Laura Windsor Bio

Laura Windsor is the chair of Williams Mullen's Labor, Employment and Immigration Section and co-chair of the Trade Secrets, Employee Mobility and Restrictive Covenants Practice. Laura defends businesses in employment and employee benefits litigation matters in state and federal courts across the country. Her employment litigation work includes defending clients in cases alleging discrimination, workplace harassment, breach of employment and non-compete contracts, FMLA or USERRA interference or retaliation, FCRA violations, FLSA wage and hour/overtime disputes, and employment-related business torts. She also advises clients on the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act regarding cases of qualified plant closings and mass layoffs. Laura represents government contractors on a variety of employment related issues, including the Service Contract Act, the Davis Bacon Act, Executive Order 11246 (EEOC) and related Affirmative Action plan advice, counseling and audit defense. In addition to her litigation practice, Laura advises businesses, non-profits, educational institutions, and religious-affiliated organizations in all areas of human resources and employment law, including on company policies, internal investigations, terminations and reduction in force plans, medical leave issues, restrictive covenants, executive employment agreements, and employment-related aspects of corporate purchase and sale transactions. Laura also provides onsite corporate training and is a frequent speaker on employment issues, including federal and state EEO and harassment laws; religious discrimination and the application of federal and state employment laws to religious-affiliated organizations and institutions; federal and state wage and hour laws; medical leaves of absence under the FMLA and ADA; independent contractor laws; and federal contractor compliance laws for employers. Laura has been recognized by Chambers USA for Labor & Employment Law (2019, 2021-present). She has also been named among Virginia’s “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business (2013-present); listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Labor Law - Management (2015-present), Litigation - Labor & Employment (2016-present), Employment Law - Management, Insurance Law (2018-present); and named a "Labor and Employment Star" by Benchmark Litigation (2018-2023). She was named the Best Lawyers® Richmond "Lawyer of the Year" for Labor Law - Management (2020, 2022-present). She is also listed in Virginia Super Lawyers (2012-present), which has included her in the Top 50: Women in Virginia list (2019-present). Laura was named to the 2021 class of "Influential Women of Law" by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Laura is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Virginia Bar Association, and the Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association. Laura is highly active in her community and is currently the chair of the board of directors for the Richmond SPCA. She has served as past chair of the board of directors for the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics; served on the board of directors and as chair of the governance committee of the Health Brigade in Richmond; and was previously a board member for ChildSavers. Laura was also an adjunct professor of law at the William & Mary Law School, where she taught a course on Employment Discrimination Law (2018-2024). Laura is a 2001 graduate of Georgia State University School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, and she is a 1993 graduate of the University of Michigan, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian and East European Studies.