Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
My practice focuses on representing employers in a variety of employment matters in state and federal courts, as well as matters prosecuted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. I have significant experience representing employers against wage and hour claims arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and against claims of wrongful discharge, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. I also have extensive experience representing public employers in a wide range of matters, including excessive force and other section 1983 claims, FLSA claims regarding first responders and other public safety employees, and Title VII claims. I also counsel clients on a broad spectrum of employment law issues and am well-versed in assisting employers with creating and implementing employment policies. In addition, I have extensive experience representing employers in OSHA matters and guiding them through the inspection and citation processes.
Broad-based employment law practice focusing on representing Fairfax County in actions in state and federal court and administrative agencies, drafting regulations and policies for the County, and advising the Board of Supervisors and County agencies regarding legal issues. Representative experience includes: ■ Drafting policies on harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. ■ Conducting an FLSA audit for certain public safety positions. ■ Advising County agencies regarding adopting and implementing a policy for using in-vehicle cameras in County vehicles. ■ Defending the County in a FLSA collective action. ■ Defending County public safety officials and other County employees in state and federal court in excessive force cases, employment discrimination cases, and tort cases. ■ Defending charges of discrimination before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. ■ Representing the County in Civil Service Commission hearings and Virginia Circuit Court regarding employee grievances. ■ Analyzing Virginia FOIA requests and ensuring compliance therewith.
I regularly represented corporate and individual clients in state and federal courts throughout Virginia in a wide variety of complex civil litigation matters, including contract, telecommunications, employment, personal injury, medical malpractice, occupational safety and health, and general commercial matters. My experience included appearing on behalf of clients at numerous hearings on both dispositive and non-dispositive motions in state and federal court; first-chairing trials in Virginia Circuit Court and General District Court; taking and defending depositions, including party, non-party, and corporate depositions; drafting pleadings, motions, and discovery requests and answers; and managing cases from start to finish. I also have significant experience representing the telecommunications industry in civil litigation matters, including breach of contract disputes, site acquisition and land use disputes, and federal and state tariff disputes, among others. I have also advised clients regarding a variety of regulatory compliance issues arising under the federal Telecommunications Act, as well as other federal and state telecommunications laws. Additionally, I counsel businesses on employment law matters, including, among other things, compliance with drug and alcohol testing laws, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and state and federal OSHA regulations. In this position I was named to Virginia's Legal Elite, Under 40 Section, for 2010.
Researched and drafted opinions, orders, and memoranda on a broad variety of civil and criminal matters; attended court proceedings; and performed general office tasks.
Researched and helped draft an opinion regarding a constitutional issue of first impression, researched and drafted bench and research memoranda on both civil and criminal matters, and attended court proceedings.