Connie focuses her practice on whistleblower, trade secrets, government contractors and employee mobility counseling and litigation. She frequently conducts confidential internal investigations involving executive-level employees, including alleged fraud, theft or misuse of company data, trade secrets, sexual harassment and code of conduct violations. She routinely counsels, investigates and litigates restrictive covenant and trade secrets disputes between employers and former employees.
Connie has defended complex whistleblower, trade secrets and restrictive covenant litigation across the United States, including claims brought under Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, the False Claims Act and other federal and state employment and whistleblower provisions. Connie also advises clients regarding the development and implementation of effective whistleblower and business ethics policies and programs, the investigation of whistleblower complaints, and the handling of current employees who have “blown the whistle.”
Additionally, Connie advises federal government contractors and subcontractors on the many unique employment, affirmative action and other compliance issues that arise in the government contracts setting, including:
- Investigating and defending False Claims Act and other whistleblower complaints
- Conducting internal EEO and pay equity audits and investigations
- Advising contractors and subcontractors with respect to all aspects of Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Service Contract Act (SCA), and Davis-Bacon Act compliance and defending OFCCP and Department of Labor audits and enforcement proceedings
Clients Connie represent include domestic and multinational organizations in the defense, energy, technology, food service, professional services, real estate and health care industries.
A frequent speaker on a variety of labor and employment, litigation and government contractor compliance issues, Connie regularly speaks at programs, seminars and training conferences concerning the whistleblower provisions of the FCA, SOX and Dodd-Frank, OFCCP compliance, pay equity issues, steps employers should take to address the #metoo movement, sexual harassment and whistleblower policies and investigations, and the development and use of forensic data in litigation. She presents at national conferences and conventions concerning these and other topics, including the American Bar Association Annual Conference, the Industry Liaison Group and the Urban Land Institute. She has been quoted on these and other topics by the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Legal Times, Compliance Weekly, Law360, Corporate Counsel, Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Business Week, SHRM, HR Drive, ACC and Human Resources Executive.
Connie is the author of Sarbanes-Oxley: A New Whistle Stop for Whistleblowers published in the Labor Lawyer. She authors chapters regarding employment law for the D.C. Bar Manual and is the author of Chamber’s Regional Guide: Employment Law – District of Columbia.
