Amy L. Bess
Shareholder
T: +1 (202) 312 3361
F: +1 (202) 312 3322
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Washington, DC
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E:
Amy L. Bess is a Shareholder in the Washington, DC office of Vedder Price and a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment practice area. Her employment litigation experience includes the representation of employers before US state and federal courts and administrative agencies, defending against claims of race, sex, disability and age discrimination; sexual harassment; whistleblower retaliation; restrictive covenant disputes; wrongful termination; and wage and hour violations. She regularly counsels clients in all of these areas, drafts and negotiates employment and severance agreements, conducts on-site workplace investigations, presents training seminars and speaks to employer groups on avoiding workplace problems. Ms. Bess also has experience advising clients regarding their public accommodation obligations under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and representing clients in litigation involving related claims.
Ms. Bess has first-chair bench trial, jury trial and arbitration experience and is regularly involved in mediations. She also is experienced in the defense of complex class action litigation, including pattern or practice litigation brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The Legal 500 United States guide recommends Ms. Bess in the Labor and Employment—Labor and Employment Litigation category. Ms. Bess is also listed in Washingtonian Magazine 's "Best Lawyers" edition (December 2011) in the category "Defending the Company."
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- Served as lead counsel to a large retailer in a pattern-or-practice litigation filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of a class of former employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act, in which the EEOC alleged that the retailer’s leave of absence policies violated the ADA.
- Represents the largest hospital in the Washington, DC area in connection with a litigation and US Department of Justice investigation of claims brought pursuant to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Represents hospital systems in connection with whistleblower claims brought under the Federal False Claims Act, as well as in connection with various employment claims and ADA Title III issues.
- Served as lead defense counsel on behalf of a software manufacturer and two of its computer engineers in a five-week bench trial involving claims of misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information; obtained a complete defense ruling by the trial court on all claims, and affirmance by the Virginia Supreme Court. MicroStrategy, Inc. v. Wenfeng Li et al., 601 S.E.2d 580 (Va. 2004).
- Obtained complete defense jury verdict in federal court jury trial involving claims by former independent contractor alleging breach of contract and tort claims.
- Serves as national employment counsel to global luxury brand retailer.
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, PLI Annual Institute on Employment Law 2011, "Disability Discrimination Claims," October 2011, New York, New York
- Speaker, Vedder Price 2011 Employment Law Update, "Disability Accommodation and Leaves of Absence: Navigating the Overlap and Interplay," October 2011, Washington, DC
- Speaker, ACI Forum on Defending and Managing High Exposure Employment Claims of Retaliation and Discrimination,"Defending Against FMLA and ADA Claims and Making Sense of the Crossover Between Them," July 2011, New York, New York
- Speaker, Vedder Price Seminar, "A Whistleblower in Your Midst: Preparing for a Post-Dodd-Frank World," July 2011, Chicago, Illinois
- Speaker, Vedder Price 2011 Annual Employment Law Update, "Practical Solutions to the Indefinite Medical Leave Problem," May and June 2011, Chicago, Illinois and New York, New York
- Moderator, D.C. Women's Bar Association, "Leading the Firm: Business Development and Leadership Lessons for Women Partners," January 2011, Washington, DC
- Moderator, Vedder Price 2010 Employment Law Roundtable, "A View from the Plaintiff's Bar," October 2010, Chicago, Illinois
- Speaker, Vedder Price Employment Law Update, "Navigating the Bermuda Triangle of ADA, FMLA and Workers' Compensation Leaves of Absence," July 2010, New York, New York
- Speaker, ACI Forum on Defending and Managing Employment Discrimination Litigation, "Defending Against FMLA, ADA and Pregnancy Claims," February 2010, New York, New York
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- Illinois
- District of Columbia
- US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- US District Court, Central District of Illinois
- US District Court, District of Columbia
- US District Court, District of Maryland
- US District Court, District of Colorado
- US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- Member, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
- Member, District of Columbia Bar, Labor and Employment Section
- Member, District of Columbia Bar Board of Governors, serving second consecutive three-year elected term
- Secretary, Women’s Bar Association Foundation of the District of Columbia
- Member, Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (served three-year elected term on Board of Directors)
- Board Member and General Counsel, Everybody Wins! DC, children’s literacy nonprofit organization
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