Melissa Pierre-Louis Washington

---

MELISSA E. PIERRE-LOUIS WASHINGTON is the founding member of the Washington Law Firm PLLC. She was a former partner at Outten & Golden LLP in New York and Washington D.C., where she successfully represented employees in litigation and negotiation in all areas of employment law for over a decade, including individual discrimination and retaliation claims, sexual harassment, whistleblower claims, contractual claims, and wage and hour actions. Ms. Washington also handles a variety of professional and executive compensation and benefits matters, including the negotiation of employment contracts, severance agreements, and restrictive covenants. Ms. Washington has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in 2017, 2018, 2020-2023, by LawDragon as the 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers in 2020-2023, and by Best Lawyers in America in 2024 and 2025. Ms. Washington is a seasoned litigator with substantial experience representing plaintiffs in both individual and class action cases in state and federal courts, as well as before FINRA and administrative agencies. She also works with clients to avoid litigation where appropriate, and to craft unique solutions to clients’ problems through a combination of negotiation, mediation and alternative dispute resolution.

Ms. Washington is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association, the Washington Bar Association, the New York State and City Bar Associations, and the New Jersey State Bar Association. She is the former co-chair of the FMLA subcommittee of ABA Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee. She is also the former Chair of the National Employment Lawyers Association's Lawyers of Color Committee.

• Ms. Washington is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey. 
• Ms. Washington is admitted to the following federal courts: The United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York.
• Co-Chair, FMLA subcommittee of ABA Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee
• Member, American Bar Association (ABA) Labor and Employment Law Section
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, New York City Bar Association
• Member, New Jersey State Bar Association
• Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
• Member, Maryland Bar Association
• Member, Virginia Bar Association
• Former Chair, National Employment Lawyers Association's Lawyers of Color Committee

Speaker: "Harassment in a Remote Workplace," ABA 15th Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference, Beverly Hills, CA, 2021

Speaker: "On-Site Working During Covid: Legal Challenges and Strategic Approaches," The College of Labor and Employment Law, Webinar, 2020

Speaker: "Race and Discussion Series, Equity In The Workplace: Still a Civil Right," The Social Justice and Political Action Committee of the Washington Bar Association, Washington, DC, 2019

Speaker: "Understanding the Complexities of On-Ramping and Off-Ramping in Financial Services," Council of Urban Professionals and the Robert Toigo Foundation Alumni Association, New York, NY, 2017

Speaker: "Employee Performance and Termination: Key considerations under the FMLA and ADA," Live webcast, 2016

Speaker: "The FMLA," American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee Midwinter Meeting, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 2015

Speaker: "The FMLA 20 Years Later," American Bar Association, 9th Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference, Philadelphia, PA, 2015

Speaker: "Workplace Investigations Essentials: What to Know When Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations," American Bar Association, Webinar, 2015

Speaker: "Pregnancy In The Workplace: Employers' and Employees' Rights and Obligations," American Bar Association, Webinar, 2015

Speaker: "Handling Requests for Leave and Religious and Disability Accommodations," New York City Bar Employment Law Institute, New York, NY, 2015

Speaker: "Title VII Essentials," American Bar Association, Webinar, 2014

Speaker: "Return to Work—If You Can! How to Use the ADA & Rehabilitation Act to Your Client's Advantage," NELA, 2014 Annual Convention: Blazing the Trail, Courage, Challenge, Change, Boston, MA, 2014

Panelist: "Let's Be Reasonable: Questions, Concerns and Practical Considerations of Accommodating Employees with Mental Disabilities," The Association of Black Women Attorneys and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, New York, NY, 2013

Speaker: "Mixed-Motive Defense in Employment Discrimination Cases," Strafford Publications, CLE Webinar, 2013

Lecturer: "Litigating Disability Discrimination Claims under the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008,"  Cardozo School of Law, 2013

Speaker: "Representing People with Conviction Histories in Employment Matters," The New York City Conference on Representing Employee

D.C. Should Ban Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination, Melissa Pierre-Louis Washington and Mikael Rojas, The Washington Lawyer, January/February 2020

The Family and Medical Leave Act, 2nd Edition, Melissa E. Pierre-Louis, senior editor, Bloomberg BNA, 2018

The Family and Medical Leave Act: 2015 Cumulative Supplement, Cara E. Greene, Chapter 10 Editor, Melissa Pierre-Louis Associate Editor, ABA/BNA Books, 2015

Recruiting Talent without Liability: Avoiding Conflicts and Disqualification in Lateral Hiring, Melissa E. Pierre-Louis, American Bar Association Midwinter Meeting, 2011

The Final Regulation to the ADA Amendments Act: Redefining What it Means to Be 'Disabled' Under the Act, Melissa E. Pierre-Louis, Employment Law Strategist, 2011

Impact Matters: How Lewis v. City of Chicago Saved the Timeliness of Disparate Impact Claims, Melissa E. Pierre-Louis, NELA Employee Advocate, 2010

IVEY BEST is an experienced practitioner skilled at offering honest and compassionate legal advice to best serve clients’ needs. Ms. Best attended Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating from law school, Ms. Best moved to Washington, D.C. where she represents employees in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower, wage and hour, and wrongful termination matters. Ms. Best has guided hundreds of clients through every stage of the employment legal process, including at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and throughout the entire civil litigation process in state and federal court. Ms. Best has served as trial counsel in multiple federal jury trials, including winning jury verdicts for employees who suffered illegal discrimination in the workplace. 

• Ms. Best is admitted to practice in Alabama and Washington, D.C.
• Ms. Best is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Admission to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia is pending.
• Member, National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
• Member, Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA) 

Speaker: “Privilege Logs and In Camera Review,” NELA/AL 2021

“This is My Doula, She’s Also My Lawyer” 50 Cumb. L. Rev 175 (2020)

DESIREE LANGLEY is a dedicated and strategic employment law attorney who brings a well-rounded perspective to every case. With experience on both the plaintiff and defense sides, Ms. Langley offers unique insights into complex employment matters, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, whistleblower claims, and wrongful termination.

Prior to joining the Washington Law Firm, Ms. Langley represented employers in employment law matters, managing cases involving Title VII, the ADA, FMLA, Section 1981, and various state law claims. This experience allows Ms. Langley to anticipate and navigate challenges in litigation while maintaining a strong commitment to advocating for employees’ rights.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Langley worked at a civil rights firm, where she focused on class action discrimination and consumer protection cases, while also handling plaintiff-side employment matters. This experience has equipped Ms. Langley with the tools to effectively guide clients through the complexities of the legal process, from pre-litigation strategy to trial.

With a deep understanding of both employer and employee perspectives and goals, Ms. Langley  is committed to providing compassionate, client-centered legal representation and achieving the best possible outcomes for employees facing workplace injustices. Ms. Langley has appeared before the EEOC and in state and federal courts, and is driven to advocate for justice in the workplace.

• Ms. Langley is admitted to practice in Virginia and Washington, D.C. 
• Ms. Langley is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

• Understanding the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, DCSHRM Annual Summit, February 25, 2025
• Creating and Maintaining a Positive Work Environment Through DEI and Anti-Discrimination Efforts, Jackson Lewis, November 13, 2024
• The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: What You Need to Know, Jackson Lewis Government Contractor Employment Law Symposium, October 24, 2024
• Essential Employment and Labor Law Issues for Government Contractors: Navigating Compliance and Best Practices, ACC National Capital Region, October 23, 2024
• What Does the Supreme Court's Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. Ruling Mean for Employers?, DCSHRM DEI Forum, September 12, 2023

KATLYN PALMATIER is a passionate advocate for employee rights and provides a dedicated and individualized approach to each client's needs. Ms. Palmatier first joined the firm as a law clerk before graduating from Cardozo Law School in New York City. While at Cardozo, Ms. Palmatier worked in the Bet Tzedek Civil Litigation Clinic, representing older and disabled New Yorkers. Ms. Palmatier has prior internship experience in LGBTQ rights at the NYC Legal Aid Society LGBTQ+ Law and Policy Unit and the Kurland Group in New York City.

Ms. Palmatier works on employment discrimination and retaliation matters under federal, state, and local laws. She has experience working on claims concerning race discrimination, gender discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, age discrimination, disability discrimination, FMLA retaliation and interference, and other employment-related matters.

• Ms. Palmatier is admitted to practice law in New York.
• Ms. Palmatier is admitted to practice in The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, LGBT Bar Association of New York
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Member, New York City Bar Association

Speaker: "Thinking Outside of the Binary: Bostock v. Clayton County," Lightning Presentations on Critical Employment Law Topics, NELA/NY, Webinar 2022