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Elizabeth Torphy-Donzella

Phone: 410-843-3458
Fax: 410-752-8861
E-Mail: [email protected]

Elizabeth Torphy-Donzella focuses her practice on the representation of management in employment matters. After practicing for several years with a large management employment law firm in Washington, D.C., Liz joined Shawe Rosenthal in 1995.  Since then, Liz has tried cases, both jury and non-jury, involving claims of sexual harassment, national origin discrimination, race discrimination, wage and hour, and wrongful discharge.  Liz also has obtained summary judgment for employers on a wide range of employment-related claims. Additionally, Liz designs and conducts customized training sessions for managers and employees intended to foster behavior that will reduce the potential for employment-related claims.

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Liz co-authored briefs amicus curiae to the U.S. Supreme Court on labor and employment issues for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Liz served as General Counsel to the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Chamber’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors from May 2013 to May 2020. Liz also is a member of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s Employment Relations Task Force which advises the Chamber on positions to take on pending labor and employment legislation.

Liz has authored numerous articles in labor and employment publications and served as a member of the Editorial Board of Mathew Bender’s “Labor and Employment Bulletin” from 2018 to 2020

Practice Areas

  • Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
  • Employment Audits
  • Employment, Non-Compete/Non-Solicit, Confidentiality and Severance Agreements
  • Employment Litigation, including complex Class and Collective Actions
  • FMLA/ADA/Workers’ Compensation Leave Management
  • Human Resources Advice and Counsel
  • Independent Contractor Issues
  • Personnel Policies, Procedures and Handbooks
  • Training
  • Unfair Competition, Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets Litigation
  • Wage and Hour Compliance and Litigation

Honors

  • Chambers USA, 2016-present
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2013- present
  • Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Super Lawyers 2017-present

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
    – Member, Labor Relations Section
    – Member, Litigation Section
  • Maryland State Bar Association
    – Member, Labor Relations Section
  • District of Columbia Bar
    – Member, Labor Relations Section

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., cum laude, 1992
    – Associate Editor, Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics
  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, B.A., cum laude, 1985

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland and District of Columbia
  • United States District Court for the District of Maryland
  • United States District Court for the District of Columbia
  • United States Courts of Appeals for the 3rd, 4th, and D.C. Circuits