Carolyn M. Plump is counsel in the Yardley, Pennsylvania office of Hill Wallack LLP, and concentrates her practice in Employment and Labor Law. Ms. Plump represents companies in labor and employment matters, including litigation, arbitration, and mediation in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. Her experience includes handling cases involving Title VII, FLSA, FMLA, ADEA, ADA, and state-specific employment laws.

Ms. Plump has extensive experience counseling employers, conducting seminars, and providing training for companies regarding compliance with labor and employment laws related to hiring and firing, discrimination, harassment, wages and benefits, occupational safety and health, wellness programs, discipline, and social media. She also analyzes legal developments and proposed legislation to collaborate with businesses on long-term goals, conducts workplace investigations, assists clients with litigation avoidance strategies, negotiates severance packages, and prepares employment policies and handbooks.

Representative Matters

Throughout her career, Ms. Plump has represented clients in a variety of high-stakes matters, a few of which are summarized below.

Employment Cases

• Defended one of the nation’s top retail corporations in federal district court case brought by former employer alleging violations of the ADA, the ADEA, Title VII, and the PHRA
   
• Defended university in federal district court action involving alleged violations of Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and the PHRA
   
• Defended global pharmaceutical services company against claims of disability discrimination and retaliation in federal district court action
   
• Prepared executive employment agreements for international software development corporation and advised corporation on reductions in force and termination issues
   
• Defended Fortune 50 company in Title VII class-action lawsuit

Commercial Projects

• Represented airport security screening company in contract dispute after September 11, 2001 terrorist attack
   
• Assisted in representation of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical services companies and obtained judgment against pharmacy for breach of service agreement

Government Disputes

• Represented a senate employing office in successfully opposing petition for writ of certiorari before the United States Supreme Court
   
• Represented a U.S. Senate employing office in negotiations with union to reach collective bargaining agreement
   
• Served as case manager of team that represented state in tariff case before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and successfully negotiated terms of settlement
   
• Served as case manager of team that achieved favorable settlement for state in billion dollar royalty case after obtaining summary judgment on key issue

Leadership

• Active in leadership and pro bono efforts in the communities in which she has practiced. She has received an award for her pro bono service on behalf of the Orange County Poverty Law Center
   
• Directed the Adopt-A-School program in Santa Ana, California and taught in the District of Columbia Street Law Program. Ms. Plump also served as a volunteer Deputy District Attorney for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office in California and prosecuted criminal matters as part of a trial attorney project
   
• As a member of the Duke University Alumni Admissions Committee, Ms. Plump interviews and reports on prospective students for Duke University. She also has spoken on various panels and acted as a judge for several local high school and law school moot court competitions

Publications & Presentations

Ms. Plump has published extensively, including as a Special Editor for The Legal Intelligencer from 2007 through 2009. She also has been widely quoted in the media (a list of articles in which she has been quoted can be provided upon request).

A representative selection of her publications includes the following:

• “Dealing with problem employees: A legal guide for employers,” Business Horizons (November/December 2010)
   
•  “Can the CFAA Protect Your Business Data?” The Legal Intelligencer (December 2009)
   
• “The Rise in Family Responsibility Discrimination Cases: Business Not As Usual,” Employment Law Strategist (Parts 1 & 2) (January & February 2008)
   
• “Some anti-gay bias is already against the law,” The National Law Journal (October 2007)

Ms. Plump has also conducted the following presentations:

• She conducted a two-hour seminar for the Bucks County Bar Association on the legal implications of wellness programs, addressing the broad range of labor, employment, and benefit laws that can be violated unintentionally when employers implement employee health and fitness programs.
   
• She has provided anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training workshops for more than 1,000 employees of a large Pennsylvania suburban school district to assist the school district with educating its staff on such policies as well as proper conduct in the workplace.

Ms. Plump is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; the District of Columbia; the State of California; the United States Supreme Court; the United States Courts of Appeal for the Third, Fourth, Ninth, Federal, and District of Columbia Circuits; and the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, and the Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of California.