A litigator through and through, Emily delights in crafting defense strategies together with employers facing agency investigations and civil lawsuits to achieve optimal results.
Overview
Emily represents local and national companies in employment law litigation with a careful attention to each ones' preferences and needs. Her practice includes both single-plaintiff lawsuits and class and collective action cases. She defends employers during agency investigations and in state and federal courts against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, whistleblowing, breach of contract, and wage and hour violations. She also represents organizations accused of discrimination in the context of public accommodations or housing.
Emily has tried over 50 jury trials, as well as several bench trials, administrative hearings, and other contested matters.
Trained as a mediator in 2012 at Missouri State University, she has since defended the interests of dozens of employers at mediations. She is a successful negotiator in and out of the mediation arena, having been negotiating as a litigator for almost 20 years.
Emily also advises clients about how to avoid charges of discrimination or retaliation when making hiring, coaching, disciplinary, and termination decisions. She enjoys providing clients with practical solutions to dilemmas they face, taking into consideration their particular labor market opportunities and legal risks.
She works with employers in a very wide range of industries, including hotels, hospitals, senior living facilities, manufacturers, contractors, restaurants, and non-profit organizations.
Prior to joining the firm, Emily worked as a criminal defense attorney and prosecutor, where she developed and honed her skills regarding investigations, addressing issues of jury appeal, handling intense negotiations and resolving questions of fairness and equity. She has been litigating since 2003.
Experience
Obtained summary judgment in favor of a regional medical center in a federal lawsuit alleging claims of hostile work environment and retaliation
Defended numerous employers facing charges of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation filed with the EEOC, OSHA, the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the Kansas Human Rights Commission, and the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission, obtaining favorable findings
Defended a condominium community and property management company during a HUD investigation of a discrimination complaint, obtaining favorable findings
Obtained dismissal of lawsuits including a breach of contract claim against a wellness service provider in state court; a retaliation claim alleged against a cable television provider in state court; and an ADA violation alleged against a non-profit organization in federal court
Obtained a dismissal of a whistleblower complaint after a contested hearing in front of a Department of Labor Administrative Law Judge for an upscale hotel
News & Insights
News
Speaking Engagements
"Trial Preparation," "Contact, Detention, Arrest," and "Civil Processing," taught as a certified POST (Peace Officer Standards and Training) instructor in Missouri at the Springfield Police Department patrol academy, Springfield, MO, 2014–2016
"Criminal Law for Guardian ad Litems and Parents' Attorneys and the Negative Impact of Criminal Convictions in Family and Juvenile Cases," co-taught at Guardian ad Litem Seminar, Springfield, MO, June 17, 2016
Publications
"What Lawyers and Employers Need to Know About the New #MeToo Arbitration Law," Attorney at Law Magazine, February 2022
Senate Passes #MeToo Bill Allowing Employees to Bypass Arbitration
02.10.2022
Professional & Civic Activities
Professional & Civic Activities
The Missouri Bar
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Practices & Industries
Admissions
- Missouri, 2011
- Kansas, 2016
- Nebraska, 2018
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
- U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
- U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Education
Columbia Law School, J.D., 2003
- Columbia Human Rights Law Review, JLM Executive Editor
Rhodes College, B.A., Political Science, cum laude, 2000