Darrell VanDeusen has been a management side labor and employment lawyer for over 35 years. Before joining his friends Pete Saucier and Frank Kollman here in 1996, Darrell spent 11 years (first as an associate and then as a partner) at Venable, Baetjer & Howard (now Venable LLP). Darrell is the president of Kollman & Saucier.

Darrell graduated from Colgate University (cum laude) in 1982, and Duke University Law School in 1985, where he was a teaching assistant to Professor William Reppy.

Darrell represents public and private sector employers throughout the country. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, municipalities, government contractors, small employers and a variety of other businesses including a number of nationally recognized educational institutions. Darrell has been a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) since 1995.

Litigator

Darrell represents clients before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, as well as in state and federal courts. He has defended employers in thousands of charges before the EEOC and other state and local fair employment practice agencies. He has litigated hundreds of cases, many of which have been significant in developing labor and employment law in federal and state courts.

Labor Lawyer

Darrell is a “traditional” labor lawyer. He regularly works with public and private sector employers that confront union organizing, and collective bargaining, contract management and arbitration. Over the past 15 years he has worked with many colleges and universities that have had to deal with unions’ efforts to organize their graduate students, adjunct and full time faculty.

Counselor and Trainer

A significant part of Darrell’s practice involves training and counseling. He frequently provides training for employers on matters such as managing a diverse work force, avoiding harassment claims, and “best practices” for complying with federal and state labor and employment laws.

Teacher

In addition to the practice of law, for 30 years Darrell taught at the University of Baltimore Law School as an adjunct professor, teaching Employment Law, Employment Discrimination Law and Legal Writing, as well as coaching the School’s Labor Law Moot Court team in national competitions. Darrell was recognized by UB Law School as the “outstanding adjunct faculty member of the year.”

He is on the faculty of National Employment Law Institute (NELI) and provides training for Maryland lawyers through the Maryland State Bar Association, where he was a member of the MSBA’s Labor & Employment Section’s Executive Council for over 20 years.  He provides an annual educational session on employment discrimination law to Maryland’s Federal Court law clerks.

Author

Darrell’s treatise on the Family and Medical Leave Act/Wage and Hour Law is available through LexisNexis and has been cited by federal appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court as authoritative on the subjects. Darrell is on the editorial board of Matthew Bender’s Labor and Employment Bulletin. Darrell also authored the “Non-Discrimination” chapter of the Matthew Bender book Drafting the Union Contract.

Arbitrator and Mediator

Darrell’s recognized expertise in his field has led to his selection as an arbitrator, mediator and expert witness in labor and employment law matters. He is a member of the National Arbitration and Mediation (NAM) employment arbitration panel.

Legislative Consultant

Darrell is called upon to assist in the drafting of Maryland legislation on labor and employment law. He was the management representative who worked with the plaintiffs’ bar and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights to craft corrective legislation for Maryland’s Anti-Discrimination Law (Title 20 of the State Government Article).

Awards and Honors

Over the years, Darrell has been mentioned by organizations that purport to recognize professional competence. He is a Fellow in The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and was named a “Maryland Leader in the Law” by the Maryland Daily Record in 2010.

Personal

Darrell is married to Carrie Emerson, a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of Maryland and fully recovered lawyer who is a small business owner, www.fitforartpatterns.com, and a past docent at the Walters Art Museum.

Darrell and Carrie have two adult children, neither of whom (and with their parents’ complete support and encouragement) had any interest in pursuing careers in the law.

Darrell is active in Boy Scouting. He volunteers with the Y of Central Maryland, and other youth related programs.

Contact
Education
  • Colgate University (cum laude, 1982)
  • Duke University Law School (1985)
Honors
  • Outstanding Lawyers in America (2003)
  • Chambers USA (since 2005)
  • Who’s Who Legal (2006)
  • Super Lawyers (since 2007)
  • Best Lawyers (since 2008) including:
  • “Employment Lawyer of the Year – Management” (2013)
  • “Labor Lawyer of the Year – Management” (2016)
  • “Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year – Management” (2017)
  • “Labor Lawyer of the Year – Management” (2019)
Court Admissions
  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, Maryland
  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
  • Third Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
  • D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals
  • U.S. Court of International Trade
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Recent Posts

Out of Sight, Out of Mind… Bye Bye?
Posted On: 02/21/2024
I struggled a bit with an appropriate song reference for this blog.   I’m going with “So Far Away,” written by Carole King and track 2 on Tapestry (1971).   In the post-pandemic world there’s been a seismic shift in the world of where you work.   Remote, hybrid, full-time in office… it’s all over the map (pun […]
“You might feel better if they gave you some cash…”
Posted On: 02/19/2024
That’s a line from the Eagles’ “Get over it” (track 1 on the 1994 album Hell Freezes Over). If you watch any TV courtroom drama – you would think that lawyers take a case and wind up having the jury verdict in less than one hour (with time outs for ads).  And justice always prevails. […]
Seeking Workplace Culture Change Not an Accommodation Request
Posted On: 01/04/2024
I was told by someone smarter than me (my wife, who’s a long time ago fully recovered lawyer) that my last blog had a bit too much law in it.  So, I am cutting back on the citations. This blog focuses on a Fourth Circuit decision issued this week that merges the Americans with Disabilities […]

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