Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.

Labor & Employment

Jennifer Jauffret’s “knowledge, experience, and incredible wisdom lead to really strong and successful outcomes” (Chambers USA, 2025).

Head of the firm’s Labor and Employment Group, Jennifer represents a wide variety of management clients in all types of labor and employment law matters, from providing advice on day-to-day employee issues to defending clients before state and federal agencies and courts. Providing “advice that is both technically sound and reasonable,” Jennifer’s approach “is quick, focused, efficient and effective” (Chambers USA).

Jennifer is a knowledgeable drafter of employment, severance, separation, nondisclosure, noncompete, and other employee agreements, as well as employee policies and handbooks.  She is an experienced trainer and speaker on all aspects of employment law, including harassment, and instructs both managers and employees regarding compliance with ever-evolving employment laws and regulations.  Jennifer also trains employers on preventing and reducing exposure to lawsuits.  “She can handle pretty much everything” (Chambers USA).

“Excellent at strategic thinking and at giving advice that is tactical and also practical” (Chambers USA, 2024), Jennifer brings a detail-oriented, fact-specific approach to difficult matters, with clients noting that she “makes a point to understand the intricacies of our business” (Chambers USA).  Jennifer assists businesses with employment issues arising in corporate transactions as well as general employee issues such as noncompete agreements and discipline/termination situations. She has experience litigating breach of restrictive covenant cases (including nondisclosure, noncompetition, and nonsolicitation restrictions) in the Delaware Court of Chancery; defending clients against charges of discrimination, hostile work environment, and retaliation; and defending FLSA, FMLA, and WARN Act claims, and other employee claims in state and federal court.

Jennifer devotes significant time to community service, providing pro bono legal advice to Delaware nonprofits and leading the firm’s team of volunteers who represent abused and neglected children. She also coaches girls basketball at Ursuline Academy. Jennifer is a past recipient of the Delaware State Bar Association’s Community Service Award.

Select Experience

Local hospitals, healthcare offices, and medical billing companies: Employment policies, employment agreements, union issues, discipline issues, FMLA advice, harassment investigations, wage and hour compliance Higher education: Employee investigations, FLSA issues, discrimination and wage and hour issues, day-to-day disciplinary issues, DDOL, EEOC, and federal court defense of Title VII and ADA claims Large national retailers and restaurants: Noncompetition and nondisclosure agreements, WARN issues, discrimination issues and suits Manufacturing firms: Discrimination defense, ADA accommodation advice, manager and employee compliance training, nonsolicitation agreements, general employment issues Global consulting and restructuring firm: Restrictive covenant nonsolicitation and noncompete litigation in Delaware Court of Chancery Local businesses and nonprofits: Counseling on various HR issues, defending discrimination claims, preventative advice and training Senior executives: Negotiation of employment and separation agreements

Publications

Independent Contractors: Delaware—Thomson Reuters Practical Law | September 2024

A Q&A guide to state law on independent contractor status for private employers in Delaware. This Q&A addresses how independent contractors are classified under state law, including the various tests to evaluate worker status, penalties for misclassification, and practices to avoid misclassification. Federal, local, or municipal law may impose additional or different requirements.…

Lex Mundi Global Employment Law Guide – Delaware—Lex Mundi | December 10, 2019

Director Jennifer Jauffret is the author of the Delaware chapter of Lex Mundi’s newly published Global Employment Law Guide.  This guide gives relevant and timely information on important employment laws in more than 50 jurisdictions and draws on the expertise of Lex Mundi’s member firms from around the world. …

USA Regional Employment – Delaware Law and Practice—Chambers USA | 2019

Greater Protections for Delaware Employees = Additional Training and Awareness for Management—Delaware Banker | Summer 2016

Delaware’s 148th General Assembly recently enacted legislation that expands the landscape of protections afforded to employees and applicants for employment under Delaware law.

“Trade Secret Laws: Delaware,” Practical Law Company, annual publication “Anti-discrimination Laws: Delaware,” Practical Law Company, annual publication “Non-compete Laws: Delaware,” Practical Law Company, annual publication “Wage and Hour Laws: Delaware,” Practical Law Company, annual publication “Employment Claims in Release Agreements: Delaware,” Practical Law Company, annual publication “Independent Contractors: Delaware,” Practical Law Company, annual publication

Presentations

Exploring the Delaware State Paid Leave Act/Health Delaware Family Act: Focus on Creating and Implementing the Policy—October 21, 2024

New Paid Sick and Family Leave Under the Healthy Delaware Families Act—April 9, 2024

Healthy Delaware Families Act: Paid FMLA: Self-Insured vs. Public Plan: What’s Right for You?—February 5, 2024

Delaware Society for Human Resources Management Annual Conference: Key Concepts of the FMLA That You Need to Know for the New State HDFA—November 17, 2023

Delaware Society for Human Resources Management Annual Conference: Hot Topics and Updates in ADA Law Beyond COVID—October 6, 2022

Delaware Society for Human Resources Management Annual Conference: Top Employment Changes Employers Need to be Aware of in the Biden Administration—October 20, 2021

DelMarVa SHRM Webinar: Staying Compliant Under Delaware’s Sexual Harassment Law – A Practical Guide To The Statute’s Do’s and Don’ts—May 18, 2021

Delaware State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Update 2021: Layoffs, Furloughs, and Other Downsizing Issues—March 9, 2021

Delaware State Bar Association’s Litigation Section Meeting: At Home with Youngsters and Litigators—October 22, 2020

Pro Bono Activities

Assisting nonprofit agencies with employment and personnel matters Protection from Abuse Team, Delaware Volunteer Legal Services Child Attorney, Delaware’s Office of the Child Advocate

Recognition

Chambers USA, since 2010 The Best Lawyers in America, since 2008 The Best Lawyers in America, Wilmington, DE Labor Law – Management Lawyer of the Year, 2026, 2022; Labor and Employment Litigation Lawyer of the Year, 2021, 2019 Benchmark Litigation, 2020 Delaware Today Top Lawyer, Labor Law, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019; Top Vote Getter, 2013 Super Lawyers, since 2013 Delaware State Bar Association, Community Service Award, 2018

Bar Admissions

Delaware, 1998 Pennsylvania, 1998 United States District Court, District of Delaware, 1998 United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, 2000 United States Supreme Court, 2002 United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2004

Villanova University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1997 Villanova Law Review Order of the Coif Cornell University, B.S., Government, 1994