Phyllis G. Cancienne, shareholder in the Baton Rouge office, concentrates her practice in the areas of labor and employment, and related class action litigation. She represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation before state and federal courts throughout the country, as well as governmental agencies including the EEOC and the Department of Labor. She has also handled numerous employment–related arbitrations and mediations. Ms. Cancienne has extensive experience drafting employee handbooks, employment contracts, confidentiality/trade secret agreements, and covenants not to compete, as well as rendering advice to employers on all federal and state employment laws, including Title VII, ADA, FMLA, GINA, ADEA, NLRA and the FLSA, just to name a few.
Ms. Cancienne's experience also includes representation of hospitals and other health care providers in False Claims Act litigation medical staff governance issues, drafting physician contracts, and peer review and credentialing matters.
- "Social Media – Friend or Foe of the HR Professional?" Central Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management, Alexandria, Louisiana (June 2011)
- Author – "Federal Court Allows Nurse Wage-Fixing Case to Proceed to Trial," Louisiana Hospital Association, Lawbrief (August 2010)
- "The Impact of Health Care Reform on Employers," SHRM, Alexandria, Louisiana (August 2010)
- "Unions at Your Doorstep: What Every Employer Needs to Know," Baker Donelson Breakfast Briefing, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (October 2009)
- "Ten Hot Employment Law Issues Facing Health Care Employers in 2009," Baker Donelson Breakfast Briefing, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (May 2009)
- "Mastering the New FMLA Regulations," Baker Donelson Breakfast Briefing, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (January 2009)
- "Family and Medical Leave Act Compliance," Sterling Education Services, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (November 2009)
- "Update on the Family Medical Leave Act," Lorman Education Services, New Orleans, Louisiana (November 2008; November 2007)
- "Mediation the American Way," Employment Law Alliance, Washington, D.C. (October 2007)
- "A Health Care Provider's Guide to Navigating Employment and Labor Issues," General Counsel Institute, Nashville, Tennessee (October 2007)
- "Louisiana Recent Developments in Employment Law," Council on Education in Management, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (August 2007)
- "Employment Issues Post Katrina," Employment Law Alliance, Phoenix, Arizona (May 2006)
- "Hiring and Firing Post Katrina," Baker Donelson Breakfast Briefing, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (November 2005)
- "The Broadening Scope of Harassment Claims," Employment Law Alliance, New Orleans, Louisiana, (May 2001)
- Contributing author, Louisiana Appellate Practice Handbook
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in Chambers USA as a leading labor & employment lawyer since 2010
- Listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of labor and employment since 2010; listed among the top 25 female attorneys in the state (2011)
- Member – American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section; ABA/EEO Liaison Committee)
- Member – Federal Bar Association (New Orleans Chapter)
- Member – Louisiana State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
- Member – Baton Rouge Bar Association
- Member – New Orleans Bar Association
- Member – American Health Lawyers Association
- Member – Employment Law Alliance – Louisiana Representative
- Member – Louisiana Hospital Association
- Fellow – Litigation Counsel of America
- Recipient – Female Mentor of the Year Award, Postlethwaite & Netterville (2010)
- Committee Member – "Taste of the Tournament," Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (2010) and Co-chair of Sponsorship Committee (2011)
- Recipient – Louisiana Appleseed's "Good Apple" Award (2009)
- Volunteer – Appleseed Project, Louisiana Bar Foundation
- Fellow – Louisiana Bar Foundation
- Louisiana, 1989
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal
- U.S. District Courts, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi, pro hac vice
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, pro hac vice
- U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, pro hac vice
- Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D., 1989
- Member – Moot Court Board
- Tullis Moot Court Competition, Semi-Finalist
- Louisiana State University, B.A., 1985