred through your HR Advisor
- Attorney-client privilege applies
attorneys
covered
membership
law focus
per year
Southeast states served: Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Advice for other states is handled on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the attorneys.
Your HR safety net
You should not have to choose between doing the right thing and affording the advice to do it
Compliance takes time away from managing your people, and a single wrong move in a termination or an EEOC response can cost far more than the advice you avoided. That is why Catapult supplements our HR Advisory team with employment law attorneys at Ogletree Deakins. You start with your HR Advisor, and when the situation calls for it, we connect you directly. No extra invoice.
Get alerted
Timely notifications about critical employment law changes affecting your business, before they become a problem.
Tools and resources
A library of HR tools, templates, and sample attorney-reviewed employment contracts for all states.
Call your HR Advisor
Your Catapult HR Advisor assesses your situation and determines whether legal backup is the right next step.
Legal backup
When needed, we connect you directly with an Ogletree Deakins employment attorney, included in your membership.
What’s covered
What your employment law advice benefit covers
Catapult HR Advisors refer you to an Ogletree Deakins employment law attorney in the following situations, all covered under your membership at no additional charge.
High-Risk Terminations
Education on the laws, rules, and options relative to handling sensitive employee terminations, ensuring legal compliance, risk reduction, and proper documentation every time.
Covers situations like
Government Agency Charges
Support responding to and managing employment-related government inquiries and legal demands, before they escalate.
Covers situations like
Federal and Multi-State Employment Law
In-depth analysis and guidance on employment law fundamentals, including year-over-year updates as regulations shift across the 11-state region.
States served
Employment Contract Review and Advice
Legal insight into employment agreements that protect your business, with issue-spotting for enforcement concerns. Level of advice varies by state.
Covers documents like
Matters requiring extended custom work: representing your business in an EEOC charge, drafting original agreements, NLRB/DOL investigation defense, court litigation, or non-employment matters such as leases and business contracts. These may be available at a discounted fee-for-service rate through Ogletree Deakins.
How it compares
Membership counsel, outside counsel, or your own attorney
Most employers end up paying for employment law advice one of three ways. Here is how they differ in practice.
| Catapult membership | Outside counsel, hourly | In-house employment counsel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it costs | Included in membership, no hourly billing | $350 to $700+ per hour, billed in increments | $180k to $250k+ salary and benefits |
| Speed to an answer | Same day through your HR Advisor | Days, after intake and a conflicts check | Same day, once the role is filled |
| Who you reach | Ogletree Deakins employment attorneys | Whoever is assigned and available | One attorney’s judgment |
| Best for | Ongoing questions and day-to-day risk calls | Active litigation and bet-the-company matters | Large employers with constant legal volume |
| The catch | Extended custom work is fee-for-service | You hesitate to call because of the meter | Fixed cost whether volume is high or low |
Our legal partner
Ogletree Deakins, America’s largest employment-only law firm
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. represents employers of all sizes in employment matters. Their attorneys are licensed under federal law and across the states served by Catapult HR.
Ogletree Deakins is an independent law firm, not an employee or subsidiary of Catapult HR. Your attorney-client relationship is solely between your organization and Ogletree Deakins.
“Catapult membership gives you a path to real legal counsel, not a disclaimer. When a situation calls for an attorney, you’re already connected to one of the best employment firms in the country.”
Catapult HR Advisory Team Your first call before legal backupFAQ
Questions we hear most
Straight answers about how the plan works, what is covered, and how to get started.
What is Catapult’s Employment Law Advice benefit?
What services do plan attorneys provide at no extra charge?
How do I access a plan attorney?
Can plan attorneys do additional work for a fee?
Is my conversation with a plan attorney privileged?
What’s not included in the plan?
Plan terms
Read the full Employment Law Advice plan terms and conditions
Complete terms governing the pre-paid legal services plan, as required by applicable state bar rules.
Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan provides all eligible Plan Members the following Plan Services as part of the membership dues fee in Catapult (“Covered Plan Services”):
- Telephone, email, and other forms of consultations on foundational federal and multi-state employment law questions affecting the Plan Member.
- Limited reading and research to augment or confirm an effective response.
- Education of the Plan Member in the laws, rules, and options relative to their question.
- Initial review and discussion of workplace-related challenges, charges, claims, subpoenas, agency letters, lawyer demand letters, and similar issues to assist the Plan Member in understanding the context and to guide them in selecting counsel or a course of action.
- Reviewing employment agreements, issue spotting for enforcement concerns and high-risk issues, and spending reasonable time to make minor revisions.
- Explanation of Catapult templates and spending reasonable time to complete minor revisions required to finalize and execute those templates.
- Review of portions of an employee handbook where legal advice is sought by the Plan Member.
Catapult’s Employment Law Advice Plan has the right to prospectively limit a Plan Member’s free use of the Plan where their use is deemed excessive. The Plan may prospectively adjust the scope of Plan services for all Plan Members based on actual experience of the Plan.
Plan Services do not include: performing substantive revisions to existing employment agreements; drafting original employment agreements, documents, or workplace policies; ERISA and employee benefit matters; tax matters; obtaining or advising on immigration visas; tribal law; union representation campaigns; NLRB R or C cases; court-based litigation and appeals; reviewing lengthy files; Plan member on-site visits and travel; administrative hearings; workers’ compensation defense; representation in any specific case, matter, or conflict; or privileged investigations of workplace conduct and events.
Participating Plan attorneys may accept fee-for-service projects at a discounted rate. All billing for legal services is handled directly between the Plan member and the participating plan attorney – no portion of that fee is shared with Catapult.
Participating Plan attorneys and law firms are not employees of Catapult. They use their own independent professional judgment in serving Plan Members. Prior to providing legal services, plan attorneys will confirm that no actual or potential conflicts of interest exist.
At all times it is the intention of the parties to remain in compliance with applicable state statutes and bar rules. This Plan is not intended to establish a plan of insurance. The Plan provides advice on behalf of Catapult member organizations, not on behalf of individuals employed by those organizations.
* Catapult HR is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Employment law advice is provided to active Catapult member organizations under a pre-paid legal services plan. Participating plan attorneys are employed by Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., an independent law firm unaffiliated with Catapult HR. Ogletree Deakins attorneys are licensed under federal law and the laws of applicable states.
* This benefit constitutes a legal services plan as defined under applicable state law and is registered with the applicable state bar. Registration does not constitute approval of the Plan by the state bar.
* No attorney-client relationship is created between any individual and Catapult HR or Ogletree Deakins by accessing this page or contacting Catapult HR. An attorney-client relationship with Ogletree Deakins is established only upon completion of the plan attorney’s engagement confirmation process.
* This plan provides services to Catapult member organizations only – not to individual employees of those organizations. States served include: all 50 US states.
Stop guessing. Start knowing.
Employment law does not wait for a convenient time to get complicated. Catapult membership means a real HR Advisor and a real employment attorney are in your corner when you need them.