Ms. Townsend counsels and advises her clients on all areas of employment law in both state and federal court, including employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage/hour and wrongful discharge on claims involving single and multiple plaintiffs. She has extensive experience drafting and reviewing employment contracts, employee handbooks, non-compete agreements, severance agreements and non-disclosure agreements.

Prior to joining Vedder Price, Ms. Townsend oversaw the defense of various matters brought against local governmental entities and fortune 500 companies through all stages of litigation, drafted complex summary judgment motions and successfully argued dispositive motions in state and federal court. In addition, she has negotiated pre-trial settlements, including at arbitration and mediation, responded to IDHR, EEOC and DOL charges, and drafted appeals.

Ms. Townsend has extensive experience with matters involving Biometrics, Cybersecurity, Data Sharing, Fiduciary Duties, Standards of Conduct and Privacy.

Ms. Townsend received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. She is a licensed to practice in federal and state court in Illinois.