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Practice Areas: Employment Law, Employment Discrimination

Additional Information: Bill received his B.A. degree from Randolph-Macon College in 1962 and graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1965. He is a lecturer to Bar Associations and employer organizations on various subjects in the Labor and Employment Law field. He has been a Contributing Editor to the Bureau of National Affairs, The Developing Labor Law and Schlei and Grossman, Employment Discrimination Law. Bill has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Virginia Bar Association. He has served in various capacities and on the Board of Directors for the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, including being President of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Board of Visitors of Norfolk State University for 10 years including serving as Vice-Rector. He has served as a Trustee for the Norfolk Academy, where he was also a member of the Board’s Executive Committee. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Norfolk State University Foundation and a member of the Board of Associates of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. Bill has served as an Elder and as a Trustee of First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk. He has also served as Honorary Consul of Denmark for the Commonwealth of Virginia since 1978 and has been Dean of The Consular Corps of Hampton Roads.

Relevant Experience

* Devotes considerable portion of practice to counseling and advising clients on the spectrum of employment issues to avoid adverse legal consequences.

* Represented international manufacturer in pretrial and settlement of race discrimination lawsuit brought by 26 current or former employees;

* Obtained summary judgment, affirmed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, for hospital on age discrimination claim of former employee discharged for performance issues after 25 years of employment there.

* Obtained judgment for department store against former Loss Prevention Store Managers’ claims for overtime pay under FLSA through proof of entitlement to Administrative Exemption at conclusion of four day trial.

* Obtained jury verdict in favor of contractor against former employee’s claims of disability, sex discrimination and retaliation following four day trial.

* Obtained jury verdicts for department store following a seven-day trial in Title VII case brought by three of the store’s current employees alleging race discrimination in promotions and retaliation for having filed charges with the EEOC.

* Obtained judgment in favor of a banking institution, in a suit by a former employee claiming termination of employment on the basis of racial discrimination in violation of Title VII.

* Obtained jury verdict for automobile manufacturer on claims by a former employee of sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional harm.

* Represented hospital in two separate lawsuits brought by the EEOC against the hospital alleging racial discrimination in employment involving a failure to promote and the discharge of a long-term employee.

* Successfully represented Board of Social Services and certain supervisory employees of Department of Social Services in a case alleging a variety of issues including discrimination based on race, sex, and political affiliations, and violation of constitutional rights.

* Successfully defended corporation in the Circuit Court of the City of Norfolk where a former management employee brought suit for additional bonus monies under an established performance plan.

* Representation of a number of employers in defending discrimination claims before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

* Representation of a number of employers in defeating unionization efforts and contract negotiations.

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Firm Members: William Raches, Jr.