Employment Law Attorney in Bozeman, MT
Practical employment law guidance for Montana employers and employees — from hiring through transitions.
With more businesses calling Montana home, employment law questions are becoming a routine part of running a company here. Whether you are just hiring your first employee, growing your team, or managing day-to-day workplace challenges, our team’s practical legal guidance to help employers and employees make informed decisions, reduce risk, and stay compliant with evolving state and federal laws.
As Montana employment lawyers, we know workplace legal issues are not just disputes — they are the everyday decisions and policies that shape your business. We focus on clear advice and proactive planning across hiring, internal policies, compliance, and transitions.
Who We Work With
We partner with a range of clients in Bozeman and across Montana, supporting both sides of the workplace relationship.
We value our client relationships and often serve as outside counsel for businesses seeking consistent, accessible legal support as they grow — a role many of our clients also rely on in our business law practice.
Our clients include:
Startups building their workforce and policies from the ground up
Established companies navigating compliance, growth, or workforce challenges
Employers addressing personnel issues or disputes
Employees seeking clarity on their rights, obligations, or employment concerns
Our Employment Law Services
Employee Handbooks and Policies
Clear, well-drafted policies set the legal groundwork for the employment relationship and help mitigate issues down the road.
We work with Montana employers on key areas including codes of conduct, anti-harassment, workplace safety, leave, and disciplinary procedures:
Employee handbook drafting and review
Internal grievance and complaint policies
Disciplinary procedures and progressive discipline frameworks
Anti-harassment and workplace conduct policies
Remote work, leave, and accommodation policies
Whether you’re an established business reviewing existing policies or a startup creating these foundations, we tailor our support to your needs — keeping policies legally sound under Montana law and aligned with how your business operates.
Employee Terminations and Transitions
Employee separations can carry significant financial and legal risk if mishandled. Our team works with employers to carefully plan and implement terminations and other transitions in a thoughtful, consistent, and compliant manner.
We help clients with:
Personnel documentation
Structuring terminations
Drafting and negotiating severance agreements
Communication strategies
For employees, our employment law attorneys provide guidance on understanding separation agreements and terms, evaluating and negotiating severance offers, and assessing legal concerns related to their transition.
Hiring, Classification, and Agreements
Decisions made at the hiring stage can have long-term legal and financial consequences, and the onboarding process is one of the best opportunities to set expectations and avoid future disputes.
We advise employers on:
Structuring offer letters
New employee onboarding procedures
Employment agreements
Independent contractor relationships
Exemption classification
Wage structuring
Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements
Confidentiality agreements
For employees, we review employment contracts and provide guidance on rights, obligations and potential risks before they sign.
Regulatory Compliance
Employment laws in Montana and nationwide are constantly evolving, and staying compliant can be challenging for businesses of any size.
We advise clients on Montana and federal requirements, including wage-and-hour laws, anti-discrimination statutes, leave regulations, and workplace posting obligations.
General Counsel Support
Employment law questions rarely arise at convenient times, and timely access to reliable advice can make a meaningful difference in how issues are handled. We serve as an ongoing legal resource for employers and employees on day-to-day employment matters, from policy implementation to real-time management decisions — giving us a deeper understanding of your company and your goals over time.
Many of our employment clients also work with us as outside general counsel on broader business, contract, and real estate matters — giving them a single, consistent legal resource for the issues their company faces.
Who We Work With
Our real estate attorneys represent individuals buying or selling homes, small business owners purchasing commercial space, investors building real estate portfolios, and developers working on projects across Gallatin County and Montana.
We also work with out-of-state buyers and national companies doing business in Montana’s real estate market.
If your transaction or project involves Montana real estate, we’re glad to talk through your situation — whether it’s straightforward or complicated.
Related real estate legal services include:
Contact an Employment Law Attorney
Whether you’re hiring your first employee, updating your handbook, or working through a workplace dispute, schedule a consultation with a Bozeman employment lawyer at KLH Advisors.
We’ll help you understand your options and move forward with confidence.
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Montana is the only state in the U.S. that is not a pure at-will employment state. Under the Montana Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act, once an employee completes their probationary period, an employer generally needs good cause to terminate them.
This makes Montana's framework legally distinct from other states, and it's one of the areas where out-of-state employers most often have questions when they begin operating here.
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Montana law disfavors non-compete agreements and enforces them only in limited circumstances, typically tied to the sale of a business or specific protectable interests. Whether a particular agreement is enforceable depends on its scope, duration, geography, and the facts surrounding it.
Non-competes drafted under another state's law may be treated differently in Montana, which is why Montana-specific drafting and review are common topics in our work with employers.
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Montana law doesn't require an employee handbook. Many employers still choose to have one, particularly given Montana's wrongful discharge framework, because handbooks are a way to document policies, probationary periods, and workplace expectations that arise in personnel matters.
Whether a handbook is the right fit and what it should include depend on the business's size and nature.
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Classification generally depends on factors such as the degree of control, the nature of the work, and how the relationship is structured — not on what the parties call it. Misclassification can carry tax, wage, and liability implications under both Montana and federal law.
We work with employers to structure relationships and agreements, and the right approach depends on the specifics of each arrangement.
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Severance agreements often include more than a payment. Common terms include a release of legal claims, non-disparagement provisions, confidentiality obligations, and sometimes non-compete or non-solicitation restrictions.
The specific terms vary by agreement, and their meaning in a given situation depends on the surrounding facts.
Montana Employment Law FAQs
Have more questions about employment law in Montana?