Top best Labor Lawyers in Washington | 505 available

“Fighting for the underdog has always been important to me. Whether picketing in the living room as a young child for more ‘rights’ for my sister and me, or choosing the least skilled players during recess for my baseball team, I have always believed that it is important to fight hard for those who are not in a position of power.. Being a civil rights and employment attorney gives me an opportunity to do that every day – to fight for the underdog and to achieve a level of vindication for hardworking employees and whistleblowers who have suffered from intimidation, discrimination and retaliation at the hands of their employers. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to come to work each day and use my skills and experience to make a positive difference in someone’s life.”. -------------. Ranked by Washingtonian Magazine as one of Washington’s Top Lawyers in six consecutive listings, Lisa Banks has successfully litigated employment discrimination and whistleblower protection cases at both the trial court and appellate levels for over fifteen years. Ms. Banks is a founding partner of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, where she concentrates her practice on employment discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower and Sarbanes-Oxley law, disability law and contractual employment disputes. Prior to forming the firm, Ms. Banks was a partner at Bernabei & Katz, PLLC, where she practiced from 2000 until 2006. Ms. Banks is an experienced advocate who has consistently achieved outstanding results on behalf of her clients either in court or through negotiated settlement.. In 2006, Washingtonian Magazine selected Ms. Banks for its list of 40 Best Attorneys under 40 in Washington, D.C., calling her “Washington’s hottest young employment lawyer.” Ms. Banks was also selected for inclusion in the 2009-2013 editions of “The Best Lawyers in America,” and was named by Washington D.C. Super Lawyers as among the top five percent of attorneys in Washington, D.C. for 2009-2013. Martindale-Hubbell has rated Ms. Banks “AV Preeminent,” its highest possible peer review rating.. Ms. Banks was named by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) to its National Roster of neutrals, to hear and resolve cases brought for binding arbitration before AAA. She has served as an arbitrator and mediator in numerous employment and contractual disputes brought before the AAA. She also serves as a faculty member of the American Law Institute-American Bar Association, and has lectured on such topics as retaliation law, evidentiary issues in employment litigation and disability law. She has been a regular contributor to The National Law Journal, where she and partner Debra Katz have analyzed the U.S. Supreme Court’s labor and employment law decisions, and has provided commentary in current legal issues to the print and television media.. Ms. Banks 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, where she recently served as the organization’s vice president.. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut in 1990, and a J.D . degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1995, where she served as an editor on the Denver University Law Review. She clerked for the Honorable Daniel M. Taubman, Colorado Court of Appeals, from 1995-1996, and for the Honorable Gregory K. Scott, Colorado Supreme Court from 1996-1997. Ms. Banks served as an Appellate Attorney with the Office of General Counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1997 to 2000. In 1999, Ms. Banks served as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of the Counsel to the President at the White House.. Ms. Banks has authored numerous appellate briefs and argued cases in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh and D.C. Circuits.

“Fighting against injustice and unfair business practices has been the main focus of my life for nearly forty years.. The best moments in my career have been when I could stand alongside a hard-working person or their family and fight like hell to get them their due, whether I was working with coal miners defending their livelihoods, or representing a nuclear worker who got fired for raising safety concerns, or representing a CFO or an accountant who stuck his neck out to stop fraud on taxpayers or investors. Representing deserving individuals against wealthy corporations is what energizes me more than anything else, and I get to do it every day. That’s why I love my job.”. --------------. Recognized as a top whistleblower and employment lawyer by Washingtonian Magazine and other peer-reviewed publications, David J. Marshall has successfully represented hundreds of whistleblowers and other employees, including those in the nuclear, financial, pharmaceutical and medical-device industries, as well those alleging fraud in government contracts. He is rated by Martindale-Hubbell as “AV Preeminent,” its highest possible peer review rating.. Mr. Marshall is a founding partner of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP, where he concentrates his practice on a wide range of corporate whistleblower claims, including under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and False Claims Acts. Since the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, Mr. Marshall has also established himself as a leading lawyer representing whistleblowers in the Securities Exchange Commission’s new Whistleblower Program. He has achieved significant recent success in whistleblower cases against the Architect of the Capitol and Deutsche Bank, at TVA’s Brown’s Ferry nuclear plant in Alabama, and against the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. In addition to his work as a whistleblower lawyer, Mr. Marshall has successfully represented plaintiffs in sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination and other discrimination cases, and has extensive experience in the negotiation of complex executive employment and separation contracts.. From 1981 to 1984 Mr. Marshall practiced as a staff attorney with the Political Rights Defense Fund, where he represented trade unionists and political activists nationwide in civil liberties, free speech, defamation, and political asylum litigation. He then worked as a steelworker, garment worker, freight railroad conductor, and refinery worker for 12 years, and was a rank-and-file union activist in some of the nation’s largest industries and unions. He returned to the full-time practice of law in Washington, D.C., in 1997.. Mr. Marshall has appeared in numerous national and local media. He speaks frequently at legal conferences as an expert on whistleblower law, has written extensively on employment and whistleblower issues, and has provided comments and training to government agencies regarding pending changes to the nation’s whistleblower laws.. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Marshall serves on a number of non-profit boards and committees. He was appointed this year to serve as the whistleblower-side co-chair of the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Section’s Subcommittee on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. He is a member of the steering committee of the Shelley Davis Memorial Fund, which endows an attorney position at Farmworker Justice, the nation’s premier legal-advocacy group fighting for the rights of farmworkers. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Justice Foundation, an organization that uses litigation to advance consumers’ rights, workers’ rights, public health and safety, and access to the courts. He also serves on the advisory board of the Government Accountability Project, a leading whistleblower rights organization.. Mr. Marshall received his Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from Emory University, and his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude.

With over two decades of experience working in the federal government – including extensive experience as a senior attorney and member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) – Cheri is a vital component of Tully Rinckey PLLC’s nationally recognized federal labor and employment practice group. Additionally, as a former panel member of the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR), she bolsters the firm’s military law practice group by assisting with the removal of injustices from and the correction of errors in service military records.. As Managing Partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Cheri oversees all federal sector legal matters handled by the firm at its D.C. location and manages the staff and resources of the office. Cheri represents federal managers, employees, and contractors who are primarily litigating Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints and U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals. She also represents employees seeking whistleblower protection, those involved in Office of Special Counsel (OSC) cases and those employees who are involved with Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigations across the government. Due to her extensive knowledge of the SES, Cheri focuses her work on senior executives and other senior leaders across government who need representation in all of these forums. She is the firm’s Chairperson of the Federal Labor and Employment Law practice group.. Prior to joining Tully Rinckey PLLC, Cheri served as the Department of the Air Force’s deputy general counsel for fiscal, ethics and administrative law at the Pentagon. While working at the Pentagon, Cheri also was appointed as a panel member (and later panel chair) on the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records. There, she reviewed and voted on cases. In her role as deputy general counsel for fiscal, ethics and administrative law, she was also called upon by the Air Force Review Boards Agency to provide legal advice to several of the boards on legal, policy and procedural matters that arose in a variety of cases. At the MSPB, she was the chief counsel to the chairman of the board. And at the Small Business Administration (SBA), she served as an associate general counsel for general law, the chief counsel for administrative law and a trial attorney.. Cheri also has extensive private sector experience. She began her legal career working in the litigation department of a large Maryland law firm and later moved on to a Washington, D.C. law firm where she handled all facets of federal civil litigation. As a consultant, she has assisted a law firm with Whistleblower Protection Act litigation and drafted federal agency non-SES performance plans for submission to and approval by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).. Cheri received her juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, California, where she studied political science.. NOT ADMITTED TO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAR. DC PRACTICE LIMITED TO PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SOLELY BEFORE A SPECIAL COURT, DEPARTMENT, OR AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES. ADMITTED TO PRACTICE IN MARYLAND.

With more than two decades of experience litigating a vast range of high stakes federal employment law matters, Ms. Rucker is a vital component of Tully Rinckey PLLC’s nationally recognized federal labor and employment law practice group. Prior to joining the firm, she was principal of her own labor and employment firm in Washington, D.C., and has held top positions at a number of prestigious firms throughout her extensive career. As president-elect and executive board member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA), she routinely interfaces with dynamic issues and information pertaining to employment law, and enjoys the respect of the top federal labor and employment attorneys in the country.. As a partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC, Ms. Rucker represents federal employees who require assistance with discrimination, harassment, disability retirement, retaliation, and disciplinary and adverse action matters, among a range of others. She also represents state and private sector employees regarding a range of similar issues.

Vincent “Vince” McKnight, Jr., is the Managing Partner of Sanford Heisler Sharp’s Washington, D.C., office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Whistleblower Practice. He also represents clients in employment discrimination and wrongful discharge cases.. Vince represents whistleblowers in sealed and unsealed False Claims Act/qui tam suits under investigation by the United States and other governmental stakeholders. He has achieved significant success in such cases, including the representation of whistleblowers in a series of actions alleging that office products companies (Staples, Office Depot) were illegally selling products from non-compliant countries such as China to the U.S. government in violation of the Trade Agreements Act and General Services Administration (GSA) policies. He also served as co-counsel in United States ex rel Cox v. Smith & Newpew, alleging unlawful sales of medical devices under government contracts arising from the manufacturer’s violations of the Trade Agreements Act.. Vince was co-lead counsel for a whistleblower who was the Government Contracting Director for Network Appliance (NetApp) in a matter that resulted in the then-largest GSA procurement fraud settlement in history. NetApp overcharged the government in violation of the GSA “Best Price” Clause, and ultimately settled for approximately $ has served as faculty at the ABA’s Annual National Institute on the False Claims Act and Qui Tam Enforcement and he has participated as a panelist at conferences hosted by Taxpayers Against Fraud and the Practicing Lawyers Institute focusing on issues under the False Claims Act. In addition, he co-authored “Causes of Action by Employee for Retaliation and Reprisal Pursuant to the False Claims Act, 31 USC Section 3730 (h)” in Causes of Action 2d 217, Section 2 (West 2003). Vince is renowned for arguing and winning a case in which the DC Court of Appeals first departed from the employment-at-will doctrine—the assumption that employment is for an indefinite amount of time and may be terminated at any time—in the District of Columbia. In the Summer of 2018, Vince was on the SHS trial team that obtained a $1.25M verdict against Columbia University on behalf of Professor Enrichetta Ravina.. Vince has consistently received a rating of “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell and was selected as one of the organization’s “Best Lawyers in America” He has also been honored as a “Top Lawyer in Maryland” by the Legal Network and as “top DC Lawyer” in Super Lawyers.

Venu G. Nair is an Associate at the law firm Tobin O'Connor & Ewing.  He is a graduate of the University of Alabama (1998), the University of Texas School of Law (2000) and the George Washington University School of Business (2008).  He is actively licensed to practice in both the District of Columbia and the State of Texas.. Prior to joining Tobin, O’Connor & Ewing, Mr. Nair represented management interests for a major metropolitan education system.  While working in the State of Texas, Mr. Nair represented numerous Fortune 500 companies in mass toxic tort and asbestos-related litigation.. Mr. Nair’s practice at the firm focuses on representing hospitals, government contractors and transportation companies in management-side labor and employment issues including but not limited to Title VII defense, workplace discrimination and harassment issues, and collective bargaining.

The Law Offices of Rafael E. Morell, PLLC is a boutique law firm specializing in employment law, business litigation, and labor law. The Firm was founded when Rafael Morell left a large national law firm where he was a shareholder.. The Firm focuses on the individualized needs of each client. When counseling clients, this often results in creative solutions that avoid litigation.  When litigation cannot be avoided, or when the Firm is retained after the start of litigation, the Firm represents clients in federal and state courts, before administrative agencies, and in arbitration.. The Firm's clients range in size from small companies to Fortune 500 corporations.  Every client, regardless of size, benefits from the Firm's focus on excellence and efficiency.. The Firm publishes The Mid-Atlantic Employment Law Update, a newsletter that focuses on labor and employment law developments that affect employers in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

SUSAN E. HUHTA is the partner in charge of Outten & Golden’s Washington, D.C. office, where she heads the D.C. office’s individual practice group. She is Co-Chair of the firm’s Discrimination and Retaliation Practice Group, and has represented employees in a wide range of employment matters, including litigation in state and federal trial courts, appellate courts and administrative agencies, for over 20 years. Ms. Huhta also provides advice and counseling to individuals experiencing employment problems or disputes, including executives and lawyers, and she negotiates employment contracts, as well as non-compete, bonus, change of control, separation and severance agreements.Ms. Huhta’s employment practice focuses on claims of wrongful termination, discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, family and medical leave act violations, and breaches of contract. She also represents whistleblowers and individuals who experience adverse employment action as a result of opposing illegal or unethical corporate practices. Ms. Huhta has recovered millions of dollars in lost compensation and other damages for individuals who were wrongfully terminated or otherwise mistreated in the workplace.Before joining Outten & Golden, Ms. Huhta practiced at a boutique employment law firm in D.C. for six years, and prior to that, for over 10 years, she ran the Employment and Public Accommodations Projects at one of D.C.’s premier civil rights organizations, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs. She began her law career in Washington, D.C. as a litigation associate at Arnold & Porter LLP, and she clerked for the Honorable Barbara B. Crabb, United States District Court Judge for the Western District of Wisconsin. Ms. Huhta received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University and graduated cum laude from the University of Wisconsin School of Law, where she served as an Articles Editor of the Wisconsin Law Review and the President of the Wisconsin Law School’s Women’s Law Student Association.Ms. Huhta serves on the Leadership Advisory Council of the National Women’s Law Center, and she is a board member of First Shift, a D.C.-based non-profit that provides employment-related legal assistance to low-income pregnant women and parents. She is a past president of the Washington Council of Lawyers, D.C.’s voluntary bar association that promotes public interest and pro bono work, and for many years has been an active member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association. Ms. Huhta has been recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as a “Top Lawyer” by Washingtonian Magazine, and as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers” in civil plaintiff-side litigation by the National Trial Lawyers Association. In 2019, she was selected by her peers as a one of the “Best Lawyers in America” representing individuals in employment law, and by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers.Ms. Huhta employs a highly client-centric approach, carefully considering all aspects of a client’s life and needs in helping develop and implement strategic decisions. She believes that every single client — without regard to position in life — deserves a dedicated, compassionate, and tenacious advocate.

Since September 2018, Courtney has been an Administrative Judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Therefore, she no longer represents employees.. Prior to becoming an Adminsitrative Judge at the EEOC, from June 2013 through August 2018, Courtney was a Senior Associate at Tully Rinckey PLLC, where she practiced federal employment law. She concentrated her practice on representing federal employees in Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) litigation, and defending federal employees against adverse actions. While she specialized in EEO litigation on behalf of federal government employees at Tully Rinckey, previously at other law firms she handled several types of labor, employment, and employee benefits cases, including but not limited to: claims of discrimination; claims of retaliation, including whistleblower reprisal; wage and hour violations; issues surrounding non-compete and non-solicitation agreements; unfair labor practice charges; disability retirement issues.. Courtney received her juris doctorate from the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clark Law School (UDC-DACSL). There she was a Dean’s Fellow, and was a recipient of the Fannie Lou Hamer Scholarship. Courtney was also a recipient of the Earl Davis Award given by the Olender Foundation for her work in the UDC-DACSL legal clinics. She performed more than 700 hours of pro bono work in the UDC-DACSL Community Development Legal Clinic and the UDC-DACSL Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic. Courtney also volunteered at the D.C. Employment Justice Center's Workers' Rights Clinic. During her second and third years of law school, she served as an associate editor and then a senior editor of the UDC Law Review. Courtney received her bachelor's degree in sociology from The George Washington University. While studying there, she served as a research assistant in the sociology department, where she worked on a study of gender discrimination during the hiring process of employment.. Originally from Philadelphia, Courtney is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania (currently inactive) state and federal courts (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), and the District of Columbia. She is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) Labor and Employment Law (LEL) Section, and the Young Lawyers Division. Since 2015, Courtney has been the Program Coordinator for the ABA LEL Law Student Outreach Committee.

Shortly after graduating law school, I returned home and started volunteering as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children in Montgomery County, Maryland. My volunteer experience prompted my desire to become a full-time advocate at Maryland Legal Aid (MLA), where I represented children in foster care for nearly 5 years. As a child in need of assistance (CINA) attorney, my advocacy extended beyond the courtroom as I frequently participated in Individual Education Program (IEP) team meetings and other collaborative meetings to ensure the needs of my child clients were met. During my time at MLA, I submitted appeallate briefts to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and participated in oral arguments, acheiving favorable outcomes for my clients. Additionally, I filed Individuals with Disabilites Education Act (IDEA) complaints with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to gain compensatory services for clients who were denied a free appropriate public education (FAPE). After the rewarding experience of advocating for children the last 8 years, I have joined private practice to utilize my advocacy and litigation skills to assist federal employees.

Sarah K. Carpenter’s practice focuses on Construction Litigation, Contract/Commercial Litigation, and Employment Law in state and federal court. Sarah is experienced in the prosecution and defense of construction disputes, including, without limitation, contract negotiation and drafting, Chapter 558 pre-litigation claims, mechanic’s liens, improper and/or negligent workmanship claims, and payment and performance bond claims. Throughout her construction litigation experience, Sarah has worked to obtain defense and indemnity obligations from her clients’ insurers as well.. Sarah is also experienced in the prosecution and defense of employment law matters, including, without limitation, employment discrimination, age discrimination, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) discrimination, retaliation, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) disputes, wage and hour claims, employee misclassification disputes, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) claims, pregnancy discrimination (PDA) claims, sexual harassment claims, and drafting and negotiation of employment and/or non-competition agreements.. Sarah received her law degree, cum laude, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and graduated in the top twenty-five percent of her class.

RYAN C. COWDIN is an associate at Outten & Golden LLP, and a member of the firm's Class Action Practice Group. Prior to joining the firm in 2022, Mr. Cowdin represented workers and labor unions as an associate attorney for McGillivary Steele Elkin LLP. He also clerked for the Honorable Robert R. Rigsby at the D.C. Superior Court, served as a judicial fellow for the Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby at the D.C. Court of Appeals, and supported voting rights as a fellow for the Campaign Legal Center. Ryan earned his B.A., cum laude, from Loyola University New Orleans in 2011, and his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School in 2016, where he served as President of GW Law's chapter of the American Constitution Society and as Articles Editor for the Federal Circuit Bar Journal. During law school, Mr. Cowdin represented low-wage workers as a student attorney for GW Law's Public Justice Advocacy Clinic. He also interned for various government offices, including The White House Counsel's Office, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.. Mr. Cowdin is licensed to practice law in Virginia and the District of Columbia, where he lives with his wife Samantha and their dog Brody.

Rosemary Dettling is a senior employment attorney with the Federal Employee Legal Services Center (FELSC). She is devoted to upholding the civil rights of federal workers across the country. Ms. Dettling specializes in EEOC administrative hearings and MSPB appeals. She has over 32 years of federal sector EEO and MSPB experience. She has handled hundreds of federal sector discrimination and harassment cases based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, and disability.. "Top Employment Lawyer, Washingtonian Magazine, August 2025"

Ricardo J.A. Pitts-Wiley is a Partner with the Federal Practice Group and concentrates his practice in federal sector employment and labor law.. Mr. Pitts-Wiley provides representation to federal employees in a wide range of employment and labor issues including discrimination, sexual harassment, equal pay, adverse action, security clearance revocations, and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) claims. He has nearly nine years of experience in matters relating to federal employment cases and has significant experience representing clients in all stages of federal administrative legal process.. Prior to joining the Federal Practice Group, Mr. Pitts-Wiley served the legal needs of federal personnel at two other well-respected Washington, D.C. law firms for over eight years.. Mr. Pitts-Wiley earned his Juris Doctor at American University Washington School of Law in Washington, D.C. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University where he majored in Public Policy Studies and in African & African-American Studies.. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Reshad concentrates his practice on federal sector labor and employment law, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and adverse actions.. Reshad has a vast amount of investigative and analytical legal experience. Over the course of his career, Reshad has also gained familiarity with many statutes that affect employees in the workplace. Prior to joining the team, Reshad was an Investigations Attorney for the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights. In this position, Reshad investigated claims of discriminatory acts in violation of the DC Human Rights Act of 1977, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967.. Previously, Reshad also worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Counsel Attorney and investigated government agencies to expose fraud, waste, and abuse. In this position, Reshad drafted memoranda for current policy issues including national security, cybersecurity, and healthcare and conducted numerous depositions. Reshad also gained experience acting as Legislative Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served as counsel to the Florida Congresswoman and advised on the constitutionality of issues pertaining to civil rights and redistricting.. Over the course of his career, Reshad has been honored with several awards. Reshad received two ’30 Under 30’ awards: one from his alma mater, University of Central Florida and one from the HBCU Buzz publication.

POOJA SHETHJI is an associate at Outten & Golden’s Washington, D.C. office and is a member of the firm’s Class & Collective Action Practice Group. She represents employees in a wide range of class action discrimination cases and wage and hour lawsuits. Her practice includes cases challenging age- and gender-based discrimination in digital advertising, the prosecution of wage theft claims on behalf of workers required to work off the clock, and litigation to enforce veterans’ and reservists’ rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).. Before joining the firm, Ms. Shethji served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and to the Honorable Theodore D. Chuang of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She also completed internships with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Project, the Urban Justice Center’s Community Development Project, and the Center for Popular Democracy.. Ms. Shethji received her B.A. from Yale College and her J.D., cum laude, from New York University School of Law, where she was a Root-Tilden-Kern Public Interest Scholar and an Articles Editor for the NYU Law Review. Ms. Shethji received the Paul D. Kaufman Memorial Award for her law review note, Credit Checks Under Title VII: Learning from the Criminal Background Check Context, as well as the Schulte Roth & Zabel Prize for excellence in employment and employee benefits law.

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Phil's practice is focused on representing individuals when their backs are against the wall. Whether they have been charged with a crime or are being investigated by the government, or whether they have been subjected to unlawful working conditions or have been seriously injured by someone else's misconduct, Phil is ready to fight. A formidable and highly respected litigator, Phil has tried more than two dozen cases to verdict and has helped many clients through the complexities of civil discovery and motions practice. He also regularly represents clients in administrative hearings and arbitrations.. Prior to co-founding CalebAndonian, Phil was Of Counsel at one of the country's leading labor and employment firms, located in D.C., where he represented local and international unions in all manners of litigation at the local, state, and federal levels. Prior to that, Phil was an attorney in the trial and appellate divisions of the public defender's office in D.C. - widely regarded as one of the best trial offices in the country - and before that he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert E. Morin, a former Chief Judge of the D.C. Superior Court. Before moving to D.C., Phil spent time as an associate at a boutique criminal-defense firm in northern California.. Phil also has substantial experience teaching litigation skills to lawyers and law students. He serves as a faculty member of Harvard Law School's Trial Advocacy Workshop and is an adjunct professor of law at American University Washington College of Law, where he has taught courses on trial advocacy and evidence. He also frequently leads litigation training for experienced lawyers around the country.. Phil is a member of the Edward Bennet Williams American Inn of Court, an invitation-only professional organization that has the distinction of being one of only a few Inns of Court focusing on white-collar criminal prosecution and defense, and includes judges from the D.C. Circuit, D.C. District Court, and D.C. Superior Court, as well as officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and some of the most established defense attorneys in Washington, D.C.. In July 2021, Phil was elected to a three-year term as a member of the D.C. Bar's Litigation Steering Committee. In January 2024, Phil was appointed as Chair of one of the regular hearing committees for the D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility, where he oversees proceedings involving allegations of ethical violations under the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct.

Patrick Burns is an associate at the Gordon & Rees, LLP Washington, D.C. office and is a member of the Employment and Commercial Litigation practice groups. He is licensed in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. and has first-chaired matters in all three jurisdictions.. Mr. Burns has successfully defended businesses and individuals in a variety of cases, including construction, employment, defamation, and contractual disputes. He has handled matters through all phases of litigation and has taken many cases to trial. Mr. Burns has extensive experience in personal injury actions, including automobile accidents involving tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles.. Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Mr. Burns worked for two prominent insurance defense firms in northern Virginia and handled a diverse range of commercial litigation disputes.. He is active with the Virginia Bar Association, the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys and currently serves as the president-elect of the Young Lawyers Section of the Fairfax Bar Association.

Nicole is an experienced attorney who handles a full range of labor and employment law matters, including advising clients with union issues.. A particular area of focus for Nicole is advising employers on OSHA-related risk and compliance. Even the most vigilant, employee-centric companies can experience a workplace accident, which invariably draws the attention of OSHA and other safety regulators. If not properly addressed from the onset, OSHA investigations can cost substantial employee goodwill and reputational damage, and expose businesses to civil liability and criminal prosecution. Nicole is regarded as an experienced "first responder" for companies facing serious worker safety matters.. Prior to starting her own firm, Nicole was an equity partner at DLA Piper and Venable, LLP, and a Shareholder at Vedder Price. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center and she is licensed to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.. In addition to her practice, Nicole volunteers as a board member and general counsel for the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. She is also a board member of the National Children's Medical Center and a member of the International Women's Forum.. Nicole resides in Virginia with her husband Larry. When not working, Nicole enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing golf, and loves watching professional and college football, especially SEC football.

Neil McPhie is the Virginia Managing Partner for Tully Rinckey PLLC and concentrates his practice in federal sector employment and labor law.. As a former chairman of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Mr. McPhie brings a high level of authority and invaluable experience to Tully Rinckey PLLC’s Arlington office, which he manages. In over 30 years of public service, Mr. McPhie has led two government organizations and managed multi-million dollar budgets, in addition to serving as a litigator, adjudicator, employment and personnel lawyer, and human capital strategic advocate. Now at the firm, he pulls from this experience to effectively represent federal employees and personnel in a wide range of employment and labor issues, including discrimination, sexual harassment, equal pay, adverse action, Title VII claims, and Inspector General (IG) investigations.. Following his appointment to a seven-year term by President George W. Bush, Mr. McPhie became a member of the MSPB on April 23, 2003. Later that year, on Dec. 10, President Bush designated him as the board’s vice chairman, and he subsequently became its acting chairman. The U.S. Senate confirmed McPhie as MSPB chairman on Nov. 21, 2004. He was the seventh chairman of the MSPB since its creation in 1979. His term expired on March 1, 2009, though he was statutorily allowed to continue service as chairman of the MSPB until his successor was sworn in on Nov. 12, 2009. At the MSPB, Mr. McPhie played an integral role in revamping what had been viewed as a lethargic agency. Under his leadership, the independent quasi-judicial agency operated more efficiently. The average time MSPB appellants had to wait for the board to decide on their cases went from 295 days in 2003 to less than 100 days in 2009. Another one of Mr. McPhie’s accomplishments as chairman was the 2004 creation of a permanent MSPB Mediation Appeals Program, which is a nationwide program that provides mediation services to MSPB appellants. Mr. McPhie’s in-depth knowledge of federal merit systems gives him an edge in helping clients receive justice in their federal employment cases with expedience. At the time of his appointment to the MSPB, Mr. McPhie was serving as a senior assistant attorney general with the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. From 1998 to 2002, he served as the executive director of the Virginia Department of Employment Dispute Resolution. He oversaw the management of the agency and directed the implementation of its statewide grievance, mediation, training and consultation programs. Based on this experience, Mr. McPhie knows first-hand how government employers approach employment disputes, allowing him to more effectively represent federal employees in such cases. From 1982 to 1988, Mr. McPhie served as an assistant attorney general for the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, where he defended state agencies and officials in state and federal courts. After receiving his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976 and up to when he joined the Attorney General’s office, Mr. McPhie served as a trial and appellate attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mr. McPhie graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in 1973. He has been admitted to bars in Virginia, the District of Columbia and Iowa. His court admissions include the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, several U.S. circuits courts of appeals and district courts in Virginia.

My practice spans the full range of employment issues, including Wage and Hour, Title VII, ADA, and FMLA claims as well as their state and local counterparts. I have worked to resolve disputes for clients in court, administrative proceedings, and in arbitration.

My office focuses on Disability Law, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Employment Law, Asylum Law, and Special Education Law. All of these areas have one thing in common – helping those who are being discriminated against through no fault of their own. I opened my first law office in 1994 because I believes strongly that one individual can make a difference. Having a disability, and living with that disability every day, gives me a unique insight into issues that affect people with disabilities. I have a deep commitment to providing quality legal services to others with disabilities. Of course, I brings that same commitment to those without disabilities as well.. As a long-standing member of MWELA, I have over 25 years of experience in Employment Discrimination law and have settled or won cases against multiple federal agencies as well as private sector firms. I have worked with clients to have their security clearances restored, keep their jobs, and obtain reasonable accommodations. I have worked with clients to obtain financial remuneration after they had already lost their jobs due to various forms of discrimination.. My own disability allows me to understand the needs of my Social Security Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) clients in a way others may not, and I am a passionate advocate for his clients. I have been a member of NOSSCR for many years and regularly participate in their National Day of Advocacy. I am careful to evaluate each case individually, and will give my honest assessment. In today’s political climate Social Security cases are more and more difficult to win, so it is more important than ever to have an experienced attorney on your side.. Special Education holds a special place in my heart. I was the first disabled child to graduate from my own high school before federal and state Special Education laws were enacted, and I attributes this to my mother. I watched my mother literally break down barriers for me, from making sure that a class was moved from the second floor to the first floor so I could attend the class, to fighting for and getting ramps and automatic doors installed, to going toe to toe with both my high school and college administration officials. I literally hear a bell ring every time I win a Social Security Disability case or a Special Education case, and I know my mother is getting her angel wings. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her, and she is the reason I do this type of law. I am the author of the e-book What Every Parent and Lawyer Should Know About Special Education, and a passionate advocate for parents and children with disabilities.. I joined AILA in 2017 with the goal of helping those seeking asylum based on the fear of persecution either now or in the future on the grounds of sexual orientation, government sponsored violence, gang-related violence, and political persecution. I have an active asylum case load working with clients seeking relief from persecution for various grounds.. I have been a CLE instructor and have taught seminars for AARP's Legal Counsel for the Elderly, the Archdiocese Legal Network of DC (Catholic Charities), the DC Bar, and other service organizations. I served as a Guardian ad Litem for abused and neglected children in South Carolina. I was an advocate for the SC Protection & Advocacy System for the Handicapped where I advocated for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities, represented families and children with disabilities in numerous Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings with local school districts in South Carolina, and presented seminars on the rights of disabled children to have a free and appropriate education.. I worked at the University of South Caroline Center for Developmental Disabilities, and the US Department of Labor. I graduated from the College of Charleston and earned my JD at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

My employment law experience began through defending employers and insurance companies in employment law matters. I am presently representing employees exclusively. Having worked for both employees and employers has helped both me and my clients tremendously.. I enjoy working on employment law cases and helping employees who have suffered discrimination and retaliation. Employment law protections are part of the Civil Rights Act. And to that end, I see my work as a continuation of the work laid down by other civil rights wokers and attorneys.

Ms. White is a partner at the Federal Practice Group and she specializes in federal sector employment litigation, practicing before the EEOC, the MSPB, the D.C. Office of Employee Appeals, the D.C. Office of Human Rights, and local and federal courts in civil rights, anti-discrimination and personnel/civil service cases. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Washington, D.C., and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She has also appeared pro hac vice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Ms. White is a member of the American Bar Association, the D.C. Bar's Employment Law section, and the New York State Bar Association. In 2007 and 2009, Ms. White served as a faculty member at the EEOC's Annual EXCEL Conference. She was a presenting member of a panel at the 2011 MWELA Conference in Washington, D.C. which discussed ways to avoid intrusive discovery tactics in employment litigation.