Amy L. Bess

Amy L. Bess is a Shareholder in the Washington, D.C. office of Vedder Price P.C. and a member of the firm's Labor and Employment practice area. Her employment litigation experience includes the representation of employers before 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 has first-chair jury trial, bench trial and arbitration experience and is regularly involved in mediations. She also is experienced in the defense of complex class action litigation, including pattern or practice litigation brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Ms. Bess was listed in Washingtonian Magazine's "Best Lawyers" edition (December 2011) in the category "Defending the Company," and she was included in the 2012 Washington DC Super Lawyers list in the category "Employment Litigation Defense."  The Legal 500 United States guide recommends Ms. Bess in the Labor and Employment-Labor and Employment Litigation category. 

Bar Admissions

• Illinois
• District of Columbia
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court, Central District of  Illinois
• U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
• U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
• U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit

Education

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