Virginia Business// November 29, 2020//
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
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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.