A complex set of anti-discrimination laws and regulations governs conduct for US businesses, educational institutions, nonprofits and government entities. The application of these laws and regulatory enforcement priorities can change rapidly, and federal, state and local regulators often have overlapping authority. New industries, products and business practices can also present novel issues. As the only law firm of its size with a full-service anti-discrimination practice, WilmerHale regularly counsels clients on compliance with anti-discrimination laws; conducts sensitive investigations, workplace culture reviews and equity audits; helps clients navigate government enforcement actions and investigations; and litigates alleged violations. Our team includes a current Commissioner on the US Commission on Civil Rights and former NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Director of Litigation; former US Deputy Attorneys General; a former US Solicitor General; former US Attorneys; and a former senior official in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s Law Department—all of whom practice at the forefront of anti-discrimination issues.
Our lawyers also craft successful resolutions of controversies; are attuned to shifting enforcement priorities of regulators; and bring a deep commitment to the principles of equality, fairness and inclusion. Our experience covers a range of issues, including alleged sexual misconduct and workplace discrimination, civil rights audits, algorithmic bias, fair lending and housing, affirmative action initiatives, police reform, freedom of speech, voting rights, criminal justice reform, human trafficking and immigration, the death penalty, LGBTQ equality, and marriage equality.
WilmerHale has worked to advance equality under the law for generations, and our lawyers have extensive experience representing clients in anti-discrimination matters in a variety of courts and regulatory bodies. In addition to litigating in federal and state courts, our lawyers represent clients before the Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Reserve, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and in state attorney general inquiries and before state agencies. Our clients include leading corporations, nonprofit entities, trade associations, municipalities, boards of directors and board committees addressing high-profile anti-discrimination investigations and litigation. We counsel a range of private and public clients on compliance with anti-discrimination laws, including the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses; Titles IV, VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Rehabilitation Act; the Fair Housing Act; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act; and other federal and state anti-discrimination statutes.
