IslerDare is pleased to welcome our newest partner, Darrell VanDeusen. Darrell joins the firm from Kollman & Saucier. Darrell has been recognized as one of Maryland’s most influential labor and employment lawyers by Business Today.

For 40 years, Darrell has represented public and private sector employers throughout the country, including Fortune 500 companies, municipalities, government contractors, small employers, non-profits and various other businesses.

He regularly works with employers involved with labor unions in collective bargaining, contract management, and arbitration. A significant part of his practice is the representation of colleges and universities in their relationships with unions that do or would like to represent their staff, graduate students, adjuncts, and full-time faculty.

Darrell’s treatise on the Family and Medical Leave Act, and his work on the Family Medical Leave Act/Wage and Hour Law (as a part of a Labor & Employment Law multi-volume set), are available through LexisNexis. His work has been cited by federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court as authoritative on the subjects.

Darrell graduated from Colgate University and Duke University Law School. He is admitted to the Maryland and District of Columbia Bars. He volunteers with Scouting, the Y in Central Maryland, and other youth-related programs.

IslerDare is pleased to welcome Matthew Craig as Senior Counsel, joining our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation group.  Matt rejoins joins the Firm after serving as Deputy General Counsel at Comcast, where he practiced for eight years. 

Matt brings significant experience to the Firm’s thriving Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation group.  His diverse practice includes advising businesses on a broad range of compliance, administration, and plan design issues for all types of employee benefit plans, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, as well as health and welfare benefit plans.  He has successfully represented clients in plan audits and has negotiated favorable resolutions with the IRS, DOL, and other federal agencies.  Matthew also has extensive experience negotiating vendor contracts for support of benefit offerings, including consulting services, HIPAA business associate services, and software as a service (SaaS) arrangements.

Matt previously worked at the Firm in our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation group, and has previously practiced law at Hogan Lovells LLP and at Capital One.  Matt earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his J.D. from Harvard University.

IslerDare is pleased to welcome Jessica E. Kuester as Counsel, joining our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation group.  Jessica joins the Firm after serving as Counsel at Ogletree Deakins, where she practiced for eight years. 

Jessica brings significant experience to the Firm’s thriving Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation group.  Her diverse practice includes advising businesses on a broad range of compliance, administration, and plan design issues for all types of employee benefit plans, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, as well as health and welfare benefit plans.  She has successfully represented clients in plan audits and has negotiated favorable resolutions with the IRS, DOL, and other federal agencies. 

Before joining Ogletree Deakins, Jessica was an employee benefits associate attorney at Venable LLP.  Jessica earned her B.S. from Frostburg State University and her J.D., magna cum laude, from the Syracuse University College of Law.

IslerDare is pleased to welcome our newest partner, Crystal Tyler. Crystal joins the firm from Jackson Lewis, where she was a partner. Crystal practices in the areas of employment and higher education, with a specialty in Title IX issues. In her higher education practice, Crystal represents colleges and universities in a broad range of employment litigation, advice, investigations, and training. She also is a hearing chair and decision maker for Title IX and sexual misconduct hearings at colleges and universities.

In her employment practice, Crystal represents employers in litigation, mediation, and arbitration involving a full range of employment-related claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and various other federal and state laws. Crystal also provides counsel and training to employers to help them reduce risk and avoid litigation. She regularly advises employers on various employment-related issues including personnel policies and handbooks, discipline, performance management and termination, compensation, wage and hour, and compliance with federal and state employment laws and regulations.

IslerDare is pleased to announce the promotion of Lindsey Strachan Komisin from Senior Associate to Partner as of November 1, 2022. 

Lindsey graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2012 where she served as the Executive Editor for the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, as a member of the Moot Court Board, and as a Teaching Assistant.

Prior to joining Isler Dare in 2019, Lindsey practiced with Jackson Lewis in the Richmond, Virginia office.  Lindsey received the Richmond Bar Association’s Young Lawyer of the Year Award in 2021.  In 2022, Lindsey was recognized in the Virginia Business Magazine as Virginia’s Legal Elite and recognized as a Rising Star in Virginia Super Lawyers in the category of Employment and Labor. 

IslerDare is pleased to welcome our newest Partner, Grace H. Ristuccia. Grace joins the Firm after serving as a Shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, where she practiced for eight years. Grace brings significant experience to the Firm’s thriving Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation group. Her diverse practice includes advising businesses on a broad range of compliance, administration, and plan design issues for all types of employee benefit plans, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, welfare plans, and multiemployer plans. Grace counsels her clients on day-to-day compliance and plan governance as well as on strategic long-term planning, funding, and creative benefit designs. She has successfully represented clients in plan audits and has negotiated favorable resolutions with the IRS, DOL, PBGC and other federal agencies.

Before joining Ogletree Deakins, Grace clerked for the Honorable Kenneth F. Ripple, United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, and was an employee benefits associate at Covington & Burling. Grace earned her A.B. from Princeton University, summa cum laude, and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

We are pleased to announce that Ramana R. Briggs joined the Firm as an Associate in February 2021. Ramana litigates cases and advises clients on a variety of labor and employment matters including those concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Prior to joining IslerDare, Ramana practiced civil litigation with Hale Ball in Fairfax, Virginia.  Ramana graduated from American University Washington College of Law in 2019 and is currently admitted to practice in Virginia.

Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic
October 15, 2020 – 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us on October 15, 2020 for an advanced, detailed, and interactive discussion of the best practices for managing employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will cover these topics:

• Compliance issues associated with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. We will also review the FFCRA complaints to the DOL and review the relevant FFCRA lawsuits;

• Detailed review of any specific ADA and FMLA issues;

• Consideration of why COVID-19 liability waivers are suspect in Virginia and what alternatives can and should be used, if any;

• Review of Employee Handbook,issues and the National Labor Relations Act, including monitoring off duty conduct by employees and how it may affect your workplace;

• Review of Workplace Safety –,OSHA and Emergency Temporary VOSH regulations and how to prove compliance,when OSHA or VOSH come calling after a complaint;

• Navigating a potential “second wave” of COVID-19 and the normal flu season; and

• Detailed FAQs and Answers.

This is a complimentary seminar.  As in all of our seminars, there will be plenty of time for questions at the end of the presentation. When we are live, we can take questions as we present but when doing this by Zoom, it is difficult to take questions in the middle. There is a limited amount of space available so sign up now by emailing Bobbi Hailey at bhailey@islerdare.com and she will put you on the list. Please feel free to submit questions before the seminar to Bobbi Hailey at the above email address.

We are pleased to announce that Whitney E. Nelson has joined the firm as an Associate in our Richmond, Virginia office.  Whitney’s practice focuses on representing employers in state and federal court and advising clients on a variety of labor and employment matters including those arising under all federal and state discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wage and hour, independent contractor, and leave laws. Whitney graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2020 where she served as the Pro Bono Coordinator for the Veterans and Military Law Association and was a recipient of the Law Faculty Award in Labor & Employment Law. Prior to graduating from law school, Whitney spent five years as a high school counselor in Western Maine. Whitney is an accomplished musician, having attained an undergraduate degree in classical piano performance.  She loves to be outdoors and especially enjoys skiing and running. Whitney is a Massachusetts native and is an active member of the Richmond community.

Please mark your calendars and plan to join the VBA on September 10, 2020 to September 12, 2020 for our 50th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference in Richmond.  Our partner Steve Brown is the Chair of the VBA’s Labor and Employment Section and he will preside over the first in-person and virtual annual Conference. Also,  our partners Eddie Isler and Lori Turner will be speaking at the Conference. Eddie will be speaking on a panel about the Virginia labor and employment laws that went into effect on July 1, 2020 and how those laws impact employers. Lori will be speaking on a panel about the regional practice of labor and employment law in Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.   

Registration for this event is open until September 4, 2020.  Click HERE to register.

IslerDare is pleased to welcome our newest partner, W. Michael Holm.  Mike is a veteran trial lawyer who represents businesses in bet-the -company cases including corporate governance and other unfair business practices.  As lead counsel he has tried many cases, including claims of breach of fiduciary duty, theft of corporate opportunities, business conspiracy, partnership and corporate dissolutions, minority stockholder oppression, interference with contract, and conversion of corporate assets.  Other litigation matters include pre- and post-merger shareholder actions, internal corporate investigations, and the evaluation of closely held corporations and limited liability companies.

Mike has litigated for years in the Eastern District of Virginia and is the editor of “Federal Civil Practice in Virginia,” a handbook of federal court practices in Virginia.

We are pleased to announce that Lindsey A. Strachan has joined the firm as a Senior Associate in our Richmond, Virginia office.  Lindsey’s practice focuses on representing employers in state and federal court and advising clients on a variety of labor and employment matters including those arising under Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA and state wage and hour laws.  Lindsey also has experience in complex litigation and class action litigation matters.  Prior to joining Isler Dare in 2019, Lindsey practiced with Jackson Lewis in the Richmond, Virginia office.  Lindsey graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2012 where she served as the Executive Editor for the Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, as a member of the Moot Court Board, and as a Teaching Assistant.  Lindsey is a Richmond native and is an active member of the Richmond community.

We are pleased to announce that Lucy M. Scott joined the Firm as an Associate in July 2019. Lucy litigates cases and advises clients on a variety of labor and employment matters including those concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Prior to joining IslerDare, Lucy clerked for the Honorable Jan L. Brodie of Fairfax County Circuit Court. Lucy graduated from George Mason University School of Law in 2016 and is currently admitted to practice in Virginia.

In March and April of 2019, the Employee Benefits Department, along with Brick Brickley from Spherient Advisors, conducted its Annual Breakfast Briefing: 2019 Trends and Traps For the Unwary.  More than 60 attendees participated in the lively discussion regarding legislative updates and trends with retirement and health & welfare plans. The information provided at the seminar can be found here.

IslerDare is pleased to welcome our newest partner, Jeanne E. Floyd. Jeanne joins the firm from Ogletree Deakins, where she was a partner in the Employee Benefits section. Jeanne’s practice includes advising businesses on a range of health and welfare benefits compliance issues, including those related to Section 125 cafeteria plans, wellness programs, flexible spending arrangements (FSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), COBRA continuation coverage and multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs). Jeanne also has extensive experience providing clients with HIPAA Privacy and Security Rule guidance, including providing on-site HIPAA training to employees, drafting HIPAA policies and procedures, and negotiating business associate agreements. Jeanne has experience with all aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and health care reform, including advising employers on business strategies and providing support related to day-to-day health care reform compliance. Jeanne advises clients on all aspects of qualified retirement plans, including issues related to plan design, compliance, and administration. Her practice includes drafting plan documents and amendments, preparing ERISA disclosures, preparing and submitting Internal Revenue Service determination letter and Voluntary Correction Program submissions, preparing and submitting Department of Labor Voluntary Compliance Program submissions, assisting clients with self-correction, reviewing qualified domestic relations orders (QDROs), negotiation of third-party administrator and service agreements, and providing plan termination and merger advice.

We are pleased to announce that D. Paul Holdsworth has joined the Firm as an Associate in September 2018. Paul’s practice includes all aspects of employment counseling and litigation, including advising and litigating matters arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as other employment matters arising under state or common law. Prior to joining Isler Dare, Paul practiced with a mid-sized civil litigation firm in Roanoke, Virginia. Paul graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2015, where he served as Editor-In-Chief of the University of Richmond Law Review, and is admitted to practice in Virginia.

Eddie Isler was named the Best Lawyers© 2019 Labor and Employment Law – Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” for Washington, DC.  Only a single lawyer in each practice area in each community is honored as a “Lawyer of the Year.” Mark Dare, Steve Ray, Michelle Radcliffe, Andrea O’Brien and Steve Brown have also been recognized in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, a leading peer-review survey of the legal profession.

We are pleased to announce that Emilie S. Adams joined the Firm as a Senior Associate in July 2018.  Emilie represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation, including but not limited to medical and disability leave matters, restrictive covenant and trade secret disputes, wage and hour issues, whistleblower claims, and the investigation and litigation of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation complaints. Emilie also counsels clients on a variety of employment matters, including internal investigations, employment contracts and severance agreements, restrictive covenants, and employment policies and handbooks. Prior to joining IslerDare, Emilie practiced employment law with Proskauer Rose LLP in Washington, D.C.  Emilie graduated from New York University School of Law in 2009 and is currently admitted to practice in New York and Washington, D.C.

IslerDare was recognized in the 2005-2018 editions of Chambers USA as one of the top 11 labor and employment firms in Virginia. Eddie Isler and Mark Dare also were each honored as top labor and employment attorneys in the state. Andrea O’Brien was honored as a leading employee benefits and compensation counsel. For more information, go to www.chambersandpartners.com.

The Firm is pleased to announce that Ashley F. Hedge joined the Firm as a Senior Associate in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice.  Ashley has over a decade of experience advising a wide range of clients on all aspects of employee benefit matters.  In her practice, she regularly advises on qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans, nonqualified deferred compensation plans, executive compensation arrangements, severance arrangements, and benefits issues arising during corporate transactions.  Ashley is valued by her clients for her ability to distill complex legal issues arising under the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, and the Affordable Care Act, and provide practical and actionable advice.  Prior to joining IslerDare, Ashley practiced employee benefits law with Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C.  Ashley graduated from Catholic University, Columbus School of Law, cum laude, and is currently licensed to practice in Maryland and the District of Columbia.