Janelle Lyons Senior Counsel

Janelle provides advice and counsel to employers on labor and employment issues including, but not limited to Title VII, ADA, FMLA, and FLSA, and all aspects of the hiring, employment, and separation process. This includes the development and implementation of employment practices and procedures, as well as sensitive workplace investigations for employers who have received complaints of harassment, discrimination, or alleged violations of a collective bargaining agreement. 

Experience

Janelle has extensive experience in litigation, litigation management and avoidance, negotiations, conflict resolution, risk management, legal compliance, governmental investigations, crisis situations, and the integration of legal strategy into the wider framework of an employer’s current and future business objectives. She has successfully led numerous high-stakes litigation cases, securing favorable outcomes for her clients in federal and state courts, including the NC Business Court and various administrative agencies. Her varied experiences also allow her to bring a unique perspective when serving as a certified Superior Court mediator. 

Prior to joining the firm’s Charlotte, North Carolina office, Janelle was a partner at a NC civil litigation firm where she served as litigation defense counsel to professionals, corporations across many sectors, non-profits, and government entities for over fifteen years.

Janelle began her career as a law clerk to the Honorable Norman A. Thomas and the Honorable Chuck D. Griffith on the Norfolk, Virginia Circuit Court, and then served as an associate at a Chesapeake, Virginia firm.