Lawyer Bio : Thomas J. Sawyer

Thomas J. Sawyer

Tysons Corner

Chambers 2010Tom is the practice group leader of the firm's Labor and Employment group and is a co-founding member of the Northern Virginia office. His practice is focused on advising technology, government contracting, and other business clients on employee defection matters, including non-compete, non-solicitation, fiduciary duty, tortious interference, conspiracy, trade secret, and related unfair competition issues.

Tom regularly represents employers in federal and state litigation and arbitration. Representative cases include:

  • Defending an 8,000-employee international logistics company against an Iraq-based non-competition and employee raiding action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • Defending a Northern Virginia-based government contractor against a tortious interference, trade secret, and employee raiding action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • Enforcing a tortious interference, trade secret, and business conspiracy action against a former chief technology officer and other former employees in Virginia state court
  • Defending a Northern Virginia-based government contractor against a tortious interference and business conspiracy action in Virginia state court
  • Enforcing a non-competition and tortious interference action against a former sales manager in Virginia state court
  • Defending a multi-state corporate housing company against a tortious interference, unfair competition, and declaratory judgment action in California state court
  • Defending a multi-state early education company against a non-competition and tortious interference action in Virginia state court
  • Defending a Northern Virginia-based government contractor against an FLSA and False Claims Act action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • Defending the chief financial officer of a Southeast-based commodities trading firm against a $7,500,000 employment defamation action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • Defending a 25,000-employee Oregon-based commercial retailer against: an $8,500,000 civil rights action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland;
    a multi-million dollar Title VII action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland; and a multi-plaintiff Section 1981 action in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

In addition to his work as an employment attorney, Tom served as Co-Chairman of the Northern Virginia Technology Council's Human Resources Advisory Board and NVTC's Workforce Development Outreach Subcommittee. Previously, he was appointed to the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board by then-Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and former Congressman, Thomas M. Davis, III, on which he chaired the Standing Committee on the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Tom is co-author of the Womble Carlyle Non-Compete and Restrictive Covenants Blog.

Additional Biography Info

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Professional Activities

Bar Admissions
Admitted to the bar 1987, Virginia; 1988, District of Columbia; 1993, Maryland.

Court Admissions
Admitted to practice before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, District of Columbia, and Federal Circuits; U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, District of Columbia, and Maryland; U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia and District of Columbia; U.S. Court of Claims; U.S. Tax Court.

Bar Associations
Member of American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section, Committee on Employee Rights and Responsibilities, and Covenants Not to Compete, Trade Secrets, and Duty of Loyalty Subcommittee; Lex Mundi, Labor and Employment Law Section.

Honors
AV rated, Martindale-Hubbell
Chambers USA, Leading Lawyer in Virginia Labor and Employment Law, 2008, 2009
Virginia Super Lawyer in Employment and Labor Law, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer in Employment and Labor Law, 2007, 2008, 2009
Super Lawyer in Employment Litigation, Corporate Counsel Edition, 2008, 2009

Civic Activities

Co-Chairman, Fairfax Area Disability Services Board, Standing Committee on the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1992-1993; Chairman, Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce, 1996-1997, and Director, 1993-1998; Co-Chairman, Northern Virginia Technology Council, Human Resources Advisory Board, 1998-1999; Co-Chairman, Northern Virginia Technology Council, Outreach Subcommittee, 1999-2000; Member, Northern Virginia Technology Council, Workforce Development Committee, 1998-2000; Member, Greater Washington Board of Trade Virginia Public Affairs Committee, 2006-2007.

Education

B.A., Economics, 1984, University of Virginia; J.D., 1987, William and Mary Law School; LL.M., Labor and Employment Law, 1995, Georgetown University Law Center.

Presentations

"Employee Defection and the Multi-jurisdictional Employer: Practical Advice for In-house Counsel on Using Non-Competes," Association for Corporate Counsel, Tysons Corner, VA, 2008; "Covenants Not to Compete and Trade Secrets," American Bar Association Committee on Employee Rights and Responsibilities Midwinter Meeting, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 2006; "Document Retention and Destruction: To Shred or Not to Shred," National Business Institute, Fairfax, VA, 2006.

Additional Information

Firm Management Responsibilities
Practice Group Leader, Labor and Employment
Co-Founding Member, Northern Virginia Office
Member, Client Development Committee (Chairman, Finance Subcommittee)
Member, Budget Committee (2001-03)
Member, Associates Committee (2001-02)
Member, Knowledge Management Committee (2003-05)
Member, Technology Committee (2002-04)