Top Employment Lawyers Near Me in Richmond Area

Robert represents individuals and businesses in Virginia in a variety of civil disputes, including litigation, arbitration, and appeals.  He handles cases in the areas of employment law, including discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination, personal injury and medical malpractice, civil rights cases, and commercial matters.. His practices also includes resolving and litigating cases arising from business transactions and construction disputes.  He also handles matters relating to real estate transfers including claims for breach of purchase and sale agreements, fraud, and termite damage.. Robert grew up on a farm in rural Essex County and he takes a special interest in land conservation, historic preservation, and sustainable development.   He has helped landowners conserve their property by using conservation easements.  For years, his practice has included an emphasis on land use and zoning law, including litigation and appeals adverse to localities and the largest retailers in the country.

Ralph Jacobson received his law degree from Stanford University in 1969. Since this time Ralph has been helping clients who have been injured in accidents get the money they deserve. Ralph is a recognized Superlawyer and has helped clients get over $600 million dollars. Ralph's professional affiliations include the California Trial Lawyers Association and the State Bar of California.

Ms. Queen, our Senior Associate, is dedicated to employment law. After earning her bachelors degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Ms. Queen earned her law degree from Syracuse University College of Law, graduating with cum laude honors. She began her career with the New York Attorney General’s Office, winning a competitive position as a legal intern. She then interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of New York. Joining the Lawrence and Associates Employment Law Team in 2002, she has since represented clients before the Department of Health Professionals, Merit Systems Protection Board, U.S. District Court, Commonwealth of Virginia Court, EEOC Administrative Hearings and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mark Passero is an experienced trial attorney and counselor – practicing exclusively in employment law for nearly his entire career. Mark’s practice focuses on all aspects of employment law, including individual claims and class actions in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. Mark litigates matters and provides counsel relating to all types of employment claims: wage and hour disputes, whistleblower retaliation (including under the False Claims Act, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)), employment discrimination (ADEA, Title VII, ADA, and state law claims), wrongful discharge, breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of restrictive covenants, and tortious interference. Mark also has significant experience conducting workplace investigations and arbitrating and mediating matters to successful resolutions.. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Mark spent nearly a decade at national and global law firms (Fox Rothschild and Reed Smith) focusing his practice on employment law, litigation, and counseling. Mark then leveraged that experience and founded his own employment law firm, Passero Employment Law – using his experience to guide workers and small businesses though negotiations, litigation, and workplace disputes. Mark is honored to join the experienced team at LawrenceQueen and continue his career helping employees and small businesses.. In his practice, Mark values communication and understanding above all. While he is a passionate advocate, he understands that each client and case is different. He will provide honest and direct advice that not only analyzes the law but considers the realities of each case.. When not working, Mark spends as much time as he can traveling and visiting friends and family with his wife Ashley, three boys, and two dogs.

Jim Thorsen’s practice has focused on complex civil litigation for over thirty years.  He represents individuals in serious personal injury cases, including medical malpractice, as well as employees and executives in major areas of employment law such as EEOC matters, whistleblower claims, wrongful termination, non-competes and contracts.  Jim also represents individuals in the fields of civil rights laws, First Amendment issues, defamation law, malicious prosecution, and domestic relations.. Jim has received a number of honors in the areas of employment law and civil litigation for many years.  He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2009, he has been recognized as a Virginia Super Lawyer® in employment litigation from 2006- 2013, and he has been included as Legal Elite by Virginia Business magazine for many years.  He is AV®-Preeminent™ by Martindale Hubbell.  Jim is sought after as a speaker in his areas of law and he has been a frequent lecturer for Virginia State Bar Continuing Legal Education programs since 2009.. Bar Admissions:Virginia, 1978Virginia Supreme CourtUnited States District Courts for Eastern and Western VirginiaUnited States Fourth Circuit Court of AppealUnited States Supreme Court. Professional and Bar MembershipsVirginia State BarVirginia Bar AssociationVirginia Trial Lawyers AssociationNational Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)Virginia Employment and Labor Law Association (VELLA)

Jacqueline M. Reiner is an experienced trial attorney and fierce advocate on behalf of her clients. In addition to defending all levels of felonies, misdemeanors and traffic offenses in the federal and state courts across the Commonwealth of Virginia, a significant portion of Ms. Reiner’s practice concentrates on counseling clients in matters relating to family law and litigating divorce, support and custody cases.. Ms. Reiner’s practice also focuses on complex civil and commercial litigation; including Virginia Consumer Protection Act, construction/design professional, personal injury, employment and contract disputes.  Ms. Reiner defends individuals convicted of violent sex offenses and for whom the Commonwealth seeks to involuntarily civilly commit through the Sexually Violent Predator Act set forth in the Virginia Code.  She has participated in thousands of jury and bench trials, motions hearings, mediations, and arbitrations to verdict.. Ms. Reiner is a graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she earned honors in Political Science, and the University of Richmond School of Law, where she received the Virginia Trial Lawyer’s Association’s Award for Excellence in Advocacy. Immediately following law school Ms. Reiner served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond. In that capacity she prosecuted cases including murders, complex narcotics matters; rapes, robberies, and other violent crimes; as well as all other criminal offenses from DUIs to capital murders.. Ms. Reiner is admitted to practice before all state courts in Virginia and New York and the Federal Courts in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia and the Court of Federal Claims, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. From 2007 through 2012 she was honored yearly as one of Virginia’s Legal Elite and a Rising Star in the legal community by Richmond Magazine.

I concentrate my practice in the areas of personal injury, civil rights, and family law.  I have tried dozens of jury trials throughout Virginia and the District of Columbia, and have particular experience in cases of traumatic brain injury.  I have been frequently retained, or consulted by other law firms, to assist in traumatic brain injury cases, and given speaking engagements on the topic.  I have spoken and authored articles on various areas of the law, and appeared as a legal analyst on television. Prior to joining Commonwealth Law Group, I worked at a few other firms in Richmond including Cantor Stoneburner Ford Grana Buckner, Morris & Morris, and Bucci & Dix, PLLC.  Before coming to Richmond, I was honored to serve for two years as an Assistant Attorney General for the District of Columbia as one of the city’s first Honors Program litigators. In that capacity, I defended the District of Columbia and various government officials, including Mayor Anthony Williams and Chief of Police Charles Ramsey, in civil rights, habeas corpus, tort, and labor and employment matters. I earned my undergraduate degree in business from the College of William and Mary, and graduated cum laude from the George Mason University School of Law. While in law school, I was Managing Editor of the George Mason Law Review, and worked as a summer associate and third-year law clerk for the Washington, D.C. boutique firm of Stein, Mitchell & Mezines. After law school, I clerked for Judge John H. Bayly, Jr. of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  As a law clerk, I worked with all three major divisions of the Superior Court: Family, Civil, and Criminal. I'm a native of Vienna, Virginia.  In my spare time, I enjoy reading, following current events, and watching sports, especially the Green Bay Packers.

I am an employment lawyer. I specialize in workplace antidiscrimination laws. As a prosecutor, I enforced the law and stood up for victims. As an Assistant Attorney General, I resolved employment claims for Virginia state agencies. I help employees with employment issues and stand up for them in the courtroom. I advise employers regarding policies, procedures and legal claims. Whether you are an employee facing discrimination or harassment in your workplace or an employer who needs to conduct an investigation or plan a training, I am here to help with your employment matters.

Eric is located in Richmond, Virginia and is licensed there and in Washington. He practices nationwide in the areas of Labor and Employment, focusing on traditional labor law and union avoidance, employment litigation, and Appellate law. He has particularly strong experience in complex matters and class action litigation and has extensive appellate experience at all levels of state and federal courts.

Douglas represents employers, executives and professionals in virtually all matters arising in the workplace. He also handles a wide variety of business disputes. His practice encompasses both counseling and litigation, in state and federal court and before various administrative bodies. Douglas works with clients through a variety of workplace issues, including: employment discrimination and retaliation; wage and hour; employment agreements and other workplace contracts; separation agreements and severance plans; human resource policies and procedures; employee handbooks; employee benefits; leaves of absence; hiring, firing, compensation, and discipline issues. Douglas also advises clients on restrictive covenants (such as non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, and non-disclosure provisions), trade secret protection, business torts, and defamation. Douglas conducts preventative and compliance training, various types of employment audits, and workplace investigations. In addition, he speaks to employers, trade associations, bar groups and law students on a variety of employment and other legal topics.

Call Today for a Free Consultation.. Chris Pitera is a trial attorney practicing personal injury law at the firm of Cannella & O’Neal. Chris represents persons who have been injured through no fault of their own in courts throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is an experienced, passionate, and effective attorney-advocate. His main focus is promoting his clients’ total recovery. To that end, he works tirelessly and zealously so that his clients can obtain the best possible recovery in their case.. Prior to joining Cannella & O’Neal, Chris was an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. In that capacity, he has tried numerous civil cases to verdict, settled hundreds more, and recovered millions of dollars for his clients. Among other things, Chris handled property damage claims on behalf of the Virginia Department of Transportation. He also handled hundreds of medical lien reductions on behalf of MCV Hospital, so he understands how to best maximize recoveries for plaintiffs.. Chris is a member of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, Virginia State Bar – Young Lawyers Conference, Richmond Bar Association, and American Bar Association.. Chris has the highest rating of “Top Attorney” and received the Clients’ Choice Award for 2016 through 2020. He was named 2021 Virginia Rising Star by SuperLawyers.. Chris received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York – Stony Brook, where he graduated magna cum laude and a member of the prestigious Honors College. Before going to law school, Chris was a White House and Congressional intern. He went on to receive his law degree from Liberty University School of Law, where he was the Student Works Editor for the Liberty Legal Journal, member and traveling competitor of the Moot Court Board, Vice-Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Board, and elected among his peers as 2L Senator. He also received the distinguished Spirit of Liberty Award, an honor granted by the faculty to one graduating law student.. In addition to his formal education, Chris has received Certificates of Training from the National Trial Advocacy College (Charlottesville, VA), NAAGTRI Depositions Training Course (Santa Fe, NM), and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (Staunton, VA).. Chris resides in the greater Richmond area with his wife and two children.

Betsy Davis focuses on advising management in all areas of labor and employment law. She also represents employers in state and federal courts in the areas of Title VII, age discrimination, fair labor standards, family and medical leave, wrongful discharge, covenants not to compete, and breaches of employment contracts and handbooks, as well as other state and federal employment issues. She counsels and represents clients in investigation and defense of EEOC, DOL and NLRB charges and VEC claims.. Betsy uses her litigation experience to counsel clients with a goal of eliminating risk and placing the client in the best position should litigation arise. She provides clients with advice on how to comply with the statutory framework of federal and state employment laws, including the FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADAAA, ADEA, Title VII, COBRA, and the WARN Act. Betsy routinely reviews and develops employee policies, handbooks, offer letters, employment contracts, separation agreements, and other related documents. She is frequently contacted by our clients to assist in handling difficult termination and hiring issues, as well as sensitive matters involving restrictive covenants and trade secrets.. She is rated AV-Preeminent, the highest rating issued by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been named in Virginia Business magazine's Legal Elite as well as Virginia Super Lawyers' Rising Stars.

Ashley R. Passero, a managing member at LawrenceQueen, appreciates what is at stake when employees and employers face challenges in the workplace. Clients can rely on Ms. Passero to provide an honest, straightforward assessment of their case, and to partner with them to negotiate, or litigate, a successful resolution. For the past ten years, Ms. Passero has practiced almost exclusively in the area of employment law, representing both employees and employers in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies on a variety of employment matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, misclassification, whistleblower, and wage and hour. Ms. Passero also advises and litigates on behalf of clients with respect to both contractual and tort-based claims that arise from the workplace, including employment agreements, fiduciary duties, tortious interference, and defamation.. Before joining LawrenceQueen, Ms. Passero was an employment attorney at a management-side employment law firm in Richmond, Virginia, where she focused on counseling employers and litigation. Previously, Ms. Passero was an employment attorney at a law firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ms. Passero received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and her law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, graduating both with magna cum laude honors.. When not working, Ms. Passero enjoys traveling, trying new local restaurants, and spending time with her husband Mark and their three sons. Ms. Passero is also an adjunct instructor for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Office of Continuing and Professional Education, teaching business law.