Vedder Price

Labor and Employment

Shareholder

Ms. Amy L. Bess' employment litigation experience includes the representation of employers before U.S. state and federal courts and administrative agencies, defending against claims of race, sex, disability and age discrimination; sexual harassment; whistleblower retaliation; restrictive-covenant disputes; wrongful termination; and wage and hour violations. She regularly counsels clients in all of these areas, drafts and negotiates employment and severance agreements, conducts on-site workplace investigations, presents training seminars and speaks to employer groups on avoiding workplace problems. Ms. Bess also has experience advising clients regarding their public accommodation obligations under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and representing clients in litigation involving related claims.

Ms. Bess has extensive first-chair bench trial, jury trial and arbitration experience. She also is experienced in the defense of complex class action litigation, including wage and hour collective actions and pattern or practice litigation brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Ms. Bess is actively involved in a number of non-profit and charitable organizations. She is a board member and  serves as general counsel for Everybody Wins!, a charity in the district focusing on promoting children's' literacy. She is also a member of the board of the District of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In 2019 she was awarded the Tom Nees Award for Exceptional Service by Community of Hope, a non-profit organization pursuing a mission to aid low-income families experiencing homelessness and struggling with healthcare needs, in recognition of her long-standing, deeply-impactful service to the women, men and children who turn to Community of Hope for help.

Member, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section Member, District of Columbia Bar, Labor and Employment Section Chair, District of Columbia Bar Pro Bono Committee Board Member, Women’s Bar Association Foundation of the District of Columbia Member, Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (served three-year elected term on Board of Directors) Board Member and General Counsel, Everybody Wins! DC (children’s literacy nonprofit organization)

Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1987 Illinois State University, B.S., 1982, summa cum laude