Laura Cottington Walter

Overview

Laura Cottington Walter focuses her practice on a broad range of labor and employment matters. Laura represents both public and private sector employers in employment issues, grievance arbitrations, and employment-related litigation in matters before federal and state courts as well as federal and state agencies.  Laura has experience defending employers against discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act; wage and hour claims; claims under various state employment laws; and in whistleblower actions.  Laura’s diverse experience also includes litigating collective/class wage-and-hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws. 

Laura also routinely navigates traditional labor matters, including representing management in election and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, in collective bargaining, and in labor arbitrations.  Along with her litigation work, Laura provides clients with day-to-day counseling on federal and state laws governing employment relationships, as well as drafting employment agreements, restrictive covenants, employee handbooks, and employer policies and procedures.

Before joining private practice, Laura served as a judicial intern to The Honorable Cathy Bissoon of the U.S. District Court (W.D. PA). She conducted legal research, prepared bench memoranda, drafted judicial opinions and court orders on a variety of civil and criminal cases, while observing and assisting the judge in courtroom proceedings and pretrial conferences.