H. Juanita Beecher
H. JUANITA BEECHER
OF COUNSEL
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Tele: (202) 689-1200 | Fax: (202) 689-1209
nbeecher@fortneyscott.com
H. Juanita (Nita) Beecher, Of Counsel to Fortney & Scott, LLC, advises clients on a broad range of employment law issues with her primary focus on issues involving discrimination, affirmative action, compensation, and wage and hour matters. She serves as Legal Counsel for The Institute for Workplace Equality and co-editor of the Federal Employment Law Insider, a monthly newsletter updating employers on federal laws and regulations and presents webinars on federal employment law issues. In addition to her work with U.S.-based employers, she partners with multinational organizations to advise on global pay transparency and pay equity requirements.
Prior to working for FortneyScott, Ms. Beecher served as in-house counsel in major corporations for over 20 years where she advised in-house clients on labor and employment law issues and developed a self-audit tool for OFCCP audits. Ms. Beecher also spent 10 years leading a networks of senior diversity, EEO, and affirmative action corporate practitioners and of one for in-house labor and employment counsel.
In 2011-2012, Ms. Beecher served as one of ten experts on the National Research Council of the National Academies panel which produced the NAS report, Collecting Compensation Data from Employers, requested by EEOC.
Ms. Beecher has been a regular speaker at many professional meetings, including the annual NILG conferences since 2004.
Firm Practices
- Washington DC Expertise
- EEOC Compliance
- Inclusion and Opportunity
- Federal Contractor Compliance
- Pay Equity
- Wage & Hour
- Workplace Investigations
Professional Activities
- Member, Academy of Science Expert Study On Measuring and Collecting Pay Information from US Employers by Gender, Race and National Origin
- Member, American Bar Association, Equal Employment Committee
- Member, North Carolina Bar Association
- Member, St. Louis ILG
Admitted to Practice
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- District of Columbia
- North Carolina
- Western District of Pennsylvania
Education
- University of North Carolina School
of Law (J.D.); (A.B.)
Nita Beecher's Speaking Engagements:
- 5/1/2026 – Employers Counsel Network Conference, “Update on Federal Employment Law.” Read more and register here.
- 4/28/2026 – FortneyScott Webinar, “FAR Council Implements EO 14398: Federal Contractor Compliance Obligations Begin.” Watch here.
- 4/9/2026 – DC Insider – Employer Update, “EO 14398 and the Procurement Power Play: Compliance, Contracts, and Consequences.” Listen here.
- 4/9/2026 – FortneyScott Workplace Legal Compliance Webinar Series, “Part III: Trump Administration Increases DEI Pressure.” Watch here.
- 3/3/2026 – FortneyScott Workplace Legal Compliance Webinar Series, “Part II: What to Expect from DOL.” Watch here.
- 2/24/2026 – DC Insider – Employer Update, “Trump Administration Continues to Push Against DEI.” Listen here.
- 2/3/2026 – FortneyScott Workplace Legal Compliance Webinar Series, “Part I: What to Expect from EEOC.” Watch here.
- 1/20/2026 – DC Insider – Employer Update, “State of Civil Rights Under Trump 2.0.” Listen
here.
The Directive is driving a significant shift in compensation reporting and transparency across the EU, and requires employers to disclose salary ranges to applicants, share internal pay-setting criteria, and conduct gender pay reporting. With the June 7, 2026, deadline for Member States to transpose the Directive into national law, employers need to understand their compliance obligations and prepare for unresolved implementation questions. In this webinar, FortneyScott attorneys will help U.S. companies with operations in the EU understand the Directive’s requirements, including how they differ from U.S. compliance frameworks. We will discuss best practice lessons that can be adopted from U.S. pay transparency and reporting laws and, importantly, provide key contrasts of the U.S. practices that are not applicable in the EU. Key topics include: The Directive’s scope and coverage Reporting obligations under the Directive Status of Member State transposition Practical compliance steps employers can take now Who should attend. This webinar is designed for in-house counsel, HR leaders, and senior professionals at multi-national organizations responsible for compensation, benefits, and employment law compliance.
Join FortneyScott attorneys on Thursday, June 11, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT for a complimentary webinar on the European Union (“EU”) Pay Transparency Directive (the “Directive”). To register, please click here . The Directive is driving a significant shift in compensation reporting and transparency across the EU, and requires employers to disclose salary ranges to applicants, share internal pay-setting criteria, and conduct gender pay reporting. With the June 7, 2026, deadline for Member States to transpose the Directive into national law, employers need to understand their compliance obligations and prepare for unresolved implementation questions. In this webinar, FortneyScott attorneys will help U.S. companies with operations in the EU understand the Directive’s requirements, including how they differ from U.S. compliance frameworks. We will discuss best practice lessons that can be adopted from U.S. pay transparency and reporting laws and, importantly, provide key contrasts of the U.S. practices that are not applicable in the EU. Key topics include: · The Directive’s scope and coverage · Reporting obligations under the Directive · Status of Member State transposition · Practical compliance steps employers can take now Who should attend. This webinar is designed for in-house counsel, HR leaders, and senior professionals at multi-national organizations responsible for compensation, benefits, and employment law compliance. Register to attend. To register, please click here .
On Thursday, May 14, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued a technical amendment removing the salary threshold increases under 29 C.F.R. Part 541, adopted in April 2024. DOL stated that it was following the decisions made by federal courts in November, and that the amendment reinstated the 2019 salary levels applicable to the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The current salary levels are $684 per week for exempt employees and $107,432 annually for highly compensated employees. This change codifies the enforcement posture DOL has maintained since the 2024 rule was invalidated. While this does not alter current compliance obligations, it resolves regulatory inconsistency by restoring the 2019 framework in the regulations and eliminating the 2024 provisions. Employers should confirm that exemption classifications continue to be evaluated against the reinstated 2019 thresholds and remain attentive to any future rulemaking in this area. Stay tuned. FortneyScott will continue to monitor whether there will be further substantive revisions to the white collar regulations. If so, it is likely be in the DOL’s regulatory agenda, which we understand will be published in the near future. Should you have any questions, please reach out to your FortneyScott attorney.
Federal contractors are facing immediate changes to implement stepped-up efforts to restrict DEI discrimination, including new mandatory contract clauses, expanded audits, and significant potential legal exposure. These far-reaching changes will impact prime contractors and all tiers of subcontractors. Any employer that is a federal contractor should immediately prepare for these new compliance obligations.
DOL Proposes New Joint Employer Standard In an effort to create a uniform, nationwide standard for determining joint employer status, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register on April 23, 2026. The proposed Joint Employer Rule aims to restore a standard similar to the more business-friendly Trump 1.0 rule. Specifically, the proposed rule clarifies when multiple organizations would be considered joint employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act. Comments are due within 60 days of the published date, or June 22, 2026. The proposed rule seeks to end nearly a decade of vacillating rules, as both the Trump and Biden administrations had tried promulgating a final rule previously. Those prior attempts created a series of conflicting executive and judicial rulings. As stated by acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, this NPRM is intended to establish a “clear standard on joint employment.” Four-Factor Test The proposed rule modifies the Trump 1.0 standard, which focused heavily on requiring actual control by one company over another to establish joint employment. A prior judicial challenge to that approach was successful, requiring some modification to any new standard introduced thereafter. The proposed rule, therefore, responds by offering a four-factor test that is still heavily weighed on aspects of control. The four factors are whether a company: has the power to hire or fire a worker; supervises or controls a worker’s schedule or conditions of employment to a substantial degree; determines the rate and method of payment; and maintains a worker’s employment records. No single factor is dispositive, and the analysis will focus on the totality of the circumstances. Single National Standard Still a Goal The DOL acknowledged that some circuit courts continue to consider more factors and said the four listed factors were “not exhaustive.” Additionally, other federal agencies and several states have their own joint employer standards, some of which are directed at specific industries. For instance, the NLRB finalized its joint employer rule in late February 2026, with a similarly aligned standard that has some variances from DOL’s proposed standard. A final rule is anticipated soon after the comment period closes. Once issued, the rule may be subject to judicial challenges from interested parties that previously opposed similar regulatory approaches. Contact your FortneyScott attorney for additional information on how to submit comments and/or prepare for its impact on your workforce.
