Alyssa N. Lankford

Representative Experience

Litigation

• Obtained summary judgment for the Oklahoma House of Representatives on all claims of race discrimination and retaliation brought by a former legislative assistant alleging that her termination occurred due to her race and association with Black Lives Matter.
• Obtained summary judgment in federal court for a global company that produces and markets inorganic chemicals on all claims of age discrimination and retaliation brought by a former employee whose position was eliminated as the result of a companywide reduction-in-force.
• Obtained summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma for a privately owned technology company on all of the plaintiff’s claims, including those brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• Served as third chair on a seven-day jury trial in the District Court of Oklahoma County on behalf of a private-client wealth management company, who brought claims against a former employee for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference, conversion, and unjust enrichment.
• Obtained favorable settlement early in litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma for a health and human services management company after discovering statute of limitations argument to defeat all of plaintiff’s claims.
• Drafted successful response to a plaintiff’s motion to compel discovery about an employer’s investigation into alleged workplace misconduct. The federal district court denied plaintiff’s motion.
• Obtained a favorable settlement for a regional airline service after deposing the plaintiff and obtaining key admissions that defeated his ADA and FMLA claims.
• Drafted response to defendant’s motion to dismiss claims in a lawsuit brought on behalf of an environmental services company against a former employee for breach of a non-solicitation and confidentiality agreement, tortious interference, breach of fiduciary duty, and misappropriation of confidential information. The defendant’s motion was denied by the District Court of Tulsa County.
• Drafted four arbitration briefs for an Oklahoma municipality regarding grievances brought by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and received favorable rulings in each arbitration.
• Obtained a favorable settlement early in litigation for an Oklahoma-based retail company in an ADA website accessibility case brought in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
• Currently representing an oilfield services company that provides, among other services, flowback and well testing and pressure pumping, in FLSA collective action in which the plaintiffs claim that they were misclassified as exempt under the FLSA and are entitled to overtime.

Employment Counseling

• Assists clients in drafting and implementing employee policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, the following: drug testing policies, including compliance with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act; anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation policies, as well as corresponding procedures for employee grievances/complaints; policies related to employee accommodations, including those based on religion, disability, and/or pregnancy; wage and hour policies; and more.
• Advised and assisted publicly traded life insurance company on policies related to third-party/vendor compliance with the company’s physical and technological safety standards, as well as their employee policies regarding company-owned mobile devices and personal mobile devices used for company business (i.e., “Bring Your Own Device” policies).
• Advises and assists educational institutions that receive federal funding on Title IX questions prior to the commencement of litigation.
• Advised clients on COVID-19-related issues and compliance, including review of return-to-work policies.