Overview
Susan focuses her practice on labor, employment, and OSHA compliance, defense, and crisis response. She provides comprehensive OSHA representation of employers across all industry sectors. She has counseled and defended employers regarding all aspects of the employer/employee relationship, with particular emphasis on reconciling state, local, and federal laws in the areas of drug use, disability and leave for national employers. She is a sought after third party investigator of workplace misconduct allegations.
Susan has over 35 years of experience. Her work includes counseling to employers and litigation defense in the areas of discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, tort claims, contract claims, defamation, wrongful discharge, trade secret, covenants not to compete, duty of loyalty, wage/hour, retaliation, FMLA, ADA, and WARN Act. She has particularly broad experience regarding accommodation and leave issues, with a keen understanding of the interplay between federal/state family and medical leave laws, federal/state disability laws, state/local sick pay and paid family leave laws, OSHA, and workers’ compensation. Her experience extends to representation of employers with unionized workforces and includes collective bargaining, labor arbitration, and unfair labor practice matters and advice relating to contract compliance and grievance handling. She has handled numerous large and small reductions in force and voluntary retirement programs. She has comprehensive experience representing religious and secular non-profits.
Susan conducts and oversees investigations following workplace accidents and infectious disease outbreak as part of her OSHA work. She also is a “go-to” lawyer for crises relating to allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation involving senior and executive leadership. She has a significant track record of meticulous and thoughtful investigative work.
Susan is admitted to practice in the Virginia state courts, Eastern and Western Federal District Courts of Virginia, District of Columbia Superior Court, District of Columbia Federal District Court, Federal District Court of Maryland, Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and US Supreme Court. She has represented employers in employment and/or OSHA/MSHA litigation in almost every state in the continental United States.
Experience
- Counsels employers regarding OSHA obligations and provides representation in federal and state plan investigations and citation contests.
- Develops and implements PSM/RMP and general occupational safety and health compliance audit programs for employers across all industry sectors.
- Participates in all aspects of OSHA rulemaking, including administrative litigation over final rules and variance applications.
- Conducts confidential investigations of allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, bullying and other alleged misconduct.
- Represents employers in lawsuits and agency proceedings in cases involving employment discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, employment torts, contract disputes, retaliation, reduction in force, FCRA, FLSA, FMLA, and wrongful discharge, including class action defense.
- Counseling and litigation defense for faith-based and secular non-profits regarding all aspects of legal compliance.
- Reviews and prepares employee handbooks, corporate policies and employment agreements.
- Represents unionized employer with respect to all aspects of collective bargaining relationship, including contract negotiation, contract interpretation, grievances, arbitration, defense of unfair labor practices, and litigation.
- Provides MSHA advice, accident investigation, and citation defense for mining companies.
- Advises and represents federal contractors regarding their anti-discrimination, affirmative action, Davis-Bacon and other legal compliance issues.
Accolades
Honors & Recognitions
- Recognized as a Leader in Occupational Safety and Health, USA-Nationwide, Chambers USA, 2022-2025
- Listed as a Litigation Star (2025) and a Labor and Employment Star (2020-2024), District of Columbia, Benchmark Litigation
- Recognized among the 2022 Influential Women of Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly
- Recommended for Labor and Employment Disputes (Including Collective Actions): Defense, Legal 500 United States, 2021
- Recognized as a Washington DC Trailblazer by The National Law Journal, 2020
- Runner Up, Litigator of the Week, American Lawyer, May 11, 2020
Affiliations
Professional
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
- Member, American Bar Association
Insights
Legal Updates
Events & Speaking Engagements
Publications
Blog Posts
News
Education
JD, Wake Forest University School of Law, cum laude, 1989
BA, English and Government, The College of William & Mary, 1984
Admissions
District of Columbia
Virginia
Areas of Focus
Additional Service Areas
- Labor-Management Relations and Labor Litigation
- Unfair Competition and Employee Raiding
- Complex Employment Litigation
- Affirmative Action and OFCCP Compliance
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Counseling
- Immigration
- Crisis Management
- Batteries and Energy Storage
- COVID-19 Litigation
- National Security
- Food Industry
Analysis and Development In Employment & Labor Issues
The firm recognized in the 2025 Chambers USA Guide with 65 practices ranked nationally and regionally and 147 individual rankings for attorneys in their respective practice area.
The firm and its lawyers have been recognized in Benchmark Litigation’s 2025 guide, an annual guide to the USA’s leading litigation firms and lawyers.
Eight of the firms lawyers were recognized with a 2025 Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award as part of the Burton Awards for Legal Achievement.