Top best Discrimination Lawyers in Washington | 66 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.

Scott Oswald is an accomplished trial lawyer who has brought more than 40 trials to verdict and recovered more than $300 million in judgments and settlements for his clients, in cases ranging from wrongful termination to employer fraud.. Mr. Oswald litigates employment lawsuits nationwide, with a special focus on whistleblower matters - including qui tam law, which can deliver monetary rewards to employees who expose fraud against the government.. Since founding The Employment Law Group® law firm, he has spoken up for workers before federal agencies and on Capitol Hill, and has broken new ground in whistleblower law:. In 2017, after 20 years practicing law, Mr. Oswald was nominated by his colleagues to become a fellow of the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in his first year of eligibility.. Super Lawyers has recognized his achievements every year for over a decade, and he has placed on its D.C. "Top 100" list multiple times. Since 2013, Mr. Oswald has been honored in The Best Lawyers in America. He has been recognized as a "Top Lawyer" in D.C. by Washingtonian Magazine and Northern Virginia magazine, and is ranked by Lawdragon as one of the top plaintiff-side employment lawyers in the United States. Since 2021, Mr. Oswald has been ranked by Chambers, a prestigious global legal directory.. Mr. Oswald is the current programming chair for the Federal Bar Association's Qui Tam Section and has served in the past as both section chair and chair of its Professional Ethics Committee. He is also a proud past president of the Metropolitan Employment Lawyers Association and currently heads its Bench-Bar Committee. Mr. Oswald is co-chair of an employment law subcommittee at the American Bar Association and has roles in other professional groups, including the D.C. Bar and the National Employment Lawyers Association.

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"

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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 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.

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.

Matthew Stiff joined Katz, Marshall & Banks in June 2009.  Mr. Stiff is a tireless advocate and has helped achieve successful outcomes for numerous clients under the Sarbanes-Oxley corporate whistleblower protections, the False Claims Act anti-retaliation provisions and the anti-discrimination and retaliation protections of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and corresponding state laws.. Mr. Stiff received a Bachelor of Arts in history from The Ohio State University, graduatingsumma cum laude with honors, in 2005. He graduated from New York University School of Law in 2008, where he served on the Student-Faculty Executive Committee and was involved in the school’s fundraising efforts in support of public interest legal careers. He received an NYU Law post-graduate public interest fellowship in September 2009.. Prior to joining Katz, Marshall & Banks, Mr. Stiff worked with the Human Rights Campaign as a McCleary Law Fellow. In connection with this work, Mr. Stiff authored “Breaking Down Barriers: An Administrator’s Guide to State Law & Best Policy Practice for LGBT Healthcare Access” (Human Rights Campaign Foundation, May 2009). He additionally co-authored “Disparate Treatment: Understanding the Impact of Same-Sex Relationship Recognition on the LGBT Healthcare Experience,” published by Health Lawyers News, the American Health Lawyers Association’s official publication, in July 2009, later presenting his work at the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association’s National Conference.. Mr. Stiff formerly sat on the HRC Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index Advisory Council, where he consulted with national healthcare facilities on LGBT healthcare access issues in a pro bono capacity.

Lynne Bernabei has been litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection cases for over thirty years. She is a founding partner of Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC, where she handles claims of civil rights violations, discrimination, and other employment and contract disputes. Ms. Bernabei has developed extensive trial experience in federal and local courts in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, and before administrative agencies. Ms. Bernabei has argued appeals before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the Fourth Circuit, the Sixth Circuit, the D.C. Circuit, and the Federal Circuit.. Lynne Bernabei received a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 1972. In 1977, she received a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Ms. Bernabei clerked for the Honorable William B. Bryant, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, from 1977-1978.. Ms. Bernabei was selected for inclusion in all editions of The Best Lawyers In America, since 2006. From 2002 onward, the Washingtonian magazine named Lynne Bernabei on its list of Best Attorneys in Washington, D.C. In April, 2004 the Legal Times Magazine named Lynne Bernabei one of top 12 Leading Labor & Employment Litigators in Washington, D.C. In November, 2002, Washingtonian magazine named Ms. Bernabei as one of Washington, D.C.’s top 75 lawyers. In November, 1997, Washingtonian magazine named Ms. Bernabei as one of Washington, D.C.’s top 100 most powerful women. Ms. Bernabei has also been featured in an article that appeared in The City Paper in August of 1992, entitled “The Women to See,” and in the July/August, 1988 edition of The American Lawyer, entitled “Lynne Bernabei: In Tune with Whistle-Blowers.” She was also featured in an article that appeared in The Washington Lawyer, entitled “Whistleblowers and the Law,” June 2001. Ms. Bernabei has appeared on “Sixty Minutes,” the “Today” show, Court TV, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, FOX, and MSNBC national news broadcasts, National Public Radio, and many other broadcast media outlets. She has also been quoted regularly by New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, People, Time, National Law Journal, Legal Times, ABA Journal, and numerous other print media outlets for her expertise in employment law and civil rights issues.. Ms. Bernabei serves as a member of the editorial board of the Labor Law Journal and formerly served on the board of the Journal of Employment Discrimination. She is also a faculty member of the American Law Institute-American Bar Association and teaches courses on employment law and civil rights matters for the District of Columbia Bar and as a guest lecturer at law schools. Ms. Bernabei has been selected as a member of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and is also a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association. Ms. Bernabei is on the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) for its National Roster of Neutrals.. Representative Matters:

Lauren A. Khouri is an associate attorney withCorreia & Puth, PLLC, dedicating her practice to the civil rights of employees in the workplace. Ms. Khouri represents clients in all aspects of the firm’s litigation practice, including sex discrimination, whistleblower retaliation, disability discrimination, and retaliation claims under Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in education. Her work also includes fighting pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, and additional types of discrimination and retaliation prohibited by state and federal civil rights statutes.. Prior to joining Correia & Puth, Ms. Khouri served as a fellow at the National Women’s Law Center, where she advocated for women’s economic security and equality in education and employment. She worked to protect the rights of pregnant and parenting students and employees, and to increase protections against discrimination in the workplace and schools through administrative actions and legislative advocacy.. Khouri earned her law degree from American University Washington College of Law (WCL). During law school, she served as a student attorney in the General Practice Clinic where she litigated family law cases in Montgomery County, Maryland. She interned at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio and the U.S. Department of Justice, where she assisted on civil and criminal litigation. She also worked with D.C. Public Schools in the General Counsel’s Office, aiding the District in compliance with Title IX and other federal and local laws. Ms. Khouri spent time at the National Partnership for Women & Families developing state and federal workplace fairness policies and at the White House Domestic Policy Counsel supporting cities’ efforts to provide comprehensive, place-based social service delivery.. Ms. Khouri was the Senior Content Editor for American University Labor & Employment Law Forum, a member of WCL Moot Court Honor Society, and the WCL representative to the American Bar Association. She is a recipient of the American University Dean’s Award for Professional Responsibility and the Pro Bono Exceptional Service Honors Award.. Prior to law school, Ms. Khouri completed a year-long fellowship with the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs, a social justice leadership development initiative. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from Saint Louis University.. Active in her community, Ms. Khouri is a member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association and the National Employment Lawyers Association. She serves on the board of directors of Teaching for Change, which supports educators working to advance social change through classroom instruction. She is an intake volunteer with the D.C. Employment Justice Center Worker’s Rights Clinic, a walk-in advice clinic for low-wage workers experiencing workplace challenges. Ms. Khouri also works with Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation on ways to highlight local government’s community engagement and empowerment efforts.. She is admitted to practice law in New York and is permitted to practice law in the District of Columbia—pursuant to Rule 49(c)(8)—while under the supervision of the firm’s licensed partners.

Jonathan C. Puth is a member of Correia & Puth and an advocate for the civil rights of employees. Mr. Puth represents clients with claims of sexual harassment, workplace discrimination, discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, whistleblower retaliation, and claims for wages, commissions, and contract rights. Mr. Puth is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts of the District of Columbia and Maryland, and the United States Supreme Court.. Mr. Puth regularly advises clients regarding all aspects their employment relationships and their legal rights, including potential discrimination claims, terms of separation from employment, employment contracts, and severance negotiations. Mr. Puth also counsels employees who are facing unfair treatment or other difficulties in the workplace. Mr. Puth served as co-counsel to the plaintiff class in Hartman v. Powell, a gender discrimination class action that garnered the largest award in the history of the Civil Rights Act, and was awarded the 2000 Trial Lawyer of the Year award by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice for his work on that landmark case. Mr. Puth has for years been selected for inclusion by Super Lawyers and by Best Lawyers for his work representing employees in the Washington, DC region, and is rated by Martindale-Hubbell as “AV Preeminent,” the highest attorney peer review rating.. Throughout his career Ms. Puth has continually devoted his practice to the representation of employees, not employers, with claims of sex harassment, whistleblower retaliation, discrimination, wage and commission theft, severance negotiations, contract disputes, and employee counseling.. Mr. Puth is Past President of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA), a voluntary bar association of over 350 members dedicated to the representation of employees and to the advancement of employee rights. He has served on MWELA’s board since 1998 and is a long-standing and active member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). Mr. Puth has worked continually to advance the interests of the plaintiffs’ employment law bar, including by leading and directing continuing education programs, by writing and filing amicus curiae briefs with area courts and the United States Supreme Court, and by working to increase dialogue among employment law practitioners in the region. Mr. Puth received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1992. Prior to law school, Mr. Puth received his B.A. from the University of Colorado in 1981, and was then employed as an advocate for civil rights and the environment with non-profit organizations and for United States Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

Jason Zuckerman represents employees in a wide variety of workplace-related disputes, including whistleblower retaliation, harassment, qui tam, wrongful discharge, discrimination, non-compete, and other employment-related claims.  His broad experience includes practicing employment law at a national law firm, serving as a Principal at The Employment Law Group, and serving as Senior Legal Advisor to the Special Counsel at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the federal agency charged with protecting whistleblowers in the federal government. In 2012, the Secretary of Labor appointed Zuckerman to serve on the Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the Secretary of Labor to improve OSHA’s administration of federal whistleblower protections.. Zuckerman is rated 10 out of 10 by Avvo, based largely on client reviews, and rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell based on peer reviews.  He was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as a “Top Whistleblower Lawyer” in 2007 and 2009, selected by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America® in the category of employment law (2011-2014), and selected by his peers to be listed in SuperLawyers (2012 and 2015) in the category of labor and employment law. He has lectured extensively on whistleblower law and employment law, especially on Dodd-Frank, Sarbanes-Oxley and False Claims Act actions, and has written several articles on whistleblower protections. Zuckerman co-authored a chapter on litigating whistleblower cases for Whistleblowing: The Law of Retaliatory Discharge, drafted a chapter on the D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act for the D.C. Practice Manual, and is a contributing author of International Handbook on Whistleblowing Research. For nearly a decade, Zuckerman has been a contributing author to an annual update on the whistleblower protection provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act published by the ABA Fair Labor Standards Legislation Committee. Zuckerman’s articles have been cited in various treatises and in a federal court opinion on the scope of Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower protection. Zuckerman has trained administrative law judges, agency EEO directors, senior OIG officials and delegations from more than 30 countries on federal whistleblower protections.. In addition to shaping whistleblower protection law through successful outcomes for clients, Zuckerman has worked with whistleblower advocates to draft and lobby for passage of whistleblower protection laws, and advocate for more effective and vigorous enforcement of whistleblower protection laws. Zuckerman drafted portions of the 2009 amendments to the D.C. Whistleblower Protection Act, which is now the strongest public sector whistleblower protection statute at the state level, and testified at a hearing about those amendments. Zuckerman’s recommendations for improving OSHA’s Whistleblower Protection Program are cited in Congressional hearing testimony and a top-to-bottom review of the program, and comments that he co-authored are cited in final regulations implementing the whistleblower protection provisions of the Energy Reorganization Act and six environmental statutes. He also led a coalition of whistleblower advocates in meetings with the SEC Chairman, two other Commissioners and senior SEC staff to offer the whistleblower perspective on proposed regulations implementing the whistleblower reward provision of the Dodd-Frank Act. Zuckerman has drafted amicus curiae briefs in leading whistleblower retaliation cases, including Powers v. Union Pacific Railroad, Johnson v. Siemens, Bonds v. Leavitt, and Welch v. Chao, and his advice on whistleblower protections is cited in Financial Statement Fraud: Prevention and Detection and Nonprofit Financial Management: A Practical Guide.. Zuckerman serves as Co-Chair of the Whistleblower Subcommittee of the ABA Labor and Employment Section’s Employee Rights and Responsibilities Committee and served as Co-Chair of the National Employment Lawyers Association’s Whistleblower Committee, Co-Chair of the Sarbanes-Oxley Subcommittee of the ABA Labor and Employment Fair Labor Standards Legislation Committee, Co-Chair of the Whistleblower Committee of the District of Columbia Bar’s Labor and Employment Section, and member of Law 360’s Employment Editorial Advisory Board.. Zuckerman graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Georgetown University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia, where he served as Articles Editor of the Virginia Journal of Law and Technology. In law school, he received the University of Virginia School of Law’s Pro Bono Award for his advocacy on behalf of prison inmates and mentally disabled individuals and helped establish a successful pro bono program that encourages students to volunteer a minimum of 150 hours of pro bono service during law school.

I'm a plaintiffs trial lawyer practicing in Washington, DC, Maryland, and West Virginia and am very proud to have the opportunity to represent individuals who have been harmed through no fault of their own.. I'm an avid Georgetown Hoyas basketball fan and a Washington football fan.  My baseball loyalties lie with the Washington Nationals.. Beyond fighting for my clients in the courtroom, I fight to keep the court house doors open through my involvment on the Boards of the American Association for Justice and the Public Justice Foundation, as well as my service as Vice President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC.. But the most exciting thing in my life right now is my upcoming wedding in October. I am very much looking forward to marrying my perfect partner, Tracee.

I grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts, and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1980, where I graduated from the University of Michigan's residential college.  While in Ann Arbor, I was also a taxicab driver for Ann Arbor Yellow Cab, a music reviewer for the Ann Arbor News, a record store clerk, and a disc jockey at WCBN radio and numerous clubs and private parties.  During my subsequent years at Boston College Law School, I was a student intern at  both the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and the United Auto Workers headquarters. I settled in the Washington, D.C. area in 1988, when I began my legal career as an appellate litigator with the National Labor Relations Board, enforcing that Board's orders  pertaining to disputes between employees and their unions, and management.  I later represented a major national labor union, and then advocated for children and families in the Washington, D.C. child abuse and neglect system.. I love my practice representing employees and job applicants in the Washington, D.C. area and elsewhere who have been wronged. Although I typically represent individuals and small groups of employees, I have observed that there are numerous workplace injustices that occur repeatedly, and that there are structural barriers to employment justice in the United States that need to be counteracted.  Informed by that recognition, I have worked persistently through the years to earn my reputation for tireless advocacy on behalf of my clients in all facets of employment litigation, including developing the factual record, opposing employer motions for summary judgment, trying cases and contesting issues on appeal when necessary. I hope and believe that by helping to obtain justice in my clients' individual circumstances, I can do my small part to make the workplace more just.

I am an experienced advocate, leader and educator specializing in advising federal and private sector employees and employers on a variety of complex employment issues including investigations, disciplinary actions, discrimination and retaliation, and whistleblower retaliation claims. I represent private sector employees, senior executives, and small employers with respect to all manner of employment-related issues including employment contracts, non-compete agreements, and discrimination cases.. For more information, visit .

I am a founding partner with the Washington, D.C. employment law firm District Employment Law PLLC, and have achieved favorable outcomes for numerous private-sector and federal employee clients in a wide range of employment-related litigation, including individual discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower retaliation, and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) cases, as well as in severance negotiations and contractual disputes.. I chose to become an employment law attorney, and chose to represent employees facing discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation, because I know how important your career is to your life and to your family. I have the skills, passion, and practical experience to guide you honestly and carefully through the confusing maze of options available to those seeking to fight for their rights in the workplace. I listen carefully to your needs and your unique situation, and will devise a strategy tailored to those needs.. Prior to starting District Employment Law, I worked as an employment lawyer with Bernabei & Kabat, PLLC for over thirteen years. I also worked in the litigation group at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, where I focused on employment law, helped represent high-profile clients in trial and appellate litigation, and represented clients pro bono in political asylum and landlord-tenant matters.. I graduated magna cum laude from the George Mason University School of Law, and served as a Research Editor for the George Mason Law Review and as a Writing Fellow in the Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis program. As a member of the Moot Court Board, I and two classmates won the Domenick L. Gabrielli National Family Law Moot Court Competition. Prior to law school, I taught U.S. History at an Alexandria, Virginia middle school. I graduated magna cum laude from the College of William & Mary with a B.A. in American Studies.

I am a civil litigation attorney at The Law Offices of Leonard B. Ference located in Washington, DC.  We provide our clients with a unique level of personal attention and experience in a wide array of legal areas. From Los Angeles, CA to Washington DC, the firm’s attorneys and I have fought to protect our clients’ interests in Civil Litigation matters, including personal injury, workplace discrimination and harassment, wrongful termination, wage claims, wrongful arrest and police brutality, slander and other intentional tort actions, contract disputes and negotiations, and business litigation matters.

Honored by Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” for five years running, Mr. Harrington has extensive experience representing private-sector and federal employees in cases that involve discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing, contract disputes, wage violations, and other violations of employment and civil rights laws.. Mr. Harrington is admitted to practice law in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and he has represented clients in federal courts nationwide. He also has deep experience before state and federal administrative bodies including the EEOC, the MSPB, and various arms of the U.S. Department of Labor.. Mr. Harrington represents clients who have suffered harm under a wide variety of laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Family and Medical Leave Act; the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act; the Whistleblower Protection Act; the False Claims Act; the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX); and state and local laws such as the D.C. Human Rights Act and the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act.. Among his notable victories is a $1.36 million jury verdict for violation of the anti-retaliation provision of the False Claims Act.. Law is Mr. Harrington’s second full career. He joined The Employment Law Group as a litigation law clerk while attending the George Mason University School of Law as an evening student. Following his graduation from George Mason Law, he was named as an associate of the firm — and in 2013 he became the first former law clerk to ascend to ownership at The Employment Law Group.. Before attending law school, Mr. Harrington worked for 19 years in various positions at the National Association of Securities Dealers (now known as FINRA) and the NASDAQ Stock Market. In addition to helping him represent employees who report breaches of SOX, his background in financial regulation drove a strong commitment to address the imbalance of power between corporations and workers.. “I went to law school to make a positive difference for people whose civil rights have been violated &msash; especially people who have been wronged despite working hard and playing by the rules,” he explains. “I joined TELG to gain practical legal experience while I studied, and I quickly realized that employment law was a perfect fit for someone with my goals — particularly the way we practice employment law at TELG, where we focus on achieving outcomes that are chosen by each individual client.”. Also contributing to Mr. Harrington’s success as an attorney: A lifelong interest in literature. Having majored in English Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles, he became a Writing Fellow at George Mason Law, where he also served as a senior staff member of the Federal Circuit Bar Journal. At The Employment Law Group, Mr. Harrington frequently works with new clerks on their legal writing skills.

Early in Attorney Chavers career, he served as director of civil rights compliance at the National Endowment for the Arts, where he authored and established its civil rights compliance program throughout the United States. Attorney Chavers was one of the first lawyers in the greater Washington, D.C., area to develop an arts and entertainment law practice in DC. This practice is a highly specialized area of the law and is rarely found in law firms. Attorney Chavers is also the founder and first chairman of the Entertainment, Sports, and Art Law Section of the National Bar Association and the Washington Area Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. He was the first general counsel and charter member of the Association of American Cultures. He was also elected and served for many terms on The D.C. Bar's Arts, Entertainment, Media and Sports Law Section. He represents numerous award winning writers, directors and talent of TV, theater, radio and screen. Attorney Chavers has over twenty five years of experience in representing employees in key civil rights cases. Cases like the landmark civil rights suit against Eastman Kodak resulting in a settlement of $21.4 million dollars. Attorney Chavers is a frequent speaker at professional and educational forums, including the National Association of Broadcasters, Women in Film and Video, Congressional Black Caucus of the United States Congress, Public Broadcasting Service, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Georgetown University Law Center, District of Columbia Bar Association, Washington Lawyers for The Arts, The National Bar Association, The College of William and Mary Law School, Temple University School of Law, Howard University School of Law, The University of the District of Columbia school of Law and The American University. Attorney Chavers has been featured in many publications including, the Washington Lawyer magazine, The Legal Times newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Who's Who in the law, Who's Who in the arts, Who's Who among international intellectuals, outstanding young men in America and several others. The Chavers Firm, LLC.'s experience spans many fields from contract negotiations and commercial real estate development to litigation, mergers and acquisitions as well as economic development and corporate governance. Attorney Chavers and the attorneys in The Chavers Firm, LLC. successfully close complex business deals, manage litigation and negotiations at the administrative, trial, and appellate levels in state courts and federal courts. The Chavers Firm, LLC. is a pioneer in the fields of government contracts, business, and arts and entertainment. The Chavers Firm, LLC. has also developed corporate diversity plans designed to assist Fortune 1000 companies in taking a prospective approach to avoid potential civil rights violations. Attorney Chavers and The Chavers Firm, LLC. have been designated with the highest recognition for an attorney by Martindale-Hubbell as a Preeminent A/V rated attorney. The Chavers Firm, LLC. has shown extensive insight, experience, capabilities coupled with its reach and affiliations with law firms and organizations nationally and worldwide.

Dedicated to working with employees who have been wrongly treated by their employers, I have won substantial victories in various courts and administrative processes to vindicate the rights of my clients.  I work exclusively with employees to ensure that employers are held accountable for their wrongful action.. Every case is different. Understanding how the law applies to your work-related situation requires in-depth understanding and research.

Deborah K. Marcuse is a Partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP.  She focuses her practice on representing plaintiffs in employment matters and has litigated discrimination and wage and hour individual cases and class actions in federal and state courts around the country.

David Wachtel has practiced employment law for individual employees in Washington, D.C. since 1993. Recently, he has been selected by colleagues as a member of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and by Law Dragon as one of the Top 500 Plaintiff's Employment Lawyers in the country.. Dave's work includes trial court and administrative litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He has successfully represented employees with claims of race, sex, age, and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, violation of civil service rights, interference with FMLA rights, and retaliation on the basis of whistleblower activity in the nuclear, aviation, defense, and finance industries.. Dave offers individuals suffering job loss or workplace harassment individual attention, lean, versatile strategies, and a calming influence on (almost) every stressful situation.. Since joining Trister, Ross in February 2016, Dave has broadened his practice to advise dozens of non-profit organizations on all manner of employment law policy and compliance questions. He offers organizations an especially informed and experienced understanding of employment policy and how to achieve resolution of workplace disputes.

Dave Scher affords The Employment Law Group's clients the benefit of over fourteen years of diverse legal experience.  Mr. Scher also serves The Employment Law Group's clients by providing them with unparalleled electronic discovery expertise and a strong background in complex litigation.. A graduate of Cornell University and Fordham Law School, Mr. Scher began his career in New York and New Jersey practicing in the field of corporate commercial litigation.  He then worked as in-house counsel for several major corporations, including Sony Electronics, Pearson PLC and USWeb, where he specialized in Silicon Valley, California during the high point of the Internet boom in technology transactions, intellectual property and commercial law.  In 2003 Mr. Scher combined his legal and technical expertise to work as a legal consultant for Kroll On Track, providing electronic discovery consulting, services and support to top 200 law firms in Washington, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.. During his career, Mr. Scher has negotiated multi million dollar alliance and joint venture transactions, settled numerous cases with minimal impact to his clients, managed an eight person in-house law department, and developed the first licensing agreements for the Sony VAIO and the first hosting and application service agreements for USWeb.  Over the past two years with The Employment Law Group, Mr. Scher developed and drafted appeals in immigration matters that resulted in the invalidation of regulations potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of immigrants.  Mr. Scher has also guided the electronic discovery process in several employment cases, and in one case won an adverse jury instruction sanction that resulted in the firm's success in the case.  Mr. Scher is also engaged in several employment and whistleblower cases and has successfully defeated numerous dispositive motions.. Mr. Scher has been admitted to the bars in New Jersey, New York and California, and he is presently admitted to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia.  In sum, Mr. Scher is known for his ability to step into any case and do what needs to be done for his clients.

Daniel Kotchen is a partner with Kotchen & Low LLP. His main practice areas include complex commercial litigation, patent licensing, counseling, and representing clients before governmental agencies.. In private practice, Mr. Kotchen has taken leadership roles in a number of complex commercial litigation matters in a wide variety of substantive areas, including antitrust, intellectual property, fraud, and class action claims. Mr. Kotchen has successfully represented defendants against claims in excess of $1 billion and plaintiffs in cases resulting in settlements of up to $220 million.. Mr. Kotchen has developed an expertise in antitrust. He served previously as a trial lawyer with the Federal Trade Commission, where he litigated merger and non-merger cases in both federal court and administratively within the FTC; led or took leadership roles in investigations of pharmaceutical companies and health care providers; and served as the FTC’s liaison to the Food and Drug Administration. He has litigated matters involving a broad spectrum of antitrust theories, including allegations concerning conspiracies, monopolization, intellectual property licensing, patent misuse, and mergers and acquisitions.. Mr. Kotchen has also developed an expertise in intellectual property litigation and licensing. He has represented patent holders in matters spanning diverse technologies, including electronic commodity exchanges, medical devices, computer chips, cargo shipping, wireless transmission of data, and radio frequency identification.. Mr. Kotchen has counseled clients in a broad array of industries, including consumer goods and retail, health care, financial services, manufacturing and distribution, airline and other forms of transportation, telecommunications, and energy. He has represented clients before the FTC, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Transportation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and state attorneys general.. Mr. Kotchen grew up in Lexington, Kentucky and Morgantown, West Virginia, enjoys politics and sports, and is married with three children.

Attorney David A. Branch has been an attorney for over 25 years. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in both Political Science and Economics from Southern Methodist University in 1987. He went on to obtain his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1990. He has served both his clients and his community for three decades.. David Branch, Esq. understands what it takes to get his clients justice. He is committed to getting his clients the compensation they deserve. He represents his clients in a variety of cases, including Employment discrimination; Employment Contracts; Labor disputes; Wage and Hour disputes; and employment negotiations. Attorney Branch handles individual cases as well as class-action lawsuits. One of the largest class actions he’s ever handled was a group of revenue officers who filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service.. In 2018, Attorney Branch successfully represented a deaf employee in an EEO claim against the National Security Agency (NSA) who was denied interpreting services at the Agency. After winning the case, he established a grant to pay for interpreters so individuals in the deaf community in Washington DC could attend a weekly Bible Study held in his law office.. David A. Branch specializes in Employment Law. He has extensive experience in this area of law. Prior to opening his own practice, David served as Staff Attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He has over 25 years of litigation and trial experience. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area, where he is an active volunteer and community leader.. Attorney Branch volunteers his time with several organizations, including the Children of Mine Youth Center in Washington, D.C., where he sponsors as many as 50 children from the Annual Angel Tree.. Attorney Branch regularly supports international missions, and provided financial support for individuals to perform mission work in Cuba, Kenya, Uganda, Peru, and Honduras, and purchased health products for AIDS/HIV patients in Uganda, school supplies for children in Malawi, and graduation gowns for a high school class in Haiti. Attorney Branch is a Bible teacher and teaches a class on "Defending and Presenting Cases in the Courts of Heaven."