Dawn represents employers in employment litigation, with a particular focus on trials and appeals. She also advises them on compliance with the complex web of intersecting employment laws.
Clients around the country look to Dawn to develop a winning trial strategy in employment cases. Her deep trial experience informs her defense strategy from the very outset of each litigation. At every stage of the case, she is mindful of preparing the case to maximize the chances of prevailing at summary judgment or trial. She has successfully tried many cases to verdict.
As a Co-Lead of Seyfarth's Appellate team, Dawn has significant experience representing employers in high-stakes appeals and post-trial motions in federal and state courts around the country. She has handled appeals in numerous jurisdictions involving claims including discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower, defamation, and related tort and contract claims.
Dawn's vast knowledge in both trials and appeals is a rare combination that provides tremendous value to clients. For instance, due to her appellate experience, she is well-equipped at trial to ensure that her clients' objections are adequately preserved for appeal. Based on her trial experience, Dawn is highly skilled in challenging adverse jury verdicts in post-trial motions and on appeal. She views the record through the lens of a trial attorney to identify where there is a reversible error and how to select the most compelling arguments for appeal.
Dawn is a member of the firm’s Health Emergency & Infectious Diseases Task Force. She is at the forefront of defending employers against vaccine litigation nationwide and regularly counsels client employers on COVID-19 vaccination issues.
Employment counseling is a significant offering in Dawn's practice. She actively listens to her clients, understands their business needs, and provides practical advice on numerous counseling questions, such as managing employee performance, conducting a harassment investigation, or evaluating requests for leave or accommodation. Dawn is a founding member and co-lead of Seyfarth’s Cultural Flashpoints Task Force. That task force recognizes that workplaces are not immune from polarization in American society and helps employers navigate cultural conflicts in the workplace from a legal perspective.
Dawn has extensive knowledge and skill in helping clients navigate requests for religious accommodation, such as requests for time off for Sabbath observance, prayer breaks, or modification of work uniforms for religious reasons. Dawn helps employers understand the legal framework and partners with them to consider accommodation options and challenges and respond effectively to accommodation requests. She is a frequently published author on the hot-button topic of religious accommodation and discrimination.