Attorneys at Our Firm

Northern Virginia Employment Lawyers

YOUR RIGHTS MATTER • YOU DESERVE TO BE FREE FROM HARASSMENT • YOU DESERVE TO WORK

Our job is to understand your rights. Give our Northern Virginia employment lawyers a call or come in for a consultation to find out if we can help you protect your rights.

Workplace Discrimination

A workplace should not be discriminatory. It should not be hostile. These sorts of environments chip away at the self-confidence of employees and prevent individuals from taking pride in their work. These environments can also create additional stress, causing individuals to lose sleep or develop other stress-related health disorders. Individuals undergoing harassment or discrimination at work can see their personal lives suffer, bringing tension into their homes and straining relationships with friends and family. When these situations arise, our Northern Virginia employment attorneys can help.

We can help you get the compensation you deserve, such as lost wages, compensation for emotional harm, or future wages that you would have earned if you had been treated fairly.

Our firm handles wage and hour disputes under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), discrimination and harassment matters, civil rights complaints, Family and Medical Leave Act issues, wrongful termination complaints, and matters in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In short, we handle almost every sort of claim involving employee rights.

Within the Washington, D.C. metro area, it is critical to understand the various interactions between the federal government, state governments, and private businesses. Our firm understands those interactions and we can help you navigate your claim through the labyrinth of business relationships, whether you are a federal employee or a contractor, subcontractor, or private employee.

Noncompetition and Nonsolicitation Litigation

Our Northern Virginia employment attorneys work with current and former employees operating under noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements to determine if those agreements are valid and enforceable and, if necessary, to litigate on those grounds.

It is common, especially within the Washington, D.C. metro area and the government contracting world in Virginia, for employees to operate under noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements. A former employer can use a noncompetition or nonsolicitation agreements to acquire an injunction that will stop you from working in a new position or starting a new business.

Noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements should have limitations. Our firm understands those limitations.

Our practice is not limited to litigation. Our attorneys handle contract negotiations, mediations, severance agreements, and any number of other issues. We understand that you are probably not an experienced negotiator. We are. We understand both the business concerns and the legal issues associated with resolving matters, whether inside court or in a meeting room.

Civil Rights

Civil rights claims are a vital part of our practice. These claims range from excessive force claims against police departments and sheriff’s offices to defamation cases on behalf of children. Specifically, civil rights claims can include claims such as:

  • Excessive force
  • False Imprisonment and False Arrest
  • Malicious Prosecution and Abuse of Process
  • Racial Discrimination and Profiling in Commerce
  • Illegal Takings
  • Police Misconduct and Abuse
  • Denial of Public Accommodations on the Basis of Disability
  • Prison Abuses
Education Law

Our firm regularly works with students and teachers involved in the education system.

On behalf of students, we work with victims of school violence, bullying, and students with Individualized Education Programs (“IEPs”) to work through school concerns. When necessary, our firm works through the Section 504 and Americans with Disabilities Act process on behalf of students with disabilities.

On behalf of teachers and staff, we work through workplace issues, disciplinary issues, and contract concerns. Our firm has provided representation in school board proceedings and throughout the lower levels of teacher discipline.

Wage Theft

When an employer fails to pay its employees their due, the employer is failing to respect their employee as an individual. This practice is called wage theft and is unfortunately common. That is why we litigate, negotiate, and mediate cases. Employers are owed a profit if their business is doing well, but they cannot earn that profit by stealing their employees’ wages.

Our lawyers have represented clients who earned less than minimum wage for their labor. We have represented clients who have not been paid their justly earned overtime.

That is What We Call Wage Theft

If your company believes that, in exchange for your salary, you are required to work as many hours as the company wants per week, your company is probably stealing from you.

If you work for a private company and your company is giving you “Comp Time” rather than overtime, your company is probably stealing from you.

If you work long hours for the government, but you do not earn overtime because you are classified as “exempt,” the government might be stealing from you.

Here are a couple of options:

  • Call us at 703-791-9087 and talk to us. If we are in court or in a meeting, we will get back to you shortly.
  • Fill out the form on this website and we will get in touch with you.

Our lawyers also have vibrant practices in general civil litigation, contract disputes, and many other areas of law. Please visit our practice areas page and contact us to see if we can help you with your particular legal needs.

  • Joshua Erlich
    Joshua Erlich jerlich@erlichlawoffice.com

    Josh’s practice focuses heavily on finding ways to use the law to help people who have been treated unfairly. Often times, he litigates employment cases, negotiates severances agreements, or handles other workplace disputes. Other times, though, Josh handles varied matters ranging from assault and defamation to privacy matters and contract matters.

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  • Katherine Herrmann
    Katherine Herrmann kherrmann@erlichlawoffice.com

    Katie is passionate about educating and empowering others, and utilizes her legal experience to help individuals understand and resolve their legal issues. Although interested in a diverse range of legal fields, Katie is enthusiastic about advocating for the rights of others in matters of discrimination, employment issues, and wage and hour disputes at The Erlich Law Office

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Virginia Employment Law Blog