Carla D. Brown

15Apr
2016

Carla D. Brown

Ms. Brown has litigated cases in state and federal courts throughout Virginia, as well as in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Ms. Brown handles contractual matters, including the negotiation and review of severance agreements, covenants not to compete, and employment agreements. Ms. Brown also counsels employees who are subjected to workplace harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.

In 2014, the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association recognized Ms. Brown as “Lawyer of the Year – In recognition of outstanding dedication to Civil Rights, Equality, and Justice.”

In 2015, 2017 and 2018, the Washingtonian rated Ms. Brown a “Top Lawyer” in the area of Plaintiff’s Employment Law. In 2018, LawDragon selected Ms. Brown as a top 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer. In 2018, Ms. Brown was selected as a member of Virginia’s Legal Elite.

HONORS & AWARDS

• “Lawyer of the Year – In recognition of outstanding dedication to Civil Rights, Equality, and Justice” as selected by the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (2014)
• The Washingtonian Magazine rated Ms. Brown a “Top Lawyer” in the area of Plaintiff’s Employment Law. (2015, 2017, 2018 & 2020, 2022)
• Recognized as a Virginia “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers Magazine (2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Recognized as “Top 50: Women in Virginia Super Lawyers” by Super Lawyers Magazine (2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Recognized as “Top 100: Virginia Super Lawyers” by Super Lawyers Magazine (2022-2022)
  • Recognized as a Virginia “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine (2009 – 2012)
• Recognized as a Washington, D.C. “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
  • Recognized as a Washington, D.C. “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers (2013)
• Arlington Magazine Top Attorney for Employment Law (Employee) (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• Virginia Business Journal selected Ms. Brown as a member of Virginia’s “Legal Elite” (2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022)
• LawDragon selected Ms. Brown as a “Top 500 Plaintiff Employment Lawyer” (2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021)
• Inducted in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (2020)
• Inducted in the Litigation Counsel of America™ as a Fellow in the Trial Lawyer Honorary Society (2016)
• Invited to membership in The National Trial Lawyers Organization, Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the area of Civil Plaintiff Law and Top 40 Under 40 (2013)

REPRESENTATIVE CASES  

Recent reported judgements in business, employment and discrimination/civil rights cases decided in non-confidential forums include:

• Holman v. Dominion Mechanical Services, Inc., C.A. No. 2016-12483 (Fairfax Cir. Ct. 2017) (Breach of Contract – Judgment of $1,462,500)
• Taylor v. Republic Services, Inc., et al.,A. No. 1:12cv253 (E.D. Va. 2013) (Title VII Sexual Harassment/Retaliation – $1,853,084.36 judgment (including $620,559.36 fees and costs awarded)
• York v. DynCorp International, LLC, C.A. No. 2011-4995 (Fairfax Cir. Ct. 2012) (Breach of Contract – $5.4 million verdict, including prejudgment interest)
• Crowe, et al v. Marsh & McLennan Agency, LLC, Civil Action 1:10cv1016 (E.D. Va. 2011) (Represented individuals and successor employer, Lockton in obtaining ruling by Court, striking covenants not to compete and confidentiality provisions as invalid, May, 2011)
• Grissom v. The Mills Corporation, Civil Action 06-961 (E.D. Va. 2007) (Sarbanes-Oxley wrongful termination, breach of contract, and defamation per se – $459,566 judgment, fees and costs awarded)

MEMBERSHIP & LEADERSHIP

• Board Member of the National Employment Lawyers Association: Formerly, Ethics & Sanctions Committee and Nominating Committee.
• Board Member and Secretary of, the Federal Bar Association, Northern Virginia Chapter.
• Past-President, Virginia Employment Lawyers Association.
• Board Member of the Virginia Bar Association.
• Member, Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association.
• Member, Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association.
• Member, Old Dominion Bar Association.
• Member, American Association for Justice.
• Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America™.
• Former Council Member, Planning Committee of the Virginia Bar Association’s Labor Relations & Employment Law Section.
• Former Barrister, George Mason American Inn of Court.
• Former Member, DC Bar Steering Committee, Labor & Employment Section.

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

• Commonwealth of Virginia
• District of Columbia
• Maryland
• United States Supreme Court
• Unites States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit & D.C. Circuit
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
• United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
• United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• United States District Court of Maryland

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS & PUBLICATIONS 

• “On Solving Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Claims – The Practitioner Perspective” (AccelPro Employment Law Podcast, July 26, 2023)
• “Nuts & Bolts of Employment Discrimination Law 2020” (DC Bar, May 13, 2020)
• “A Guide to Working Up and Employment Case for Trial” (Maryland Employment Lawyers Association Annual Conference, Greenbelt, MD, December 6, 2019)
• “Litigating Sexual Harassment Claims” (MWELA, Washington, DC, November 6, 2019
• “Essentials of Handling Employment Litigation Cases in Federal Court“ (VACLE, Charlottesville, VA, Sept. 23, 2019)
• “How Many Sexes can Stand under Title VII’s Umbrella” (2^nd Annual Forum on Diversity in the Legal Profession), Williamsburg, VA, September 20, 2019)
• “Federal Judges Panel” (49th Annual Conference on Labor & Employment, Leesburg, VA, September 13, 2019)
• “Physicians Employment Contracts,” Arlington County Medical Society (ACMS) and ACMS Foundation (ACMSF), (May 8, 2019, Arlington, VA)
• “How #MeToo is Changing the Workplace” (DC Bar Changing Currents in Employment Law 2018: Recent Trends and Developments, Washington, DC, October 30, 2018)
• “Motions to Dismiss: Motions Practice in Employment Cases: What Works and What Does not” (MWELA Motions Series, Washington, DC, October 23, 2018)
• “The #MeToo Movement and Employment Law” (Norfolk Bar Association, Norfolk, VA September 30, 2018)
• Capitalizing on an Employers’ Missteps: What a Plaintiff’s Lawyer Looks for when a Fired Worker Walks Through the Door” (The Association of Corporate Counsel’s Annual Litigation Conference, McLean, VA, May 23, 2018)
• “The #MeToo Movement and Employment” (27^th Annual VBA Employment Law Update, Harrisonburg, VA, May 9, 2018)
• “Preparing for Trial” (How to Try an Employment Law Case to a Jury Series, DC Bar, Washington DC, April 26, 2018)
• “Litigation Sanctions” (Annual MWELA Conference, Washington DC, February 2, 2018)
• “Re-orienting Title VII: The Current State of Sexual Orientation Case Law” (DC Bar Changing Currents in Employment Law 2017: Recent Trends and Developments, Washington, DC, October 24, 2017)
• “Trial Practice Pointers” (NELA’s Trial Boot Camp, Chicago, IL, Oct. 12, 2017)
• “Legal Ethics Issues in Employment” (26th Annual Employment Law Update, Fairfax, VA and Richmond, VA, May 9 and 11, 2017)
• Ms. Brown has been quoted by Law360: “New Retaliation Stance has Employers Seeing Red,” Aaron Vehling, Jan. 27, 2016; “How to Hold a Holiday Party without Inviting Hassles,” Aaron Vehling with editing by John Quinn and Kelly Duncan, Dec. 2, 2015; and “4 Tips To Keep A Jury On The Worker’s Side In A Bias Trial,” Aaron Vehling, Oct. 27, 2015.
• “Cascading Leaves: FMLA and Paid Leave Statutes” (DC Bar Changing Currents in Employment Law 2016: Recent Trends and Developments, Washington, DC, October 18, 2016)
• “Nassar, VanBuren, and Other Retaliation Cases to Watch in an Election Year: A View from both Sides of the Aisle and the Bench” (46th Annual Conference on Labor Relations and Employment Law, Richmond, VA, Oct. 1, 2016)
• “Ethical Pitfalls for Plaintiffs’ Employment Lawyers” (National Employment Lawyers Association (“NELA”), Los Angeles, CA, June 25, 2016)
• “Legal Ethics Issues in Employment Law” Annual Employment Law Update Seminar, Fairfax, VA and Richmond VA, May 5 and 12, 2016)
• “Representing Corporate Whistleblowers” (NELA, Boston, MA, April 8, 2016)
• “Rules of the Road for the Plaintiff’s Lawyer” (NELA, Atlanta GA, June 26, 2015)
• “Legal Ethics Issues in Employment Law” (Virginia Bar Association, Annual Update, Fairfax, VA May 14, 2015)
• “Drilling Down to the Issues: Not All Conduct in the Workplace is Discriminatory” (The Virginia Women Attorneys Association Annual Conference, The Tides Inn, VA, October 17, 2014)
• “E-Discovery – Still Problematic After All These Years” (The Virginia Bar Association 44th Annual Conference on Labor Relations and Employment Law, National Harbor, MD, September 12, 2014)
• “Drafting Demand Letters and Negotiating with Opposing Counsel” (The Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association, May 29, 2014, Washington, DC)
• “Direct Examination of the Plaintiff” (NELA, Trial Boot Camp, March 14, 2014, Chicago, IL)
• “Retaliation Under Other Federal Statues” (NELA, Fall Seminar, October 19, 2013, Washington, DC)
• “Employment Law Ethics Update” (VA CLE, May 21, 2013, Charlottesville, VA)
• “Effective Uses for Magistrates” (the Virginia Bar Association Forty-Second Annual Conference on Labor Relations and Employment Law, September 20, 2012)
• “Plaintiff’s Perspective in Federal Court: ‘New’ Pleading Standard, Discovery, Experts, Mediation and More” (the Virginia Bar Association, May 2010)
• “Plaintiff’s Perspective: What’s the Plan? Issues That Arise in State, Federal, or ADR Forum” (Virginia Bar Association Annual Employment Law Update, May 13, 2010)
• “Hot Topics in Employment Law and Ethical and Professional Mediation Guidelines to Resolve Cases Early” (Fairfax Bar Association, Las Vegas, October 6, 2009)
• “Hot Topics in Employment” (The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, July 28, 2009)
• “Careers in Labor Employment” (D.C. Bar Labor & Employment Section, July 26, 2007)
• “Strategic Thinking in Settlement Negotiations” (the Virginia Bar Association Thirty-Sixth Annual Conference on Labor Relations and Employment Law, October 6, 2006)
• “Careers in Labor & Employment” (D.C. Bar Labor & Employment Section, July 26, 2007).

EDUCATION

• J. D., George Mason University School of Law, 1999
• B. A., University of Virginia, 1996