Top best Labor Lawyers in Washington | 637 available

Ardra M. O'Neal, Esq. is the Founding Partner of The O'Neal Firm, LLP. For more than a decade, Ms. O'Neal has specialized in labor and employment law. She defends state and federal court employment related lawsuits on behalf of employers and employees. She counsels executives, managers and human resource professionals nation-wide on a full range of issues concerning employer-employee relations including but not limited to: wage and hour issues, employee leave matters, independent contractor classifications, and discrimination and harassment claims.. Prior to launching The O'Neal Firm LLP, Ms. O'Neal was one of four Senior Labor and Employment Attorneys for Sodexho USA, a Fortune 500 corporation employing nearly 150,000 employees in the United States, and over 360,000 globally. Ms. O'Neal has also practiced law with one of the nation's largest law firms and was lead defense counsel in all areas of labor and employment litigation.

Anita Mazumdar Chambers is a principal at The Employment Law Group® law firm, where she primarily focuses on matters of discrimination and retaliation. She has extensive experience in conducting corporate investigations to identify and resolve issues before needing to resort to legal action. Ms. Chambers also works in whistleblower protection, severance negotiations, and employee counseling.. Since starting with TELG in 2012, Ms. Chambers has worked with clients in industries ranging from law enforcement and other government agencies to healthcare and pharmaceutical services. She recently won $2.4 million in damages for a client who was fired after raising concerns about alleged discrimination and illegal marketing tactics at a major pharmaceuticals company.. Ms. Chambers has served as lead litigator in jurisdictions across the country, developing a special interest in cases of gender discrimination and retaliation in violation of the federal False Claims Act. In addition to her work in federal district courts, she routinely litigates matters before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Merit Systems Protection Board.. “My hope is that our work creates a better workplace for people,” Ms. Chambers says. “I love being a part of the mission to push the law forward for employees.”. Ms. Chambers also advocates for employee rights before possible violations necessitate legal action. Companies often ask her to conduct compliance investigations to root out any problems in their own investigative structure and to help evaluate the validity of claims, such as sexual harassment, in order to provide proper resolution. She has been praised for her quick turnaround and thorough reports.. Within TELG, Ms. Chambers manages the evaluation team and legal fellows. She also trains and mentors the firm’s law clerks on legal and trial strategy, organizational skills, and effective case management. She often checks in with clerks to help them balance their workloads and manage deadlines. Ms. Chambers is also heavily involved in drafting protocols and policies for TELG, including protocols for the evaluation process and for preparing clients for depositions.. Her clear and simple way of explaining things is not only helpful for the people she mentors but also for clients. Ms. Chambers makes a note of telling clients what they can expect during the legal process — even down to the little details of where to sit and who will be in a room — to help ease their anxiety. Her empathy and compassion have led clients to stay in touch long after their cases are over and have even prompted some clients to say that she seems to know what they’re thinking before they even say it.. “No one else is going to advocate for clients as strongly as we do,” Ms. Chambers says. “I never lose sight of the fact that this is one of the most devastating times of our clients’ lives, and I use our firm’s years of experience and resources to go head-to-head for them and do everything possible to get a good outcome.”. Before joining the firm, Ms. Chambers worked for an intellectual property litigation firm and was part of the trial team for a multimillion-dollar patent infringement case before the U.S. International Trade Commission.. Ms. Chambers has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star, an honor granted to only 2.5% of attorneys in each state. In 2023, she was also named to Lawdragon’s list of the top 500 plaintiff-side employment lawyers in the United States and recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch. One of Ms. Chambers’ cases, Ivie v. Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP, was named a Top 50 Labor & Employment Verdict in the U.S.. Ms. Chambers is currently a member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. She is admitted to practice in Virginia, D.C., and various federal courts.. Ms. Chambers received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, where she held numerous leadership roles in Latinx organizations. Her college experience focused on building communities and representing minorities and later pushed her to become an advocate. She received her law degree from The George Washington University Law School.. Ms. Chambers was born and raised in the D.C./northern Virginia area and is happy to raise her two kids there as well. Both of her children attend the very same preschool she attended, for which she now sits on the board, assisting with fundraising and administrative duties.. Ms. Chambers and her husband are in the process of remodeling their home and learning a lot about landscaping. As a result, their family, including their dog Abby, spends many hours outdoors. Ms. Chambers especially enjoys gardening and teaching her sons about how plants such as strawberries and hydrangeas grow.

Alison Rogers is an associate at Bailey & Ehrenberg PLLC. Alison focuses on general litigation, representing clients before state and federal courts. Alison also has experience in small business and corporate matters. Alison graduated from The University of Michigan Law School in 2015, where she served as executive editor on the Michigan Journal of Race and Law.. While in law school, Alison served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Judge Judith E. Levy in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and as a student-attorney in The University of Michigan Pediatric Advocacy Clinic. She interned at the Office of the Inspector General for the New York Police Department, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the Department of Justice.. Prior to joining Bailey & Ehrenberg PLLC, Alison was a legal fellow at the Community Defender Division of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.

Alexis Ronickher joined Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP in September 2008. She served as trial counsel with Debra Katz in Barrett v. Andre Chreky, a sexual harassment and retaliation case, which resulted in a jury verdict of $2.3 million in favor of their client in March 2010. Ms. Ronickher has helped her clients achieve favorable outcomes in a variety of employment matters, including cases involving sexual harassment, civil rights discrimination and retaliation, and whistleblower retaliation. She also currently represents clients who are pursuing qui tam claims under the False Claims Act and who have submitted whistleblower tips to the S.E.C. under the new Dodd-Frank S.E.C. whistleblower program.. Ms. Ronickher graduated from Stanford Law School in 2008, where she was a public interest fellow, served as a senior editor for the Stanford Law and Policy Review, and served as a student attorney in the Stanford Community Law Clinic for a year. During the summer of 2007, she served as a law clerk at Public Justice, assisting with consumer and civil rights impact litigation. In the summer of 2006, Ms. Ronickher was a law clerk in the family violence division of the Santa Clara District Attorney’s office.. Before law school, Ms. Ronickher served as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Ben Chandler, as well as a Legislative Correspondent for Congressman Robert Matsui. In 2002, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara with highest honors and was elected into Phi Beta Kappa.. Ms. Ronickher is admitted to practice in California and the District of Columbia.

Alan Lescht has been successfully litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and commercial litigation cases for more than 25 years. He is a founding partner of Alan Lescht & Associates, PC, where he oversees the firm's employment litigation and counseling practices.. Top Ten Leaders Program named Alan one of Washington's top employment lawyers.  Washingtonian Magazine recognized Mr. Lescht as one of the top employment and civil rights lawyers in Washington, DC.. Mr. Lescht has been quoted in the Washington Post, Federal Employees News Digest,  National Public Radio, CBS and ABC.. Mr. Lescht is an active member of the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.. Mr. Lescht received a Bachelor of Arts degree, from George Washington University and he received a J.D. degree, from St. John's University .  Mr. Lescht practiced in New York with Dreyer & Traub and later with Reid & Priest, in New York and Washington, DC , before founding his firm.. Federal Service :. Jeffery Smith v. Dep't of the Treasury , (EEOC Docket No.l00-2005-00704X): We obtained decision finding that the Agency unlawfully retaliated against an employee.. Janyce Wiggins v. Dept of Veterans Affairs , (EEOC CASE NO. 100-AO-7779X): Alan Lescht obtained a decision finding that the Agency unlawfully retaliated against an employee in a non-selection case.. Contract/Non-Competition/Trade Secrets :. Healthcare Strategies, Inc. v. The WellNet Healthcare Plan, Inc . Case No. 13-C-07-70195 (Howard County, Maryland, 2007): Alan Lescht obtained a decision defeating a motion for preliminary injunction following a hearing on the merits in a case where the plaintiff alleged that the defendant misappropriated trade secrets and customers.. Robinson v. East Capitol View Community Development Corporation, Inc., Case No. 04CA 5416 (Broderick, J., 2006): Alan Lescht obtained a jury verdict finding breach of an employment contract.. Sexual Harassment :. Faraci v. CACI , 464 F. 527 (E.D. VA 2006) Alan Lescht obtained a verdict following arbitration on a claim of sexual harassment and retaliation on behalf of an employee of a government contractor who was stationed overseas. The arbitration award was upheld in federal court.. Figueroa v. Savanar , 2002 WL 83667 (S.D.N.Y. 2002): Alan Lescht obtained a $200,000 verdict where he represented former female employees of a Bonanza Steakhouse who alleged that the owner/manager sexually harassed them. The jury awarded each plaintiff 25,000 in compensatory damages and 25,000 in punitive damages following a two and one half day trial.. Chadwick v. D.C . , 56 F. 69 (D.D.C. 1999): Alan Lescht obtained a $400,000 verdict in case where he represented a former employee of the District of Columbia's Oak Hill Youth center who alleged that she was sexually harassed by her former supervisor. The jury awarded his client $400,000 in compensatory damages and the Court later added $63,981 in lost wages to the award following a five day trial.. Disability Discrimination :. Grullon v. South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp ., 712 N.Y. Co. 2000): Alan Lescht obtained a $125, verdict in case where he represented a former case manager of a work training center who alleged that his former employer terminated his employment because he was a recovering alcoholic. The jury awarded him 25,000 in compensatory damages, 50, in lost wages and 50,000 in punitive damages, following a three day trial.. Assault And Battery/Civil Rights :. Yousif v. Safeway , 97-CV-200 (D.Md. 1999): Alan Lescht obtained a $422,500 verdict in a case where he represented a former night stocker who alleged he was fired because of his national origin and other civil rights violations. The jury awarded him $22,500 in compensatory damages and $400,000 in punitive damages following a five day trial.. Race Discrimination :. Juliette Johnson v. Reliable Mail Service, Inc. , Case No. 99 Civ. 5877 (McKenna, J., 2002): Alan Lescht obtained a $30,000 jury verdict where he represented a Black employee who had worked for the defendant for about one week and earned about $300 before she was fired. The Judge awarded her attorney's fees as well.. Retaliation :. Reginald Fortune v. Joseph Smith & Sons, Inc. , CAL06-15017 (Circuit Court, Prince George 's County, 2008): Alan Lescht obtained a jury verdict finding unlawful employment discrimination retaliation on behalf of a warehouse employee who alleged he was fired for complaining about discrimination.. Linwood Jackson v. HABC , Civ. No. 03-86 (BG)(JKB), (D. Md., 2004): we obtained a jury verdict finding unlawful employment discrimination retaliation on behalf of a painter who alleged that he was fired because he complained about what he believed to be unlawful discrimination at work.. Taylor v. ARE, Inc. , Case No. 01-7204 (Blackburne-Rigsby, J., 2005): Alan Lescht obtained a jury verdict finding unlawful employment discrimination retaliation in violation of the DC Human Rights Act on behalf of three former employees of a restaurant who alleged that they were fired because the opposed and complained about discrimination at work.. Unpaid Wages :. McFarlane v. Gremillon , Case No. 242492-V (Circuit Court, Mont. Co., Md. ): Alan Lescht obtained a jury verdict fining a violation of the Md. Wage Payment Act on behalf of a household employee.. Public Policy Termination:. Sandra Brown v. Noyes Air Conditioning Contractors, Inc ., Case No. 279648 (Circuit Court, Montgomery County, Md., 2007): We obtained a jury verdict finding that the defendant violated the public policy of the State of Maryland by terminating her employment because she filed a claim for worker compensation benefits.

Alan Kabat received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1983. He received a Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University in 1990. Mr. Kabat received a J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1998. He was a member of the American Criminal Law Review, and served as Editor-In-Chief for its Thirteenth Survey of White Collar Crime. Mr. Kabat is a member of the American Bar Association and the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers’ Association (MWELA). He is currently co-chair of the Amicus Committee for MWELA. He also serves as discovery coordinator for a complex multidistrict litigation matter.. Mr. Kabat has been admitted to practice law in Maryland since 1998, in the District of Columbia since 1999, and in Virginia since 2008. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Second, Fourth, Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits; and the U.S. District Courts for District of Columbia, Maryland, and the Eastern District of Virginia.. Mr. Kabat has represented a variety of matters including: employees with gender, race, and age discrimination claims against their employers, government and private-sector employees who reported illegal conduct in their workplace, non-profit organizations in constitutional challenges to government investigations, law firm partners moving from one law firm to another law firm, and individuals and organizations in defamation, non-compete, and tortious interference litigation.

After service in the United States Navy during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, I went to law school in the Middle West and then returned to Washington, D.C. to practice communications law.  Leaving the technical side of that field, I focused on libel and defamation law and public employee rights to report wrongdoing in the workplace.  Our Federal employees caretaking the environment were my primary focus through to 2004.  I then returned to Federal service to set up the modern whistleblowing programs for the Defense Department and the Intelligence Community.  The work was exhilarating.  My skills in Federal Employment Law were honed and I picked up new insights as a National Security lawyer focused on oversighting of the security clearance adjudication process, 2004 to 2018. In 2018, I returned to private practice on Connecticut Avenue, using the experience of the previous quarter century to continue helping our Federal workers. Home is Upstate New York, where I came of age at Ithaca, New York and received my collegiate education at Cornell University.  My husband and I live in western Maryland, close to both our families.  In my spare time, I grow tomatoes, cucumbers, a variety of herbs and spices, and green beans. I tend to be a dog-person, but am courteous to cats.

After more than a decade of service at the Department of Justice as a prosecutor and handling False Claims Act cases and qui tam (whistleblower) suits, and after four years as counsel at Covington & Burling, I launched my own firm in 2009.. I now bring my lengthy False Claims Act experience to the needs of individuals and small and medium-size companies facing government investigations or wishing to file whistleblower suits.. In addition, I and my associate. Andrew Murray, have extensive experience in handling federal criminal investigations, Congressional investigations, civil litigation, and federal employee whistleblower retaliation claims.. if you need dedicated and experienced counsel in any of these areas, please contact us.

Adam joined Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP in December 2013 after gaining extensive experience in employee-employer disputes in Chicago, Illinois. Adam previously worked with the firms Robinson, Curley & Clayton P.C. and Latham & Watkins LLP in Chicago, and was recognized as a "Rising Star" in the 2014, 2016 and 2017 editions of Super Lawyers. Adam also served as law clerk for the Honorable Judge Philip Simon of the Northern District of Indiana. Adam earned his J.D. in 2004 from the University of Chicago Law School and his undergraduate degree in Finance in 2000 from the University of Pennsylvania – The Wharton School.. Adam has served clients through various employment disputes, including the pursuit of claims for race, gender, and age discrimination, as well as for protections offered under whistleblower and wage and hour laws. For instance, in EEOC v. WRS, Adam represented eleven construction workers, alongside the EEOC, in obtaining a $2.75 million settlement from a national corporation in an action involving allegations of hangman's nooses and other invidious acts of discrimination. In another matter, Adam served as first chair in successfully representing a banker against his former employer in a five-day FINRA arbitration focusing on whistleblowing and defamation issues. He has represented numerous clients pursuing whistleblower tips before the SEC. He regularly advises clients in negotiating employment contracts and severance agreements.. Adam has previously served as the co-chair for the social action committee of Decalogue Society of Lawyer’s – Chicago’s Jewish law association. He also participated in the University of Chicago’s Civil Rights and Police Accountability Clinic Project, focusing on issues of criminal justice. Prior to law school, Adam served with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps, a team-based national community service organization.

A graduate of Harvard University, Mr. Edelman received his law degree from Harvard Law School. He served as law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun, and is widely considered to be a preeminent appellate advocate. He has been active and successful at all levels of state and federal courts.. Mr. Edelman drafted the critical appellate brief that precipitated the landmark civil rights victory, Jenson v. Eveleth Mines, the first-ever sexual harassment class action, handled by the law firm Sprenger & Lang. The Jenson case was the basis for the 2002 book “Class Action” and the 2005 movie “North Country.” “Class Action” noted that the plaintiffs called in Mr. Edelman because they needed “to deliver nothing less than a brilliant appellate brief.” Mr. Edelman delivered mightily. See C. Bingham & L. Gansler, Class Action (2002).. Over the course of more than three decades, Mr. Edelman has been recognized for his outstanding representation of employees in a wide range of labor and employment litigation, nationally and in the Washington, D.C. area. Martindale-Hubbell has rated Mr. Edelman “AV Preeminent,” the highest possible peer review rating in legal ability and ethical standards, for the past 30 years. He is also listed in the 2009-2014 editions of Super Lawyers in the category of labor and employment, as well as in the 2010-2014 editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the employment law category.. Mr. Edelman successfully represented the City of Detroit, its police department and individual officials in defense of protracted suits challenging the constitutionality of Detroit’s affirmative action programs for police offer promotions and layoffs. Detroit Police Officers Association v. Young, 920 F. Supp. 755 (E.D. Mich. 1995) (defense of constitutional challenge to affirmative-action promotions); NAACP v. Detroit Police Officers Ass’n and City of Detroit, 900 F.2d 903 (6th Cir.), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 983 (1990) (defense of constitutional challenge to lay-offs of minority police officers).. Mr. Edelman is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and the bars of several federal courts of appeals. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the UDC School of Law Foundation. He is also member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Mr. Edelman is a recipient of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s pro bono award.

"My father says that I was born arguing about fairness and social justice issues, and that attending law school was just a formality.. I am deeply committed to protecting the rights of individuals who have been victimized by discrimination, sexual harassment or have been mistreated because they have done the right thing — whether it be reporting issues affecting the public health and safety or objecting to illegal business practices. These individuals deserve tough, tenacious, and principled advocates. I work hard every day to be just that.". ---------. Recognized as "Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year" for Washington, D.C. by Best Lawyers in America for 2013, as one of the “toughest” employment lawyers in Washington, D.C. by Washingtonian magazine, and as an expert in sexual harassment and employment law by The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME magazine and others, Debra S. Katz has been successfully litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection cases for over 25 years.. Ms. Katz is a founding partner of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, where she concentrates her practice on employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, Sarbanes-Oxley, corporate, environmental and other whistleblower claims, and contractual employment disputes. She has developed extensive litigation experience in federal and local courts and has achieved significant courtroom successes in a number of high-profile cases. Throughout her legal career, Ms. Katz has successfully represented dozens of whistleblowers in the nuclear, financial, pharmaceutical and medical-device industries, as well as cases alleging fraud in government contracts, including, most recently at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.. Washingtonian Magazine selected Ms. Katz for its “Best Attorneys” list from 2004 to 2012, additionally naming her one of the magazine’s top 30 “Stars of the Bar” in its biennial listings in 2009 and 2011. She was selected for inclusion in the 2006-2013 editions of “The Best Lawyers In America,” and rated by Martindale-Hubbell as “AV Preeminent,” its highest possible peer review rating.. Ms. Katz was named by Super Lawyers as a leading Washington, D.C. lawyer in 2007-2013, and was also recognized by Super Lawyers as a top 100 lawyer in Washington, D.C. and top 50 female lawyer in Washington, D.C. from 2009-2013. She was additionally featured in Super Lawyer’s 2009 edition as one of the top four whistleblower attorneys in Washington, D.C., and profiled as a pioneering whistleblower attorney in the 2009 Super Lawyer’s article, “Protecting the Insider.”. In 2007, Human Resource Executive magazine named Ms. Katz one of the nation’s “Top 10 Plaintiffs’ Attorneys to Fear the Most.” She was selected for membership in the Lawdragon “500 Leading Trial Lawyers in America” in March 2006, and from September 2006 through 2010, Lawdragon named her to its list of “The 3,000 Leading Lawyers in America.” In January 2008 through 2011, Lawdragon named Ms. Katz as a finalist on its list of “The 500 Leading Lawyers in America.”. Ms. Katz is a contributing writer for Ms. Magazine, where she writes about legal issues of importance to women. Ms. Katz is also co-chair of ALI-ABA’s Employment Law programs and was appointed to the editorial board of Employment Law360.. Ms. Katz received her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Union College, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her J.D. degree, cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she served as a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and as Articles Editor of the Wisconsin Women’s Law Journal. Following law school, Ms. Katz clerked for the Hon. William Bablitch on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and received the prestigious Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellowship at Georgetown University Law Center.. Ms. Katz is a member of the District of Columbia and New York Bar Associations, the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and the bars of several federal courts of appeals.