Teresa Burke Wright

Teresa Wright is a principal in the Washington, D.C. Region office of Jackson Lewis P.C.

She is a seasoned litigator, having represented employers ranging in size from eight to 18,000 employees in litigation, and administrative proceedings. She helps clients on a daily basis to comply with state and federal employment laws and navigate challenging workplace law issues. She provides practical business advice based on “best practices” and is a sought-after speaker and trainer on employment law topics.

Teresa was the litigation manager of the Washington, D.C. Region office of Jackson Lewis from 2005 until 2014. As the litigation manager, she served as the office’s local expert on litigation questions, monitored litigation trends, educated the D.C. office attorneys on developments in workplace litigation, and assigned and tracked litigation within the office, while managing her own caseload.

Teresa also is active in the firm’s Disability, Leave and Health Management practice group. In that capacity, Teresa acts as a regional and national expert on employee health and leave issues facing employers, including issues arising under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, and similar state and local laws, such as the D.C. Sick and Safe Leave Act and Maryland Healthy Working Families Act.

Teresa counsels employers daily regarding such employment issues as employee discipline and termination; discrimination and harassment; preparation of employment contracts; drafting personnel policies and handbooks; and investigation of employee misconduct. She is an expert on issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and similar state and local laws, and is part of her firm’s task force on independent contractor misclassification.

Teresa is a popular lecturer on a wide variety of employment-related topics, including employee accommodations and leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and state/local leave laws; conducting workplace investigations; unconscious bias; avoiding unlawful harassment; and avoiding liability through appropriate performance evaluations, discipline and discharge practices. Teresa is a frequent speaker for such groups as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), and the Virginia Bar continuing legal education (“CLE”) programs. She contributes regularly to Jackson Lewis updates and special reports, including on LGBTQ+ issues affecting the workplace; regulatory developments under the FMLA and ADA and similar state and local laws; and managing outside investigators.

Teresa also serves as co-leader of Jackson Lewis’ Out Professionals and Allies in Law (OPAL) attorney resource group.

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America©, "Employment Law - Management" and "Litigation - Labor and Employment" (2018-present)
• Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers®, "Super Lawyers" (2011-present)
• Virginia Super Lawyers®, "Super Lawyers" (2022-present)
• Thomson Reuters, “Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer – Independently Rated Lawyers”

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• Lambda Legal