Partner
Miami Center, Suite 2600
201 S Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33131-4341
305.679.5728 tel
305.679.5710 fax


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Laurie Chess defends employers in civil rights and other employment-related litigation, including litigation under federal laws, such as Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and their state law counterparts. She has also represented employers in class action cases involving allegations of institutional discrimination in terms of promotion, discipline, compensation, and termination. Ms. Chess also represents employers involved in administrative proceedings before the EEOC and state agencies.

Ms. Chess devotes a significant part of her practice to counseling employers on the development and implementation of policies and practices to minimize exposure to litigation, advising and defending employers in non-competition issues, and training management-level employees on various aspects of labor and employment law. Ms. Chess frequently speaks at seminars designed for human resource professionals and attorneys concerning these and other aspects of labor and employment law.

Ms. Chess also assists employers with obtaining temporary visas for foreign employees and providing employers with general immigration advice, such as I-9 compliance and national origin discrimination.

In addition, she currently serves as office head for the firm's Miami office.

Representative Matters

• A defense judgment in a federal jury trial in Chicago, Illinois on behalf of a national automotive retailer and several individual defendants. The plaintiff claimed employment harassment and discrimination based on national origin and religion, among other claims.
• A judgment in a lawsuit to enforce a non-competition agreement brought in Louisiana State Court, Plaquemines Parish, on behalf of an engineering services firm.
  
• A defense verdict in an age discrimination and workers’ compensation retaliation case tried before a federal jury in Evansville, Indiana, on behalf of a national automotive retailer.
• A defense verdict in a disability and retaliation case tried by a jury in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, on behalf of a national automotive retailer.
• A defense verdict in a hostile work environment and retaliation case tried by a jury in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, on behalf of a national automotive retailer.
• Advised government contractor on policies and procedures regarding downsizing and FLSA compliance.
• A defense verdict in a national origin and religion discrimination and retaliation case tried by jury in federal court in Chicago, Illinois, on behalf of a national automotive retailer.
• A defense verdict in an age discrimination case tried by a jury in a federal court in Des Moines, Iowa, on behalf of an interstate travel plaza company.
• A defense verdict in a race discrimination and retaliation case tried by a jury  in a federal court in Indianapolis, Indiana, on behalf of an interstate travel plaza company.
• Numerous summary judgments in state and federal courts and successful appeals to the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits.

Reported Decisions

• Smotherman v. Flying J, 2007 WL 18475
• Verdin v. AutoZone, 2007 WL 4260913
• Lumpkin, et al v. CCBC Unltd., 216 F.R.D. 3rd
• Armstrong v. Standard Furniture, 197 Fed. Appx. 830
• Armstrong v. Standard Furniture, 2005 WL 2008 514 
• Cooper v. Flying J, 2007 WL 4211027
• El Bakly v. AutoZone, 2009 WL 65717
  

News

• Jones Walker Announces New Partners, Office Heads, and Board of Directors Members
• Kern and Chess Successfully Defend Client in Discrimination Case
• Jones Walker Prevails in Age Discrimination Case
• Jones Walker Presents Annual Labor & Employment Seminar
• Jones Walker Presents Health Care Seminar
• Jones Walker Presents Annual Labor & Employment Seminar

Presentations

• "Mid-Term Congressional Elections Mean Changes, But Not Necessarily The Changes You Want" (New Orleans), April 12, 2011
• "Health Care Fraud & Compliance: Updates, Trends, and Where To Go From Here" (Fort Lauderdale), November 10, 2010
• "The Times They Are A-Changing: Change is What the Obama Administration Promised, and Change is What We've Got" (New Orleans), March 11, 2010
• "Employee Discharge and Documentation in Louisiana", May 9, 2007
• "To Hire or Not to Hire...That is the Question", June 27, 2006

Publications

• Louisiana Employment Law Letter
  2006

Memberships

• American Immigration Lawyers Association
• Florida State Bar Association
• Louisiana State Bar Association (Member, Section of Labor and Employment Law)
• Society for Human Resource Management