Columbia Employment Lawyer

Columbia Employment Attorney and Labor Law Serving Employers and Employees

Joyce E. Smithey is an experienced employment and labor law attorney and a Partner at the law firm of Smithey Law Group LLC. She represents employers and employees in Columbia, MD in matters ranging from discrimination claims to disputes involving non-competition covenants.

With more than 18 years of transactional and litigation experience, our Columbia employment lawyer offers a wealth of insights for companies and individuals facing employment contract negotiations and employment-related disputes.

With a diverse employment law background, she is also available to provide comprehensive compliance and risk mitigation counseling to companies of all sizes with offices in Maryland.

As Columbia continues to grow into one of Maryland’s leading business and technology centers, both new and established employers in the area must continue to make sound employment practices a top priority.

As the author of the Fourth Edition of Maryland Rules Commentary, contributing author to the MSBA Maryland Employment Law Deskbook, and a regular contributor to the Metropolitan Washington Employment and Labor Lawyers Association’s newsletter and The Employee Advocate, Ms. Smithey is recognized as an authority in the areas of Maryland and federal employment law.

Her clients include small businesses, major corporations, and employees in both the public and private sectors. If you need a Columbia employment lawyer in MD, contact Ms. Smithey to arrange an initial consultation today.

Areas of Practice Our Columbia Employment Lawyers Handle

Focusing her practice exclusively in the areas of Maryland and federal employment law, our experienced Columbia employment lawyer devotes her practice to representing employers and employees in the following types of matters:

• Compliance and Claim Prevention – Representation of Maryland-based employers in all matters pertaining to state and federal employment law compliance.
• Discrimination – Representation in administrative proceedings and litigation involving allegations of discrimination based upon age, disability, family responsibilities, genetic status, marital status, national origin, political opinion, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation. An experienced Columbia employment attorney can make a big difference in how such cases are handled.
• Employment Contract Matters – Representation in contract and severance negotiations, enforcement of restrictive covenants, and employment contract-related disputes.
• Equal Pay Act Violations – Representation in claims involving allegations of unlawful gender-based wage disparity. Our aggressive employment lawyer handles cases that are brought up by either employees or employers.
• ERISA Matters – Representation in all matters under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including retaliation claims.
• Medical Leave Issues – Representation in disputes involving violations of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and other medical leave-related issues.
• Retaliation and Reprisal – Representation with regard to claims involving termination and employment discrimination based on employees who report improper activity (whistleblowers) and engage in other protected activities.
• Sexual Harassment – Representation in claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sexual harassment and other forms of sexual discrimination in the workplace. A dedicated Columbia employment attorney, Joyce E. Smithey represents both employers and employees.
• Wage and Hour Issues – Representation in disputes involving violations of the Maryland Wage and Hour Law or the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including discrimination based upon age and immigration status.
• WARN Act Violations – Representation in claims alleging insufficient notice of plant closings and large-scale layoffs under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.
• Workplace Privacy – Representation in matters involving technology-related privacy issues, including access to employee email and social media accounts.
• Wrongful Discharge – Representation in wrongful termination disputes involving allegations of discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract, and other improper grounds for dismissal.

Our highly skilled Columbia employment lawyer can assist you with these matters.

Compensation You Can Recover in a Columbia Employment Case

When you file any type of claim to enforce your employment rights, the goal of the claim is sometimes to be reinstated into your former position or to end the discrimination or harassment.

However, the most common type of remedy sought is financial compensation, which can be obtained for a variety of things:

• Lost wages
• Unpaid wages or overtime
• Lost benefits
• Unpaid bonuses
• Cost of job search
• Punitive damages for egregious wrongdoing
• Emotional anguish
• And more

Our experienced Columbia employment lawyer at Smithey Law Group LLC can look over the facts of your case and help you determine which types of damages are available.

How Do I File a Complaint in Columbia?

If you are pursuing a claim based on federal anti-discrimination law, you can file your claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. You have 180 days from the discriminating event to file your complaint.

And if you choose to file on a state level instead, you would file with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Their deadline is two years from the time of the event. So do not delay. Talk to Joyce E. Smithey, a trusted Columbia employment attorney, as soon as possible. She has seen it all and can help you to decide and implement your best course of action.

Why Choose Smithey Law Group: Our Awards and Recognition

Our dedicated Columbia employment attorney Joyce E. Smithey has received numerous awards and accolades during her distinguished legal career in Maryland. As a result of her reputation, our Columbia labor lawyer has been engaged to represent clients in several prominent cases, and she has been quoted by multiple media outlets, including the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post. Ms. Smithey’s awards and recognition include:

• Maryland Super Lawyer in the area of Employment and Labor Law
• Maryland’s Top 50 Women Attorneys, as published by Baltimore Magazine
• Frequent press interviews on employment-related cases, including on NPR’s All Things Considered

In addition to her regular practice, our talented Columbia labor attorney serves on the Employment and Labor Law Hotline for the Women’s Law Center, teaches in the Workplace Street Law Program, and teaches seminars and law school courses on topics in the areas of employment and labor law.

Contact Columbia Employment Lawyer Joyce E. Smithey

If you are an employer or employee in Columbia, MD in need of legal representation, contact Columbia employment attorney Joyce E. Smithey for an initial consultation. To discuss your legal needs in confidence, call (410) 919-2990 or send Ms. Smithey a message online today.

Serving Every Neighborhood in Columbia

At Smithey Law Group, we represent employees and employers throughout Columbia and the surrounding Howard County communities. From the bustling offices and retail centers around Columbia Town Center to the residential villages that make up one of Maryland’s largest planned communities, our Columbia employment lawyers understand the workplace challenges facing individuals and businesses throughout the area.

We proudly serve clients across Columbia, including:

• Town Center: The heart of Columbia, Town Center is home to major employers, professional offices, healthcare facilities, retail businesses, and corporate headquarters surrounding The Mall in Columbia and Lake Kittamaqundi.
• Hickory Ridge: A well-established residential village with professionals who commute throughout Howard County, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
• Harper’s Choice: One of Columbia’s original villages, Harper’s Choice features established neighborhoods and residents employed across a variety of industries.
• Long Reach: Located in northeastern Columbia, Long Reach includes diverse residential communities, local businesses, and growing commercial areas.
• Oakland Mills: Oakland Mills is a vibrant village with residential neighborhoods, schools, small businesses, and employees working throughout the Columbia area.
• Owen Brown: One of Columbia’s largest villages, Owen Brown is home to thousands of residents and professionals employed in healthcare, education, government, and technology.
• River Hill: River Hill is an affluent western Columbia village known for its residential communities, highly rated schools, and professionals working throughout central Maryland.
• Kings Contrivance: This established village offers a mix of residential neighborhoods and convenient access to major employment centers along U.S. Route 29 and I-95.
• Wilde Lake: As Columbia’s first village, Wilde Lake includes residential communities, government offices, educational facilities, and nearby businesses.
• Dorsey’s Search: Located near Columbia Town Center, Dorsey’s Search features residential neighborhoods and professionals commuting to nearby corporate offices and business parks.

Whether you’re facing workplace discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage disputes, retaliation, employment contract issues, or employer compliance concerns, Smithey Law Group is proud to serve clients throughout every village and neighborhood in Columbia.