Janette Blee

Of Counsel
Email

janette.blee@carrmaloney.com

Connect

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Telephone

(202) 310-5513

Fax

(202) 310-5555

Practices
About

Janette Blee focuses her practice in all areas of employment and labor law. For well over twenty years she has counseled and represented employers and individuals in matters involving a wide variety of employment law issues, including discrimination in the workplace, sexual harassment, protected concerted activity, and other civil rights claims. She also is skilled in complex commercial litigation, business law, directors and officers liability (D&O) issues, civil rights matters, and defense of nonprofits and religious institutions.

Janette’s clients rely on her to help them successfully manage the multiple aspects of the employment relationship and ever-changing employment laws, including issues of hiring, discharge, discipline, discrimination, workplace harassment, sexual harassment, family-and-medical leave, overtime and wage-and-hour matters, and restrictive covenants including noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements.

She uses her trial skill and experience to position clients to avoid litigation, or if litigation becomes necessary, to achieve the best possible results. Her risk management services include negotiating and drafting executive, employment, and severance agreements; employee handbooks; and other employment-related documents. When litigation is necessary, Janette defends her clients and pursues a diverse array of employment claims in the state and federal court systems, in arbitration, and at the administrative level.

Janette takes the time to get to know her clients on a personal level. She has extensive experience with high-publicity cases, and is sensitive to how litigation and legal issues can affect a client on many levels.

After earning her law degree, Janette served as a law clerk to the judges in the Circuit Court for the City of Alexandria, Virginia.

Representative Experience
  • From the Heart v. African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, et al. For AME Zion Church, obtained return of nearly $40 million in real estate from a breakaway congregation, in a First Amendment case defining the limits of court authority in matters of a church’s property, affirmed by Maryland’s highest court.
  • Steven Rosen v. American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Successfully defended AIPAC, a domestic pro-Israel lobby, against a $20-million defamation claim brought by its terminated employee Rosen, after AIPAC made statements reported in the New York Times about Rosen’s behavior as an employee. This First Amendment case helped establish what employers can and cannot say about why employees are released.
  • Brent v. RS Information Systems, Inc. Defended IT governmental contractor in two-week jury trial determining violation of a former employee’s non-compete agreement and business related claims.
  • EEOC v. National Children’s Center, Inc.
Education

George Mason School of Law
J.D.

Mount St. Mary’s College
B.A.

Publications
Admissions

States
Maryland
Virginia

U.S. District Courts
District of Maryland
Eastern District of Virginia
Western District of Virginia

Affiliations
  • Virginia State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association