R. Scott Oswald

R. Scott Oswald is managing principal of The Employment Law Group, P.C. in Washington, DC. An accomplished trial lawyer who has brought more than 40 trials to verdict, he has recovered more than $200 million in judgments and settlements for his clients.

Mr. Oswald is a fellow of the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. He received his law degree from Howard University and honed his skills at Trial Lawyers College, founded by the legendary Gerry Spence.

Washingtonian Magazine has named him a “Top Lawyer” in Washington, D.C., most recently in December 2018. In April 2019, Lawdragon ranked him as one of the top 500 plaintiff-side employment lawyers in the United States.

Mr. Oswald litigates employment and whistleblower actions nationwide. He has broken new ground in whistleblower law:

First jury verdict (more than $2.1 million) under new whistleblower protections introduced in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013
First Sarbanes-Oxley Act liability verdict to withstand appeal
First reported jury verdict under 2009 anti-retaliation provisions of False Claims Act
First Dodd-Frank Act retaliation lawsuit to reach discovery in federal court

Mr. Oswald has significant experience with qui tam or whistleblower rewards cases. He has fought for employees’ rights under federal and state anti-discrimination statutes and represents clients in non-compete, wage, and overtime actions. He has spoken up for whistleblowers before federal agencies and on Capitol Hill.

A recipient of numerous legal awards, Mr. Oswald has been recognized as one of the top 100 Super Lawyers in Washington, DC, for the past five years. He is a seven-time honoree in the Best Lawyers in America and is rated 10 out of 10 by Avvo.

Mr. Oswald is chair of the Federal Bar Association’s Professional Ethics Committee and also its Qui Tam Section. He is co-chair of an employment law subcommittee at the American Bar Association, and he has roles in other professional groups including the D.C. Bar and the National Employment Lawyers Association.

Mr. Oswald is a proud past president of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association and currently heads its Bench-Bar Committee.

Blog Post List

Politics & Policy

February 24, 2015

Imagine you’re a warehouse manager. You need a new worker and are choosing between three finalists. All are equally qualified, and all say they can meet the job requirements. But two of them, it turns out, are pregnant. · Danielle is barely five months along, and showing only a little. · At seven months Lisa is quite visibly pregnant. · Kim, the third candidate, is not pregnant. Although the job involves lifting and ladder-climbing, you’ve previously offered special gear for pregnant and temporarily disabled workers. Extra leave, too, if needed. It’s expensive, but not an undue hardship...

MomsRising Together

Paid Family Leave

February 6, 2015

Fortunately, there exist myriad protections for women who believe they are being discriminated against by their employer. What is unfortunate, however, is the extent to which many are unfamiliar with these protections. The purpose of this article is not to provide a comprehensive review of all of the employment discrimination statutes relevant to women in the workplace; rather, we seek only to offer a brief overview of the statutes that specifically protect women from discrimination and provide some pointers on how women can exercise their rights under each.

MomsRising Together

Paid Family Leave

January 22, 2015

This February marks the twenty-second anniversary of President Clinton signing into law the Family and Medical Leave Act. More widely recognized by its abbreviation, the FMLA provides a bevy of protections to employees who are – or have family members who are – suffering from an illness. Perhaps most importantly, the FMLA provides that, over a twelve month period, eligible employees are entitled to take twelve workweeks of leave and return to their same position and under the same conditions. Though seemingly straight-forward, the FMLA can lead to disputes between employees who want nothing...

MomsRising Together

Health Care

October 24, 2014

The story is all too common. After months of fighting, it looks like you have finally overcome your breast cancer diagnosis. All that is left is for some follow-up treatments and to return to work. To your surprise, after having fought off breast cancer, you now find yourself in a fight with your employer over the nature of your return.

MomsRising Together

Main menu

Blog Topics Nav

Badges

Blog Post List

Must Job Seekers Give Employers a Reason to Reject Them?

Chipping Away at the Glass Ceiling: An Overview of Employee Protections for Women in the Workplace

The Family and Medical Leave Act: Making the Most of Your Protections

Back on the Job: Employee Protections Following a Breast Cancer Diagnosis