Ashley Kasarjian is a labor and employment attorney with experience in litigation, employment counseling/advice, and internal investigations. Her litigation practice includes representing companies in a broad range of employment law matters at the administrative, state and federal levels, including claims of workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Ashley has provided representation for claims brought pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII), Civil Rights Act of 1866 (Section 1981), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Equal Pay Act, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and the Arizona Employment Protection Act.
In addition to her litigation practice, Ashley routinely advises and counsels employers regarding employee hiring, discipline, leave and termination; reductions in force; personnel policies and handbooks; noncompetition, nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreements; employment contracts and best employment practices.
Ashley also assists clients with complex internal investigations. She has been involved in investigations into allegations of corporate misconduct, accounting fraud, executive improprieties and employment issues relating to private and publicly traded companies. Her experience includes investigations that have been initiated at the direction of the company’s board of directors, at the insistence of the company’s auditors, and in order to cooperate with government regulators. Ashley has been involved in all stages of the investigation, including the initial assessment and planning, interviews, electronic discovery, reporting, disclosures, compliance and remediation. Her multidisciplinary approach and experience allows her to address the vast array of legal and ethical issues that arise in internal investigations.
Ashley is the author of the legal blog, Employment and the Law. Named the Top Labor and Employment Law Blog of 2011 by LexisNexis, Employment and the Law offers detailed updates and analysis of the latest labor and employment cases, statutes and regulations. It focuses on the newsworthy issues that matter most to in-house counsel, HR professionals and the business community, with an emphasis on developments in the Ninth Circuit and the Supreme Court.
Education
- Vanderbilt University Law School (J.D., 2007)
- Honor Scholar
- ABA Representative
- Arizona State University (B.A., Political Science; B.S., Justice Studies, magna cum laude, 2004)
- Dean's List
- Honors College Mentor
Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of Arizona
- United States District Court, District of Arizona
Professional Memberships & Activities
- State Bar of Arizona
- Arizona Attorney Magazine, Editorial Board
- Employment & Labor Law Section
- CLE Committee
- Trial Practice Section
- American Bar Association
- Labor & Employment Section
- Litigation Section
- Maricopa County Bar Association
- Arizona Association of Defense Counsel
Representative Presentations & Publications
- Employment Law Class Action Update, Presenter, LexisNexis Podcast (June 2011)
- Understanding the ADAAA Regulations, Presenter, LexisNexis Podcast (May 2011)
- Class and Collective Action Litigation and Defense, Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer (April 27, 2010)
- EEOC Shows More Interest in Psychiatric Disabilities, Interview featured in Business Insurance Magazine (April 18, 2011)
- Tough FMLA Issues Facing Employers, Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer (April 14, 2010)
- Privacy Developments Under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, Author, Privacy & Data Security Law Journal (Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2010)
- Family and Medical Leave Act and Americans with Disabilities Act: Primer and Update, Presenter, Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association, Spring Conference (April 2, 2009)
- Family and Medical Leave Act: Highlights of the New Regulations, Co-Presenter, Snell & Wilmer Webinar (December 5, 2008)
- Test Your IQ in Human Resources, Presenter, Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association, Fall Conference (November 19, 2008)
- Family and Medical Leave Act Update, Presenter, Arizona Employers' Council, Spring Conference (July 17, 2008)
- Foreign and Domestic Liability of Multinational Corporations, Author, Global Connection (January 2008)
Professional Recognition & Awards
- Top Labor and Employment Law Blog of 2011: Employment and the Law, LexisNexis® (2011)
- Pro Bono Award, Snell & Wilmer (2011)
Community Involvement
- Maricopa Community College Foundation, Board Member (2011)
- Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Ambassador (2011)
- Xavier College Preparatory, Mock Trial Coach (2010-2011)
- Volunteer Lawyer Program (2007-present)
- Obtained a defense verdict for pro bono clients, defeating plaintiff’s slander of title claims and securing their ownership rights to residential real property
- Represented pro bono client during appeal before the Arizona Board of Fingerprinting and obtained a good cause exception, permitting the client to obtain a fingerprint clearance card to pursue employment
Other Professional Experience
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Intern to Hon. Michael Daly Hawkins (Summer 2005)
- Stanford University, National Leadership Conference, Team Advisor (Summer 2001)
- Tempe Police Department, Tactical Crime Analysis Unit, Intern (2001)
