FortneyScott's attorneys are nationally recognized alumni of large law firms and the federal government who have joined to provide individually tailored professional services to our clients.  We take pride in knowing our clients and their businesses, and in understanding how we can add value to clients in addressing their workplace challenges.

David S. Fortney has practiced law for over 25 years; he provides broad-based experience and expertise in labor and employment matters.  Mr. Fortney, who is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, has been recognized as one of the leading employment lawyers in Washington, DC by the CHAMBERS USA survey of America's Leading Lawyers for Business from 2005 through 2011, and has been awarded an "AV" rating (the highest level) by Martindale-Hubbell.  Additionally, based on three independent surveys of other attorneys, he was listed in the 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of The Best Lawyers in America and included in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 edition of the Washington DC’s Best Lawyers and Washington, DC Super Lawyers. Mr. Fortney's practice focuses on a wide array of compliance initiatives and litigation matters involving wage and hour, compensation, Equal Employment Opportunity and labor matters.  Mr. Fortney advises clients in developing and implementing strategic plans involving federal agencies, Congress, and the press that enhance a client's reputation and take into account the interests of various stakeholders, including stockholders, the workforce, and customers.  Mr. Fortney served as the Acting Solicitor of Labor and held other senior policy positions in the U.S. Department of Labor.  His practice continues to involve the federal agencies regulating the workplace.  He recently served on the Presidential Task Force on the 21st Century Workplace and testified before Congress and a state legislative committee on the overtime regulations.  Mr. Fortney also serves as an expert on wage and hour matters.  Send E-Mail

Jacqueline R. Scott has been in practice for over 25 years.  Ms. Scott has significant experience and expertise in adjudicating both U.S. and international commercial and employment disputes.  She formerly served as the United States' Member and First Vice President of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, the seven-member, independent appellate forum of last resort that adjudicates claims made by United Nations employees, worldwide. She practices regularly in the fields of international and U.S. employment and workplace law, including executive compensation, tax, wage and hour, and federal contractors' nondiscrimination and affirmative action matters. Ms. Scott is based in Washington, DC and also regularly adjudicates international disputes in both New York, NY and Geneva, Switzerland.  Send E-Mail

Emily L. Bristol has experience representing public and private employers in litigation and before various state and federal agencies and courts, as well as counseling and advising companies and management on EEOC, FMLA, FLSA, ADEA, and ADA compliance. Ms. Bristol has assisted clients in ensuring best practices are used in hiring, terminations, and other disciplinary procedures, including conducting and overseeing workplace investigations. She also represented employers in negotiating and implementing collective bargaining agreements with union organizations. Ms. Bristol graduated from the Duquesne University School of Law, with honors, and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania as well as before various federal courts. Send E-mail

Burton J. Fishman has devoted his practice to developing the "law of the workplace," an interdisciplinary approach that offers employers counsel and representation on a broad range of matters growing out of government regulation of business.  Mr. Fishman is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and was named as a Washington, DC SuperLawyer 2007 in the employment and labor practice by Washington Law & Politics magazine.  Mr. Fishman served as the Deputy Solicitor for National Operations for the U.S. Department of Labor during the George H. W. Bush administration.  Mr. Fishman is co-chair (management) of the Federal Legislative Developments Committee of the American Bar Association's Labor/Employment Law Section and serves as a member of its Equal Employment Opportunity Committee.  He also is a widely recognized author of over 50 books and articles on workplace issues.  Send E-mail

Judith E. Kramer has a broad-based practice in labor and employment law.  She has over 25 years of experience with the U.S. Department of Labor, where she served for 16 years as Deputy Solicitor for Planning and Coordination, the highest-ranking career employee in the Office of the Solicitor.  She provided legal advice to the Solicitor of Labor and other high-ranking Department of Labor officials on matters relating to wage and hour laws, civil rights and affirmative action, occupational safety and health, mine safety and health, black lung and longshore benefits, and administrative law.  Ms. Kramer provides clients with extensive expertise on compliance and enforcement matters involving the Department of Labor and other federal agencies.  Send E-Mail

Steven R. Semler has been representing management in labor and employment law for over 35 years and has extensive experience in defending the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s citations and in representing trade associations during the OSHA standards promulgation hearings process. He has effectively counseled employers through all the steps of the OSHA process and has successfully defended hundreds of OSHA citations, often to the point of citation withdrawal or favorable settlement for the employer. Mr. Semler has represented employers at OSHA standards promulgation proceedings, such as the original Electric Power Generation Standard, the proposed recent amendments to that standard, the Electric Safe Work Practice Standard, and, most recently, the pending Crane and Derrick Standard.  Send E-Mail

Susan M. Webman has been practicing law for over 25 years.  Ms. Webman has significant experience and expertise in U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs labor and employment matters, including the laws governing veterans' rights, labor-management matters such as union-related LM-10 and LM-30 reporting obligations, the DOL regulatory processes and the International Labor Organization and other international labor matters.  She is also well-versed in the Department's regulatory process.  Ms. Webman served as the Counsel for International Affairs/Opinions, for the Division of Labor-Management Laws at the U.S. Department of Labor during the George H. W. Bush and William J. Clinton administrations.  She was the principal DOL drafter for the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act ("USERRA"), coordinated and led the Executive Branch interagency task force and worked with the White House and Congress prior to its enactment. Send E-mail

Melineh B. Verma has over ten years representing employers through litigation and mediation before state and federal agencies and courts, as well as counseling and training public, private, and non-for-profit companies in all aspects of employment law, including advising employers on discrimination claims and reasonable accomodation questions, conducting internal investigations, and negotiating and drafting employment agreements for senior executives. Ms. Verma has represented and counseled employers at Steptoe & Johnson and Wilmer Hale. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and is admitted to practice in D.C., Maryland, and various federal courts. Send E-mail