Dave Albo – Attorney

No, the law does not necessarily require this, although many companies often take this dramatic step to resolve a harassment situation.  Yet as the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals recently ruled, disciplinary actions less than discharge can often…

Usually, police cannot order a motorist to pull over and stop unless he has a reasonable suspicion, based on fact he can articulate, that a crime or traffic offense is occurring in his presence.  (Common exceptions are an arrest…

A civilian DoD employee lost her age-discrimination case last month, even though she successfully proved that her second-line supervisor was biased against older workers.  In Jernagin v. McHugh (No. 1:12-cv-1285), the U.S. District Court in Alexandria found that even…

When people are considering their options in divorce cases, one question that invariably arises is whether spousal support will need to be paid and, if so, how long will it last.  This can be an acrimonious subject; after all,…

Here is a List of Likely New ABC Laws in Virginia for 2014 (All the following bills have passed the House & Senate.  The Governor must sign them for them to actually become law on July 1, 2014.) SB…

In today’s economy, litigants in divorce cases are just as likely to be fighting over shared debts as shared assets.  As a result, many divorcing parties smartly settle cases quickly, rather than driving themselves further into debt with additional…

In a recent unpublished opinion, the Fourth Circuit decided that a significant portion of an employee’s lawsuit should have proceeded when she was terminated just six days after she complained about age discrimination at work.  The case is Buchhagen…

Surprisingly no, as shown by a recent federal court decision in Virginia rejecting such a claim by an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) counselor who helped an employee stop alleged harassment.  See DeMasters v. Carilion Clinic, Civil Action No. 7:12-cv-580…

If arrested for DUI, in most instances, one must do a breath test.  In Virginia there are usually two breath tests:  the preliminary breath test that is usually administered roadside prior to one being arrested, and the evidential breath…

Many times, defamation lawsuits are filed based on suspicion that a former employer has disparaged the plaintiff because companies to which she has applied have not hired her.  While this may seem like a proper basis for legal action,…