Joan C. McKenna
Partner
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LinkedIn- Professional Overview
Ms. McKenna’s practice includes the representation of employers in a variety of employment lawsuits, including suits under Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA and state fair employment laws. She also represents employers in administrative proceedings and advises employers regarding compliance with various employment-related state and federal laws, including the FLSA, COBRA, the FMLA and state wage payment laws. She speaks regularly to employers on various topics in employment law and has served as a contributing editor to the Virginia Employment Law Letter.
Ms. McKenna also defends companies in tort actions including premises liability, personal injury and defective products cases, and against claims of intentional torts such as defamation and assault and battery. She has represented national restaurant chains, national bakeries, and machinery manufacturers in successfully defending such claims. In addition, she regularly represents professionals against professional liability claims.
- Practice Areas
- Education and Admissions
Education
- J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1994
- B.A., English Literature,Brown University, 1986
Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
States Licensed
- Virginia
- Professional Organization Memberships
- Virginia Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
- Virginia Women Attorneys Association
- President, Board of Directors, 2016-2017
- Society for Human Resource Management
- Richmond Bar Association, Member
- News, Honors, Publications & Speeches
- Rated “AV,” the highest peer rating, by Martindale-Hubbell
- Recognized by Virginia Business magazine as a “Legal Elite” in Labor/Employment, 2015-2020
- "Influential Women of Law", Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2019
- President, Board of Directors, Virginia Women Attorneys Association, 2016-2017
- Graduate, LEAD Virginia, Class of 2015
- Marijuana In the Workplace, American Society of Anesthesiologists, Practice Management Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 17, 2020
- Religious Accommodation in the Workplace, Virginia State Bar Annual Meeting, June 2016
- Hot Topics in Employment Law, Sterling Education, Richmond, Virginia, February 2014
- FMLA – Tools and Tips for Compliance, Lord Fairfax Community College Workforce Solutions, Middletown, Virginia, November 2013
- The Family and Medical Leave Act: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We’re Going, Lord Fairfax Community College Workforce Solutions, Middletown, Virginia, March 2013
- The New ADA Landscape: Developments in Disability Law After the ADAAA Amendments, US Law Women’s Collection, Austin, Texas, April 2012
- ADA Reasonable Accommodations and Examinations, Charlottesville, Virginia, February 2011
- “Will You Be My Friend?” What Employers Need to Know About Social Networking,LeClairRyan Webinar, Richmond, Virginia, January 2011
- Employment Law Implications of Social Networking, Virginia Association of Non-Profit Homes for the Aging, Richmond, Virginia, November 2010
- What’s Keeping Employers Up at Night, in the Courts, or in the Minor Leagues: Recent Court and Regulatory Developments including Changes to FMLA, LeClairRyan Labor & Employment Law Update, Virginia Beach, Virginia, April 2008
- Employee Leave for $200, Alex: It’s Jeopardy on Employee Leave Statutes, LeClairRyan Labor & Employment Law Update, Charlottesville, Virginia, Spring 2007
- What’s Hot in Virginia Employment Law: An Overview of Recent Trends and Case Developments, Current Developments in Employment Law, Albemarle-Charlottesville Human Resources Association, Charlottesville, Virginia, May 25, 2006
- What’s New In Employment Law, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice, Virginia Beach, 2006
- Fair Labor Standards Act Litigation in Schools, Virginia School Boards Association Annual Convention, Williamsburg, Virginia, November 2003
- Hiring and Firing: How to Do it Right, SES Employment Law Update, Richmond, Virginia, September 23, 2003