We handle all types of discrimination claims, including race, age, gender, national origin, and sexual orientation. We also handle retaliation and sexual harassment cases.  We routinely file other employment claims, such as defamation, fraud, Wrongful Termination, and breach of contract.  We have advised numerous individuals and companies on employment policies, severance agreements, and employment agreements.

Unlike many firms, our clients include both individuals (plaintiffs) and businesses in employment issues.  To learn why, click here.

Our employment law practice covers the entire Washington Metropolitan region, including D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.  We often represent clients outside the D.C. metropolitan region in important cases.

We have extensive trial and pre-trial experience and many successes. Some extraordinary results include half-million dollar outcomes in a successful trial against the Washington Convention Center based on a claim case of gender discrimination as well as in a successful trial against a credit union based on a claim of Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.

Media attention for our work.

Our work occasionally gains national attention because of the importance of the subject matter or the impact of the decision on the development of law.  [Click on media name to view a PDF of the article]

For example, in 2005, we brought a suit against the Attorney General of the District of Columbia, in a case in which our clients alleged that they were discriminated and retaliated against based on race.  They accused their supervisor, Kristin Henrikson, of referring to them as "lazy" and as having no legal skills.  They alleged that Ms. Henrikson referred to African-American parents as "baby mamas" and mimicked clients by saying, "who my baby daddy?"  The suit was covered by the Washington Post here and here.  The claim was settled in 2006.

In November 2004, David Halpern and The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars announced an early settlement of Mr. Halpern’s claim of sexual orientation discrimination and retaliation. Mr. Halpern was a Program Supervisor for The Washington Center, where he placed college interns into positions which matched their interest. Hon. Barney Frank, a Member of Congress, was concerned about the case because Mr. Halpern alleged that a student was not placed with Mr. Frank's office because of his sexual orientation.  To see Mr. Frank's correspondence on the matter, click here.  The details of the case appeared in the media attention that the case garnered, including The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Grand Rapids Press, Roll Call, 365Gay.com, and the Washington Blade, among others.

 

Our Published Cases.

A law firm's success is often measured by the impact it has on the formation of law. Important decisions are published in official records.  Lippman, Semsker & Salb has a long history of advancing its client's interest in important decisions with key precedential value.  It is a signal of the quality and importance of our work that judges and publishers have selected many of the decisions in our case for publication. [Click on selected cases to view a PDF of the court decision]

Reported cases in the various United States Courts of Appeal include:

Thompson v. District of Columbia, 530 F.3d 914 (D.C. Cir. 2008)

Steele v. Schafer, 535 F.3d 689 (D.C. Cir. 2008)

Aleman v. Chugach Support Services, Inc., 485 F.3d 206 (4th Cir. 2007) (amicus brief)

Witcher v. Westphal, 45 Fed.Appx. 300 (4th Cir. 2002)
Griffin v. Washington Convention Center, 142 F.3d 1308, (D.C.Cir. 1998)
Rao v. County of Fairfax, Virginia, 108 F.3d 42 (4th Cir. 1997)
Marshall v. Local 639, IBT, 593 F.2d 1297 (D.C. Cir. 1979)
Tabor v. Joint Board for Enrollment of Actuaries, 566 F.2d 705 (D.C. Cir. 1977)
United States v. Tarnopol, 561 F.2d 466 (3rd Cir. 1977)
Brennan v. Local 639, IBT, 494 F.2d 1092 (D.C. Cir. 1974)

Reported cases in the various federal district courts include:

Smith v. Cafe Asia, 256 F.R.D. 247 ( D.D.C. 2009)

Smith v. Cafe Asia, 598 F.Supp.2d 45 (D.D.C. 2009)

Smith v. Cafe Asia, 246 F.R.D. 19 ( D.D.C. 2007)

Dickerson et al. v. SecTek, Inc., 238 F.Supp.2d 66 (D.D.C. 2002)
Sotabinda v. Hotel Lombardy, 173 F.R.D. 3 (D.D.C. 1997)
Smith v. United Parcel Service, Inc., 947 F.Supp. 190 (D.Md. 1996)
Van Allen v. Bell Atlantic-Washington, D.C., Inc., 921 F.Supp. 830 (D.D.C. 1996)
Retirement Fund of Fur Manufacturer Indus. v. Getto & Getto, Inc., 714 F.Supp. 651 (S.D.N.Y. 1989)

Retirement Fund of Fur Manufacturer Indus. v. Getto & Getto, Inc., 11 Employee Benefits Cas. 1561 (S.D.N.Y. 1989)

Schmidt v. National Organization for Women, 562 F.Supp. 210 (N.D.Fl. 1983)

Reported Cases in the United States Supreme Court are:

Retail Clerks Int'l Assoc. v. Schermerhorn II, 375 U.S. 96 (1963)
Retail Clerks Int'l Assoc. v. Schermerhorn I, 373 U.S. 746 (1963)
Retail Clerks Int'l Assoc. v. Lion Dry Goods, Inc., 369 U.S. 17 (1962)
Retail Clerks Int'l Assoc. v. J.J. Newberry Co., 352 U.S. 987 (1957)

Reported cases in the various state courts include:

Lockhart v. Cade, 728 A.2d 65 ( D.C. 1999)

Underwood v. National Credit Union Admin., 665 A.2d 621 (D.C. 1995)
Simard v. Resolution Trust Corp., 639 A.2d 540 (D.C. 1994)
Cox's Food Center v. Retail Clerk's Assoc., 457 P.2d 418 (Idaho 1969)
In re: Amalgamated Food Handlers, 244 Minn. 179 (1955)