Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

2020 Legal Elite: Labor/Employment Law

//November 29, 2020//

2020 Legal Elite: Labor/Employment Law

// November 29, 2020//

Listen to this article

Faith A. Alejandro

Sands Anderson PC

Richmond

 

Earl Baggett

Williams Mullen

Richmond

 

Robert J. Barry

Kaufman & Canoles PC

Norfolk

 

Ryan M. Bates

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Washington, D.C.

 

Paul G. Beers

Glenn Feldmann Darby and Goodlatte

Roanoke

 

Sarah A. Belger

Quarles & Brady LLP

Washington, D.C.

 

Lisa A. Bertini

Bertini Law Firm

Virginia Beach

 

Susan Blake

Dominion Enterprises

Norfolk

 

John Michael Bredehoft

Kaufman & Canoles PC

Norfolk

 

Carla D. Brown

Charlson Bredehoft Cohen & Brown PC

Reston

 

Steven D. Brown

Isler Dare

Richmond

 

Dean T. Buckius

Vandeventer Black LLP

Norfolk

 

David C. Burton

Williams Mullen

Virginia Beach

 

Harris D. Butler III

Butler Royals PLC

Richmond

 

Jeremy D. Capps

Harman Claytor Corrigan & Wellman PC

Richmond

 

Victor O. Cardwell

Woods Rogers PLC

Roanoke

 

Maureen E. Carr

Bean, Kinney & Korman PC

Arlington

 

Brian F. Chandler

Protorae Law PLLC

Tysons

 

Susan Childers

North Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP

Williamsburg

 

David E. Constine III

Troutman Pepper

Richmond

 

Craig J. Curwood

Curwood Law Firm

Richmond

 

Kimberly W. Daniel

Hancock, Daniel & Johnson PC

Glen Allen

 

Lauren R. Darden

Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Staunton

 

R. Mark Dare

Isler Dare PC

Vienna

 

John E. Davidson

Davidson & Kitzmann PLC

Charlottesville

 

Mary E. “Betsy” Davis

Whiteford Taylor Preston LLP

Richmond

 

Barry Dorans

Wolcott Rivers Gates

Virginia Beach

 

Broderick Coleman Dunn

Cook Craig & Francuzenko PLLC

Fairfax

 

Elizabeth M. Ebanks

Ogletree Deakins

Richmond

 

Karen S. Elliott

Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC

Richmond

 

Paul M. Falabella

Butler Royals PLC

Richmond

 

William R. Fitzpatrick

Sevila, Saunders, Huddleston & White PC

Leesburg

 

Andrew R. Fox

City of Norfolk

Norfolk

 

William M. Furr

Willcox & Savage PC

Norfolk

 

Sean Gibbons

Roth Jackson Gibbons Condlin PLC

Richmond

 

Ryan A. Glasgow

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Richmond

 

Sharon S. Goodwyn

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Norfolk

 

Betty S. W. Graumlich

Reed Smith LLP

McLean

 

Laura Geringer Gross

Kaufman & Canoles PC

Norfolk

 

Robyn H. Hansen

Sands Anderson PC

Williamsburg

 

Richard F. Hawkins III

The Hawkins Law Firm PC

Richmond

 

Elaine Hogan

Dollar Tree

Chesapeake

 

Raymond L. Hogge Jr.

Hogge Law

Norfolk

 

Melissa Jackson Howell

Howell Law Group PLLC

Norfolk

 

Phil Hucles

Ferguson Enterprises

Newport News

 

Cynthia E. Hudson

Sands Anderson PC

Richmond

 

Edward Lee Isler

Isler Dare PC

Vienna

 

Joshua L. Jewett

Pierce / McCoy PLLC

Norfolk

 

Stephanie P. Karn

Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank PLC

Richmond

 

Scott Kezman

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.

Newport News

 

Laurie L. Kirkland

Blankingship & Keith PC

Fairfax

 

Arlene F. Klinedinst

Vandeventer Black LLP

Norfolk

 

Paul Klockenbrink

Gentry Locke Attorneys

Roanoke

 

David A. Kushner

Willcox & Savage PC

Norfolk

 

Lisa K. Lawrence

Lawrence & Associates of Virginia PLLC

Richmond

 

Todd Leeson

Gentry Locke Attorneys

Roanoke

 

Declan Leonard

Berenzweig Leonard LLP

McLean

 

Katie Lipp

The Lipp Law Firm PC

Fairfax

 

Ross Longood

CarMax Inc.

Richmond

 

Vijay K. Mago

O’Hagan Meyer PLLC

Richmond

 

Richard H. Matthews

Pender & Coward

Virginia Beach

 

Joan C. McKenna

O’Hagan Meyer PLLC

Richmond

 

Charles G. Meyer III

O’Hagan Meyer PLLC

Richmond

 

Christopher Michalik

McGuireWoods

Richmond

 

Melisa G. Michelsen

Litten & Sipe LLP

Harrisonburg

 

Brian G. Muse

Sands Anderson PC

Richmond

 

Jennifer L. Muse

Sands Anderson PC

Williamsburg

 

David E. Nagle

Jackson Lewis PC

Richmond

 

Samantha Stecker Otero

McCandlish Holton PC

Richmond

 

W. David Paxton

Gentry Locke Attorneys

Roanoke

 

Merrell Beth Renaud

Miles & Stockbridge

Vienna

 

Sharon Reyes

Kaufman & Canoles PC

Norfolk

 

Jeffrey L. Rhodes

Jeffrey L. Rhodes

Arlington

 

Timothy M. Richardson

Poole Brooke Plumlee PC

Virginia Beach

 

John Rigby

McInroy & Rigby LLP

Arlington

 

Stephen W. Robinson

McGuireWoods

Tysons

 

Jimmy F. Robinson Jr.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC

Richmond

 

Barry Rowell

Klein Rowell & Shall PLLC

Virginia Beach

 

Marguerite (Rita) R. Ruby

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Richmond

 

Dana Rust

McGuireWoods

Richmond

 

Sara M. Sakagami

Odin, Feldman & Pittleman PC

Reston

 

Rodney A. Satterwhite

McGuireWoods

Richmond

 

Andrew P. Sherrod

Hirschler

Richmond

 

James H. Shoemaker Jr.

Patten, Wornom, Hatten & Diamonstein LLC

Newport News

 

Tom Shumaker

Ernest Law Group PLC

Virginia Beach

 

Randy C. Sparks Jr.

Kaufman & Canoles PC

Richmond

 

Tom Spiggle

The Spiggle Law Firm

Arlington

 

Kristina Keech Spitler

Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian PC

Manassas

 

Leah M. Stiegler

Woods Rogers PLC

Roanoke

 

Leigh R. Strelka

Strelka Employment Law

Roanoke

 

Thomas E. Strelka

Strelka Employment Law

Roanoke

 

Ann K. Sullivan

Sullivan Collins Law Group PLC

Norfolk

 

Jonathan M. Sumrell

Hancock, Daniel & Johnson PC

Glen Allen

 

Neil Shantaram Talegaonkar

Kaufman & Canoles PC

Richmond

 

Douglas Taylor

Gromfine & Taylor

Alexandria

 

Thamer (Chip) E. Temple III

ThompsonMcMullan PC

Richmond

 

James R. Theuer

James R Theuer PLLC

Norfolk

 

King F. Tower

Woods Rogers PLC

Roanoke

 

Amy Morrissey Turk

McGuireWoods

Norfolk

 

Thomas E. Ullrich

Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver PLC

Harrisonburg

 

Roya Vasseghi

Vasseghi Law PLLC

Fairfax

 

Amanda M. Weaver

Williams Mullen

Richmond

 

Cathleen P. Welsh

Flora Pettit PC

Harrisonburg

 

Burt H. Whitt

Kaufman & Canoles PC

Norfolk

 

Jeffrey D. Wilson

Pender & Coward PC

Virginia Beach

 

Laura D. Windsor

Williams Mullen

Richmond

 

Thomas M. Winn III

Woods Rogers PLC

Roanoke

 

Cher E. Wynkoop

Willcox & Savage PC

Norfolk

See more from our 2020 Legal Elite package:

 

Subscribe to Virginia Business.

Get our daily e-newsletter.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

Profile

David A. Kushner
Willcox & Savage PC, Norfolk

Title: Partner and chair of Labor and Employment Practice Group
Other legal specialties: Fair housing defense, trade secret litigation
Education: Bachelor’s degree and law degree, University of Virginia
Spouse: Nichole A. Kushner
Children: Sloane, 8; Bayla, 4
Fan of: Tony Bennett (the U.Va. basketball coach, although the singer is pretty great too)
Recently read book: “The Mathews Men: Seven Brothers and the War Against Hitler’s U-boats,” by William Geroux
Hobbies or pastimes: Time with my three girls (and dog Shekels), hiking, and all things U.Va. basketball
Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere in the mountains of Virginia
Career mentors: Billy Furr, Susan Blackman, Tommy Johnson and a host of great attorneys at Willcox Savage
What sort of cases are you seeing related to the pandemic?
For the first few months of the pandemic, litigation was actually relatively light. This was in part due to enhanced unemployment and the delay of a number of trials. However, my consulting practice was almost nonstop with questions about the ever-changing laws, furloughs, reductions in force and back-to-work issues. With Virginia’s new employment laws, we are expecting a significant increase in employment litigation in 2021 and beyond.
How have you seen changes in employment law since the #MeToo movement?
After the #MeToo movement, I have seen businesses become even less tolerant of inappropriate workplace conduct of all types (including sexual harassment). Misconduct and harassment that may have resulted in a final written warning 15 years ago is often grounds for immediate termination today. Anecdotally (and somewhat counterintuitively), businesses seem to be experiencing less sexual harassment litigation and charges post-#MeToo, which I attribute to the increased focus on stopping worker misconduct before it rises to the level of actionable harassment.

YOUR NEWS.
YOUR INBOX.
DAILY.

By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy.