Cohen & Buckmann is thrilled to introduce employment attorney, Irene Bassock, to our friends and clients as the focus of our spotlight. Irene’s practical "risk-adjusted" approach to legal problems and her warm bedside manner with clients make her the go-to employment lawyer for both employers and executives when they are faced with a legal challenge.
What does it mean to have a "risk-adjusted" approach?
I help my clients see past the emotion in a legal dispute and enable them to focus on mitigating legal, reputational, and business risks. My clients tell me that they view me as a legal partner who provides them with concierge-level support during times of crisis and cool-headed counsel when solutions are not readily apparent.
How does your background as an in-house employment counsel inform your client advice today in private practice?
This kind of background enables me to see both sides of the equation and advise my clients on nuanced legal risks and negotiating tactics. With inside knowledge of how companies think, I’m able to “read the room” during negotiations and craft workable, pragmatic solutions for my clients. Most importantly, my clients know that they not only have a lawyer but also a business advisor and coach. I’m not afraid to tell them the hard truth while also advocating for them.
What advice do you have for clients looking to hire an employment lawyer?
Whether it’s an employer looking to improve compliance or address an employee complaint or an executive seeking contract advice, choosing an attorney who can advocate while fully appreciating the business landscape best serves a client’s interests.
For executive matters, an executive compensation attorney is an employment lawyer with an extra layer of experience attending to equity awards and the taxation of deferred compensation.
It’s also important to find someone who seeks to understand the complexities of each situation and appreciates the uniqueness of each client’s problem. At Cohen & Buckmann, we are a “high touch” firm, which means that each client gets attention from a very senior attorney with customized advice for their situation.
Irene’s background
Irene is an employment attorney with a current focus on executive contract and employment compliance, advising both employers and employees.
Building upon her employment litigation background, she enjoys strategizing with her clients to resolve workplace disputes in a manner that accomplishes their immediate and long-term goals while avoiding a messy and long battle in the courts. If, however, litigation is necessary, then Irene partners with a team of employment litigators to proceed down that path.
She is a graduate of Gettysburg College (B.A. magna cum laude) and Boston University School of Law (J.D. cum laude) and admitted to practice in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.
During her early years practicing law, she worked for large law firms in Boston and Hartford, defending employers. She then spent 17 years as in-house employment counsel for The Hartford.
In 2019, she founded a law firm focused on representing employees in workplace disputes and advising them on the legal risks associated with their employment. After several years of successful collaboration, Irene’s firm merged with Cohen & Buckmann in 2023.
Irene (and her husband and high energy Wheaten Terrier) live in Connecticut and Vermont. Because her children attended the University of Michigan, she’s a newly recruited fan of Michigan football. Irene enjoys exploring the world, and having fun alpine hiking, uphill and downhill skiing, and riding her Peloton.