Betty S.W. Graumlich

Betty represents a wide range of global and national companies, including a Fortune 50 media and entertainment company, a nationwide optical manufacturer and retailer, global defense contractors, numerous health care providers, industry disrupters, and a regional financial services company, among other notable clients. 

Clients frequently call upon Betty to defend them in matters involving whistleblower claims and claims for violations of Title VII, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She routinely counsels and defends clients in False Claims Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Dodd-Frank Act whistleblower matters. She also has extensive experience guiding clients through systemic federal agency investigations related to violations of Title VII (racial discrimination), the ADA, and the FMLA.

Betty counsels clients on wrongful discharge claims, matters involving restrictive covenants, defamation and other employment torts, employment policies, harassment investigations and employment agreements. She provides preventative counseling to employers in a variety of industries on wage and hour matters and has successfully defended her clients against wage and hour claims. Her experienced representation and practical, results-driven approach has resulted in numerous victories and early settlements on behalf of her clients.

Betty defends management in both contract interpretation and discipline grievance arbitrations, counsels employers on issues involving the National Labor Relations Act, and serves as strike counsel during collective bargaining proceedings. Throughout her career, she has routinely represented management in federal and state courts nationwide, in agency investigations relating to charges of discrimination and in various proceedings involving voluntary reductions in force and labor strikes.

In addition to her skills at trial, Betty has handled more than 100 labor arbitrations. She consistently obtains favorable results on a variety of issues, including companies’ abilities to subcontract out work and to use a lower wage title to perform certain contract work; as well as to sustaining employee discharges for use of offensive racial slurs in the workplace, violations of drug and alcohol policies; threat of workplace violence made against a supervisor; theft of company property; and lying about the reason for an absence.

Betty is a former global practice group leader for Reed Smith's Labor & Employment practice and previously served on the firm's Executive Committee. She also served as U.S. chair of Reed Smith’s Women’s Initiative Network, which promotes the retention, advancement, and recruitment of women lawyers at the firm.