Trial Boot Camp Faculty

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Bernard Alexander, III

Alexander Morrison + Fehr, LLP

Bernard Alexander, III

Bernard Alexander, III prosecutes demanding private and public sector employment cases. He has tried over sixty cases to verdict with seven- and eight-figure judgments for claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on gender, race, age, sex, sexual orientation, and disability, among other things. Over the last 9 months his verdicts include: (1) $3 million for a security guard terminated for “job abandonment” after he took emergency leave from work to care for his school age daughter (February 2018); (2) $5.3 million for a 25-year FedEx employee fired after not having his disability accommodated (March 2019); (3) $1.3 million for CFRA retaliation, for a 29-year employee terminated before his return from leave (April 2019); and $100,000 in a Title IX retaliation case where a Girls’ Soccer Coach complained of unequal treatment compared to boys sports (Sept 2019). Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association; Past Chair of the California Employment Law Association; 2016 CELA Joe Posner Award Recipient; 2019 Top 100 Attorneys in California; Top 75 California Labor and Employment Lawyer (2012 to present); Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers (2015 to present); American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA): Associate 2013.

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Wade B. Cowan

Attorney at Law

Wade B. Cowan

Wade B. Cowan is the Immediate Past President of NELA and has served on NELA’s Executive Board since 2011. He is a solo practitioner in Nashville, Tennessee, who advises and represents employees in matters involving employment law and civil rights, with an emphasis on employment discrimination and retaliation claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Mr. Cowan is a 1978 graduate of Vanderbilt University and a 1981 graduate of Vanderbilt Law School in 1981.

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Carlo A. C. de Oliveira

Cooper Erving & Savage LLP

Carlo A. C. de Oliveira

Carlo A. C. de Oliveira focuses his practice in the areas of civil rights, labor and employment, public sector, student education rights, criminal law, municipal law, and immigration. Carlo is an experienced litigator and has obtained successful rulings for clients in these areas of law. Carlo has argued cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the State of New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Carlo graduated magna cum laude from Columbia-Greene Community College, with an Associate Degree in Science in 2000, and magna cum laude from Hartwick College, with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science in 2001. He then attended law school at the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2018, Carlo was nominated for an Associate Fellowship in the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), a trial lawyer honorary society whose membership is limited to less than one-half of one percent of North American lawyers, judges and scholars. Carlo was also selected by Super Lawyers as a top ranked employment and labor attorney in Albany, New York in 2017. He is also a proud member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), the New York State Bar Association, and the Albany County Bar Association. Carlo joined Cooper Erving & Savage LLP in November 2013 and has contributed to strengthen one of the firm’s core practice areas: employment law and civil rights litigation. Carlo has tried cases to verdict in both State and Federal Court.

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Joel Dillard

Joel Dillard & Associates

Joel Dillard

Joel Dillard is a Mississippi employment lawyer with a background in labor law. Before opening his private practice in 2015, he worked for five years at the National Labor Relations Board. He graduated magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center and clerked with Judge Dyk of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. He is also a proud alumnus of the NELA Boot Camp program.

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Dennis E. Egan

The Popham Law Firm, PC

Dennis E. Egan

Dennis E. Egan received his B.J. degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia in 1973, and his J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1976. Mr. Egan is a member of the Popham Law Firm, P.C., specializing in trial work with a particular emphasis in employment law. Mr. Egan is a frequent presenter/lecturer at CLE seminars on various topics relating to litigation practice, and the preparation and trial of employment discrimination cases. Through July 2022, Mr. Egan has been lead or co-lead trial counsel in more than one hundred fifty-four (154) trials and arbitrations including one hundred seventeen (117) jury trials resulting in verdict. In 2011, Mr. Egan was lead counsel in a sexual harassment/retaliation case that produced a $10.6 Million verdict ─ still the largest sexual harassment jury verdict returned under the Missouri Human Rights Act. On 12/9/16 a Kansas City, Missouri jury rendered a verdict of $20,450,000 in an Age/Sex discrimination case against American Family Insurance ─ now the largest verdict under the Missouri Human Rights Act. In April 2022 a Kansas City, Missouri jury awarded $6,984,515 Million in an Age/Disability case now. The Judgment with attorneys’ fees is $7,398,560.05. The Kansas City Business Journal’s Annual “Best of The Bar” has included Mr. Egan every year since the listing began in 2002. Mr. Egan has several times been named to “Super Lawyers Top 50 in Missouri-Kansas.” As founder of the Kansas City Chapter of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA), Egan served as President from 1993 until 2007, and will serve as a permanent emeritus member of KC NELA’s officers. He served a 12-year turn on the NELA National Board of Directors (1997-2010). Mr. Egan has for years served as Chairman of NELA’s Trial Practice Committee. Egan helped launch (and co-chairs) NELA’s “Employment Trial Boot Camp.” In June 2018 Egan was inducted into the inaugural class for the ICON award by Missouri Lawyers Media: “Celebrating Distinguished Leaders in the Law.” In 2021, and 2022 Missouri Lawyers Media named Mr. Egan to the “Power 30” attorneys in employment law.

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Herbert Eisenberg

Eisenberg & Schnell, LLP

Herbert Eisenberg

Herbert Eisenberg is a founding member of Eisenberg & Schnell, LLP. He has practiced for over 38 years representing employees in all aspects of employment law. He focuses on individual and class litigation involving discrimination, equal pay and sexual harassment. He has expertise with medical, legal, financial, academic and professional institutions and practices. Mr. Eisenberg is a frequent speaker on various aspects of employment law, litigation, mediation and appellate advocacy. He is a former NELA VP for Legislation and Public Policy and was on NELA’s Executive Board for twelve years. He is past President of NELA/New York and was on NELA/NY’s Executive Board for seventeen years. He is a former Co-Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Committee of the New York County Lawyers Association. He taught employment law as an adjunct at New York Law School. He has been listed in “Best Lawyers in America” since 1999 and has been listed as a “Superlawyer” since 2006. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Mr. Eisenberg is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School (1983) and the State University of New York at Binghamton (1979).

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Christine T. Elzer

Elzer Law Firm, LLC

Christine T. Elzer

Christine T. Elzer is the founder of Elzer Law Firm, LLC in Pittsburgh. She primarily represents employees in employment matters throughout Pennsylvania. She has been involved in numerous federal and state court trials, and is especially experienced in defeating motions for summary judgment. She has been selected as a Rising Star by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers each year since 2011. Since 2020, she has served a member of NELA’s Board. She also serves on NELA’s Judicial Nominations Committee. She is the Chair of the Western Pennsylvania Employment Lawyers Association (WPELA), a NELA affiliate, and is also a member of NELA-Eastern PA. Christine is also a trained mediator. She mediates employment disputes for her local federal court’s ADR program, as well as pro bono for the EEOC. She is member of the Board of Directors of the Mediation Council of Western Pennsylvania, and serves as its Information Officer. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was selected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Ms. Elzer served as the Senior Topics Editor for the University of Pittsburgh Law Review. She also graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology and Spanish, and a Certificate in Latin American Studies.

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Amanda A. Farahany

Barrett & Farahany

Amanda A. Farahany

Amanda A. Farahany’s work on behalf of employees has been widely recognized, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and achievements. She has been named to the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In June of 2020, Amanda was elected a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Attorneys. In July, she was elected to the Board of Directors of Stand Up for Workers (SU4W), a political action committee dedicated to the needs and concerns of American workers. Before these elections she was named “2019 Lawyer of the Year – Employment Law for Individuals” by Best Lawyers and was also listed in the “Top 50 Women in Georgia” by Super Lawyers. She has been nominated to Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Georgia, the National Advocate’s Top 100 Lawyers, and many other organizations for her work in Labor and Employment. She is also AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Through Amanda’s leadership, Barrett & Farahany has been recognized as a “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News & World Report and “Best Litigation Firm of the Year” by the Fulton County Daily Report.

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Kira Fonteneau

Barrett & Farahany

Kira Y. Fonteneau

Kira Y. Fonteneau is a partner and the managing attorney of the Alabama trial group of Barrett & Farahany and previously founded the Fonteneau Firm. Before founding the Fonteneau Firm, Kira served as the first public defender of Jefferson County in Alabama. She has been an employee advocate for over a dozen years, in positions both before and after her tenure as public defender. Upon graduation from the University of Georgia School of Law, Kira spent a year and a half representing employers in discrimination cases and gained valuable knowledge of the other side of employment law. Kira has received several awards and distinctions for her excellent work on behalf of employees. She has been named a SuperLawyer of the MidSouth and received the highest recognition (AV) from Martindale-Hubbell for her professional excellence and high skill level. She was named to the University of Georgia’s prestigious Top 40 under 40 list, which recognizes graduates who have achieved great personal, professional, and philanthropic success under the age of 40. Kira is a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Alabama State Bar, a board member of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation, and president of the ACLU Alabama. She is a member of the Birmingham Bar Association, National Employment Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, and Alabama Association for Justice.

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Bruce A. Fredrickson

Webster & Fredrickson, PLLC

Bruce A. Fredrickson

Bruce A. Fredrickson is a partner in Webster & Fredrickson, PLLC, in Washington, D.C. where he tries cases of harassment, retaliation, and discrimination of all kinds. Bruce led the class action against the U.S. Information Agency which after 23 years resulted in a settlement of $508 million, the largest settlement in the history of Title VII. Bruce teaches trial advocacy at American University’s Washington College of Law and an undergraduate law course at Dartmouth College, his alma mater. Bruce is a former President of NELA, the Washington Metropolitan Employment Lawyers Association and the National Institute for Workers’ Rights.

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Mark E. Hammons

Hammons, Hurst & Associates

Mark E. Hammons

Mark E. Hammons attended undergraduate school at the University of Oklahoma and received his Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University in 1976. He served three terms as an Oklahoma State Representative from 1972 to 1978. Hammons was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma, the Northern District of Texas, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, The U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Mark Hammons is the founder and former President of the Oklahoma Employment Lawyers Association and the head of the Tenth Circuit affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association. For 13 years, Mark served on the Executive Board for the National Employment Lawyers Association. In 2019, he reached the maximum number of years to serve, but stays active in the organization.

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Gilda A. Hernandez

The Law Offices of Gilda A. Hernandez, PLLC

Gilda A. Hernandez

Gilda A. Hernandez has been a wage and hour practitioner for over 25 years, first as a government official for the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division and then as an attorney. She has a breadth of experience in complex civil litigation matters, and she has served as counsel in large wage and hour class actions involving thousands of employees. She is a tenacious and passionate litigator who works tirelessly for her clients. Before launching her own law practice, she worked for a mid-size firm in Raleigh, NC where she built a wage and hour practice from the ground up. Currently, Ms. Hernandez’s practice is focused on representing individual plaintiffs and plaintiffs in complex collective and class action litigation for alleged violations of the FLSA, NCWHA, and any other state’s wage and hour laws. Additionally, Ms. Hernandez has been interviewed for and appeared on television, radio, and in print media discussing relevant wage and hour issues affecting employees in various industries subject to the FLSA and the NCWHA.

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Amber L. Hurst

Hammons, Hurst & Associates

Amber L. Hurst

Amber L. Hurst is a partner at the firm of Hammons, Hurst & Associates. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated in 2006 as a member of the Oklahoma Law Review. Ms. Hurst has represented thousands of clients in employment negotiations, litigation and trial advocacy. Ms. Hurst has years of experience in trying cases in state and federal courts. She was the 2014 Chair of the Labor & Employment Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association and is the current President of the Oklahoma Employment Lawyers Association as well as the Oklahoma Affiliate Leader to the National Employment Lawyers Association. Ms. Hurst speaks frequently on employment related topics including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, USERRA, and MMSEA. Ms. Hurst is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the federal district courts for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma, the United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Hurst is married to her husband of twenty-four years and together they have two children and one very ornery dog named Lily.

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Lucas J. Kaster

Nichols Kaster, PLLP

Lucas J. Kaster

Lucas J. Kaster is a trial attorney. During his career, he has tried several cases to verdict or decision and successfully argued before federal and state appellate courts. As an partner with Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lucas represents individual plaintiffs in civil rights and employment-related claims, including discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims. Prior to joining Nichols Kaster in 2014, Lucas was the founding attorney of Kaster Law in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, focused on criminal defense. In June 2020, Lucas was appointed by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to serve as a member of its Minnesota Advisory Committee. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights enforcement. Lucas is also President of the Board for Minnesota NELA, an adjunct professor at the St. Thomas School of Law, and a board member of Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, an organization dedicated to recruiting, retaining and advancing attorneys of color in the Twin Cities. Outside of work, Lucas is an avid triathlete, and has completed the Wisconsin Ironman and several half ironman distance races.

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Lauren A. Khouri

Correia & Puth, PLLC

Lauren A. Khouri

Lauren A. Khouri is a Partner at Correia & Puth, PLLC, dedicating her practice to the civil rights of individuals in the workplace and in schools. Lauren’s work includes fighting employment-based discrimination and retaliation of all kinds. Lauren litigates a broad range of claims under Title IX, representing survivors of sexual violence, pregnant and parenting students, and school employees who experience retaliation after taking a stand for their students’ rights. Since 2019, Best Lawyers has recognized Lauren as a leader in civil rights law and SuperLawyers has recognized Lauren as a Rising Star in employment law. Lauren received her law degree from American University Washington College of Law. She is President-Elect for the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA).

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David L. Lee

Law Offices of David L. Lee

David L. Lee

David L. Lee has practiced and taught law for forty-five years, the last thirty-seven of which he has concentrated on representing employees. David was President of NELA from 2013 to 2015, was a Hearing Officer for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights from 1992 – 2015, is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell, has been on the Labor and Employment Law advisory committee for the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education, and has been named a “Leading Lawyer” and a “Super Lawyer” in the field of employment law. From 1984 to 1991, David was a full-time clinical professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law’s nationally-recognized clinic on employment discrimination with fellow NELA members Richard Gonzalez and Ron Schwartz. David speaks frequently to lawyers and human-resources personnel on employment law and has published many seminar papers and some law review articles on that topic. David graduated from Northwestern University School of Law in 1977 magna cum laude and Order of the Coif. David also attended Northwestern University for undergrad, where he claims to have majored in the game of chess and ended up rated an “expert” by the U.S. Chess Federation, but actually graduated with a B.A. in History.

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Cheryl B. Legare

Legare, Attwood & Wolfe

Cheryl B. Legare

Cheryl B. Legare’s practice focuses on representing employees in all aspects of employment litigation, including disability discrimination, FMLA interference and retaliation, gender, pregnancy, sexual harassment, race, religion, national origin, and age discrimination. Prior to founding Legare, Attwood & Wolfe in 2015, Cheryl represented employees at one of the largest plaintiff-side employment law firms in the southeast. Cheryl is active in the Atlanta Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers. Cheryl currently serves as a board member and co-chair of the courtroom experience committee of the State Bar of Georgia’s Labor and Employment Mentoring Experience. Cheryl is also a member of the National Employment Lawyers’ Association, served on NELA-GA’s board for many years, and is a current member of the Amicus and Oral Argument Committee. Cheryl also serves on the board of DeKalb Pro Bono. Cheryl is a 2002 magna cum laude graduate of Georgia State University College of Law where she currently serves as an adjunct professor teaching Advocacy. She has a B.A. in sociology from Ithaca College and a M.A. in social work from the State University of New York at Albany.

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Heather Leonard

Heather Leonard, PC

Heather Leonard

Consistently recognized as one of the top employment lawyers in Alabama, Heather Leonard has been handling employment law matters for employees since 1998. She has been ranked as one of the Top 25 female attorneys as well as one of the Top 50 overall attorneys in Alabama by Thompson Reuters’ SuperLawyers publication. She has an A-V rating through Martindale Hubble. Her firm has also been ranked as a Tier One provider of employment law services by U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Law Firms.”

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Deborah K. Marcuse

Sanford Heisler Sharp

Deborah K. Marcuse

Deborah K. Marcuse is Sanford Heisler Sharp’s Firm Managing Partner and Managing Partner of the firm’s Baltimore office. As a litigator, she leads teams to high-profile victories in high-stakes discrimination cases on behalf of individuals and classes, while also effectively resolving matters without resort to litigation whenever possible, on the principle that litigation is fun and profitable for lawyers sometimes, but less so for human beings, and even less so for the congregations of human beings that make up companies and other organizational defendants. As a manager, Deborah strives to exemplify and model a form of zealous advocacy that is vigorous, thoughtful, and humane, and a vision of lawyering as a profession that is client-centered, focused on social and economic justice, and accommodating of the lives of working humans.

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Omar V. Melehy

Melehy & Associates LLC

Omar V. Melehy

Omar V. Melehy began his legal career in 1987, when he served as a judicial law clerk to Maryland Court of Appeals Judge William H. Adkins, II and then for 8 years as an Assistant Attorney General with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, where he became a seasoned trial lawyer. Since 1997, Mr. Melehy has dedicated his career to representing employees in various disputes with their employers, including wage and hour and discrimination cases against both private sector and federal government employers. Over the years, Mr. Melehy and his law firm have represented countless employees and obtained substantial settlements and numerous court verdicts and judgments. Mr. Melehy also has extensive appellate experience in Maryland and the District of Columbia, which has resulted in many precedent-setting decisions. Mr. Melehy is also well-respected by his peers. He has achieved an AV Rating – a Preeminent (5 out of 5) rating from Martindale-Hubble Peer Review Ratings, which is the highest rating available. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Maryland Bars. He is also on the Board of Directors and President of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (“MWELA”) and is Board Member of the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. He is the former the Board President of the Employment Justice Center, an advocacy group for low income wage earners.

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Kelly Mulloy Myers

Freking Myers & Reul LLC

Kelly Mulloy Myers

Kelly Mulloy Myers completed her Juris Doctor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and earned a Master of Arts in Labor and Employment Relations from the University of Cincinnati. Kelly is licensed to practice law in Ohio and Kentucky. Kelly was one of the first attorneys in the State of Ohio to be certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a specialist in Labor and Employment Law. She is an active member of the National Employment Lawyers Association and the Cincinnati Employment Lawyers Association. Kelly has also been a leader in the Cincinnati Bar Association, having served as its 127th President, Chair of the Young Lawyers Section, Chair of the Women Lawyers Section, and President of the Cincinnati Bar Foundation. In 2020, Kelly was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers. Fellowship is extended by invitation to those trial lawyers who have demonstrated a mastery of the art of advocacy and maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Fellowship is limited to no more than 1% of the total lawyer population of each state. Kelly has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in America as a 2021 Lawyer of the Year for her work in representing individuals in employment law and by Law and Politics Magazine as one of the top 50 women attorneys in Ohio.

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R. Scott Oswald

The Employment Law Group, P.C.

R. Scott Oswald

R. Scott Oswald is managing principal of The Employment Law Group, P.C. An accomplished trial lawyer who has brought more than 40 trials to verdict, he has recovered more than $200 million in judgments and settlements for his clients. A fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Mr. Oswald received his law degree from Howard University and honed his skills at Trial Lawyers College, founded by the legendary Gerry Spence. Washingtonian Magazine calls Mr. Oswald a “Top Lawyer” in Washington, D.C. In April 2019, Lawdragon named him among the top 500 plaintiff-side employment lawyers in the U.S. Mr. Oswald is chair of the Federal Bar Association’s Professional Ethics Committee and its Qui Tam Section; he also holds official roles in groups including the American Bar Association and the D.C. Bar. He is a proud past president of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, a NELA affiliate.

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Scott M. Pollins

Pollins Law

Scott M. Pollins

Scott M. Pollins is the Principal of Pollins Law in Swarthmore and Wayne. He represents employees who are dealing with challenging issues with their current or former employers. Mr. Pollins is the former president of the National Employment Lawyers Associations Eastern PA chapter and a former co-chairperson of the Plaintiffs Employment Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Board of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA). He is also a member and employee co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee. He is a member of the American and Pennsylvania Associations for Justice, the Metro Washington Employment Lawyers Association and the Maryland Employment Lawyers Association. Mr. Pollins received his J.D. from Dickinson School of Law and his B.S. from Bucknell University. He has spoken on numerous occasions about employment law issues, including employee handbooks, medical marijuana, workplace romance, preparing employment case fee agreements, interaction of ADA/ERISA/FMLA, unpaid internships and tax issues in employment cases. Mr. Pollins is committed to creating great futures for his clients and those with whom he works.

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Phillis h. Rambsy

Rambsy Law PC

Phillis h. Rambsy

Phillis h. Rambsy is the owner of RAMBSY LAW PC, a law firm which is based in Nashville, Tennessee and serves clients in Tennessee, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky. Phillis’ legal practice is primarily focused on representing workers in matters of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and breach of contract. She also assists workers in the negotiation of employment contracts and severance agreements. Phillis’ commitment to working on behalf of workers is part of her overall commitment to eradicate systemic injustice in all realms of society. Her professional mantra is based on the edict to “seek justice, defend the oppressed.” Phillis earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Spelman College, a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Kentucky, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School.

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Donna Williams Rucker

Tully Rinckey PLLC

Donna Williams Rucker

With more than two decades of experience litigating a vast range of high stakes federal employment law matters, Donna Williams Rucker is a vital component of Tully Rinckey PLLC’s nationally recognized federal labor and employment law practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Donna 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. Donna 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, Donna represents federal employees who require assistance with discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, disciplinary and adverse action matters at the trial court level and on appeal. She also represents state and private sector employees regarding an array of similar issues. Donna continues to grow Tully Rinckey PLLC’s extensive litigation and trial practice before the federal courts, District of Columbia Court, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights (DCOHR).

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William “Billy” Ryan

Donati Law, PLLC

William “Billy” Ryan

William “Billy” Ryan practices law in Memphis, Tennessee with Donati Law, PLLC. His day to day law practice is devoted to representing individuals and classes of persons in the following areas: employment law, workers’ compensation, and personal injury. He also regularly represents a number of small businesses located in the Memphis, TN area. Mr. Ryan is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Mississippi. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1999 and his B.A. (history major) from the University of Tennessee in 1992. Mr. Ryan is Past President of the Memphis Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Section and Past President of the Federal Bar Association’s Memphis Mid-South Chapter. He is former member of the Standing Local Rules Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Memphis Bar Association. Mr. Ryan is certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and he is also a listed Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 civil mediator. Mr. Ryan is a frequent presenter on employment law issues at continuing legal education seminars in the Memphis, Tennessee area and beyond.

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Elizabeth ``BB`` Sanford

The Sanford Firm

Elizabeth ``BB`` Sanford

Born and raised in Dallas, Elizabeth “BB” Sanford, graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, a Masters in Divinity from Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary, and a Juris Doctor from Baylor University School of Law. BB was the first person at Baylor to graduate with a joint Divinity and Law degree. Before attending law school BB served as a music and youth minister. Her heart has always been on the side of justice and individual civil rights. She is proud and feels called to represent workers who are wrongfully terminated. She practices with her father, Brian Sanford, making the world a better place one case at a time.

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Jessica M. Scales

Sedey Harper Westhoff

Jessica M. Scales

Jessica M. Scales has spent her career counselling and representing employees in matters related to their employment. Her practice is focused in Missouri and Southern Illinois. In 2011, Jessica joined Sedey Harper Westhoff as an associate. She became a partner in 2019. She earned her Juris Doctor and her Bachelor of the Arts in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Saint Louis University.

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Rachhana T. Srey

Nichols Kaster, PLLP

Rachhana T. Srey

Rachhana T. Srey is a partner at Nichols Kaster, PLLP whose practice is primarily dedicated to wage and hour class and collective actions. She has represented a wide variety of workers, including those who work in the health, insurance, financial services, communications, retail, manufacturing, and security industries, for over 16 years. Rachhana is the Co-Chair of the NELA’s Wage & Hour Practice Group and DOL Working Group, and Board President of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid.

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Jamaal (“Jay”) W. Stafford

Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, LLC

Jamaal (“Jay”) W. Stafford

Jamaal (“Jay”) W. Stafford practices law in Memphis, Tennessee with Donati Law, PLLC. His day to day law practice is devoted to representing individuals and classes of persons in the following areas: employment law, workers’ compensation, and personal injury. He also regularly represents a number of small businesses located in the Memphis, TN area. Mr. Ryan is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Mississippi. He received his J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1999 and his B.A. (history major) from the University of Tennessee in 1992. Mr. Ryan is Past President of the Memphis Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Section and Past President of the Federal Bar Association’s Memphis Mid-South Chapter. He is former member of the Standing Local Rules Committee for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Memphis Bar Association. Mr. Ryan is certified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and he is also a listed Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 civil mediator. Mr. Ryan is a frequent presenter on employment law issues at continuing legal education seminars in the Memphis, Tennessee area and beyond.