Counsel
Charleston, WV
office 304.357.4475
mobile 304.992.1730
Ms. Thompson's primary area of practice is labor and employment law.

Education

  • West Virginia University, B.A., Political Science, History, summa cum laude
  • Washington and Lee University School of Law, cum laude

Experience

  • Arguing and appearing before state and federal courts in West Virginia and state and federal agencies including the National Labor Relations Board, W.Va. Office of Disciplinary Counsel, W.Va. Human Rights Commission, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  • Representing clients in labor and employment litigation matters involving the Family and Medical Leave Act, Fair Labors and Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, WARN Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the West Virginia Human Rights Act, the West Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, and other federal and state employment laws
  • Defending employers in collective actions, class actions, and related litigations in addition to single-plaintiff lawsuits
  • Conducting workplace investigations of employee complaints
  • Providing live or online training to employees and management
  • Drafting and/or updating employee handbooks and workplace policies
  • Representing clients in West Virginia state tax matters, including property tax appeals before West Virginia Office of Tax Appeals and Intermediate Court of Appeals of West Virginia
  • Auditing personnel and other records for compliance with I-9 regulations and/or classification issues
  • Counseling employers on employment or human relations issues as they arise
  • Adjunct Professor, West Virginia State University, 2016 - present
  • Intern, Judge James Swanson, Roanoke Co. Circuit Court, 2014
  • Summer Associate, Robinson & McElwee PLLC, 2013
  • Intern, Judge Joseph C. Pomponio, 11th Circuit of West Virginia, 2012

Distinctions

  • Named on the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list for Labor and Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Listed by West Virginia Super Lawyers as a Rising Star
  • First place winner, Washington and Lee Client Counseling Competition, 2013
  • Outstanding Honors College Senior, West Virginia University
  • John Maxwell Historical Research Prize, West Virginia University
  • John R. Romine Award in History, West Virginia University
  • Munn Library Scholars Award, West Virginia University
 

Admissions

  • West Virginia State Bar

Memberships

  • Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia
  • DRI
  • American Bar Association

Publications & Presentations

  • Presenter, “Case Theme Reinforcement Through Discovery and Depositions,” 2023 Young Lawyer Skills CLE—By Young Lawyers, For Young Lawyers, Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia Young Lawyers Committee, February 9, 2023
  • Co-Author, “Hiring and Keeping Employees in the Post-Covid Economy,” EMLF Annual Institute white paper, June 2022
  • Author, “Employment and Labor Law: The Job Description,” The Brief Case, DRI, March 2022
  • Author, “Pay Equity in 2022 as the Women’s U.S. National Soccer Team Settles Historic Lawsuit,” The Brief Case, DRI, Issue 1. Vol. 1, February 2022
  • Author, “The Interplay of Federal, State, and Local Anti- Discrimination Laws,” The DTCWV Defender, Spring Edition, June 2021
  • Contributing Editor, Age Discrimination in Employment Law, BA/Bloomberg BNA Treatise, 2020
  • Author, “Challenging the Skepticism Surrounding Lawyers Working from Home,” The DTCWV Defender, Vol. V, Summer Edition, August 2020
  • Author, “The Next Goal of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team: Equal Pay,” Raising the Bar, DRI, Vol. 16, Issue 5, May 29, 2020
  • Author, “Supreme Court Will Render Landmark Decisions Regarding LGBTQ Protection Under Title VII,” The Voice, DRI, Vol. 18, Issue 42, October 2019
 

Community Involvement

  • Visiting Teacher, William Fleming High School, Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, 2013
  • Washington & Lee Student Advisory Committee, 2012 - 2013