Education

Vermont Law School, J.D., cum laude

University of New Hampshire, B.S.

Experience

  • Successfully defended aerospace industry employer against employee whistleblower claim.
  • Defended a large international manufacturing firm in a workers’ compensation, FMLA, ADA employment litigation by finding a creative solution that was cost effective for the company.
  • Represented health care industry client in non-disclosure and non-solicitation litigation.
  • Represented a manufacturer in a complex and sensitive sexual harassment claim that threatened to significantly hamper the company’s business operations, but was ultimately resolved without litigation.
  • Represented a multi-state employer throughout comprehensive Department of Labor audit of wage and hour practices, and successfully negotiated resolution and reduced penalties.
  • Defended a hospital in an employment dispute with a physician, successfully avoiding a protracted and expensive litigation.
  • Counseled numerous businesses through difficult reductions in force.

Admissions

Vermont, 1996

New Hampshire, 1998

U.S. District Court for the District of  New Hampshire, 1999

U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont, 1999

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, 2009

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2023

Memberships & Activities

American Bar Association: Labor and Employment Section, Litigation Section, Women’s Advocate Committee

Vermont Bar Association: Employment Law Section

New Hampshire Bar Association: Labor and Employment Committee

Society of Human Resource Management

Tri-State Defense Lawyers Association

Accolades & Awards

Chambers & Partners, Labor and Employment, since 2016

Listed in Best Lawyers®, Employment Law- Management and Litigation- Labor and Employment, 2021-2024

2023 Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” award for Litigation- Labor and Employment, and Employment Law- Management. Lebanon, NH

Community Involvement

Board Member, Vermont Public Company (merged entity of Vermont PBS and Vermont Public Radio); Board Member, Granite United Way, Chair, Community Impact Committee; Corporate Council, Vital Communities; River Valley Human Resources Association. Prior boards: Vermont PBS; Friends of Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Pentangle Arts Council, Opera North.

Reported Cases

ANSYS, Inc. v. Computational Dynamics North America Ltd and Doru A. Caraeni, 595 F.3d 75 (1st Cir. 2010) (non-compete and trade secret litigation)

ANSYS, Inc. v. Computational Dynamics North America, Ltd, Civil No. 09-CV-284-SM, 2009 WL 4403745 (D.N.H. Nov. 25, 2009) (non-compete and trade secret litigation)

Nordica USA Corp. v. Ole Sorensen, 475 F. Supp. 2d 128, (D.N.H. 2007) (jurisdiction for patent prosecution)

State Farm Mutual Auto Ins. Co. v. Powers, 169 Vt. 230, 732 A.2d 730 (1999) (underinsured motorist coverage action)

Publications

Contributing Author, Defense Research Institute’s 50-State Employment Law Update, Vermont, January 2021

Author, A Few Workplace Lessons from the COVID-19 Experience, NH Bar News (April 2020)

Guest Columnist, HR PRO, Valley News, Top HR Issues for 2016 (March 2016)

Guest Columnist, HR PRO, Valley News, Enterprise Business Supplement, Big OT Rule Change Could Mean a Big Change to Your Bottom Line (October 2015)

Author, Social Media Policies – Trap for the Unwary Employer?, New Hampshire Business Magazine (April 2013)

Presentations

Speaker, Monadnock SHRM Chapter, Top Ten Actions to Mitigate Litigation Risk in 2021 (May 2021)

Speaker, Strategic HR Conference, Brave New World: AI in HR (October 2020)

Speaker, Vermont Hospitality Coalition Webinar, Effective Workforce Planning Strategies during COVID (June 17, 2020)

Speaker, Vermont Bar Association, Can I Ask That?: Surprising, Recurring and Emerging Issues in Recruitment and Retention of Employees (June 26, 2020)

Guest on VPR’s Vermont Edition, Drug Testing At Work: What’s a ‘Reasonable Basis’? (February 22, 2019)

Speaker Monadnock SHRM Chapter, The ADA: What Every HR Professional Should Know (Keene, New Hampshire, May 2017)

Speaker, Strategic HR at Mt. Washington, Seven in Seven: Economic Trends Impacting the Law of the Workplace (Bretton Woods, NH, October 23, 2016)

Guest on VPR’s Vermont Edition, You’re Fired! The Right Way and The Wrong Way (August 26, 2014)