Spencer Fane was pleased to be an Emerald Sponsor for the National Employment Law Council (NELC)’s 2026 Conference in Atlanta. Attorney DeAndrea Washington served as a presenter for the April 28-May 1 event, continuing the firm’s years long involvement with this premier labor and employment law forum.
DeAndrea’s panel, Advanced Workplace Accommodation Strategies, was an enlightening session on some of the most challenging areas for employers to navigate. She and her fellow speakers led an interactive session with real-life scenarios and hypotheticals to address complex accommodation issues including mental illness, remote work accommodations, intermittent and potentially indefinite leaves, and more. The panel provided best practices as well as realistic and business-savvy strategies for responding to difficult accommodation requests.
Spencer Fane also co-sponsored the NELC Conference’s General Reception on April 30 – a dinner attended by DeAndrea, James Crumlin, Ursula Davy, Kami Hoskins, Brittainy Joyner, LeeAnn Littlejohn, Rachel Marshall, Pablo Orozco, Zachary Palomino, Kunal Shah, and Tracey Wallace and Spencer Fane clients and friends.
At the firm, DeAndrea is an integral member of the robust Spencer Fane Labor and Employment team and leader across the organization. She provides preventive counsel and litigates employment disputes on behalf of employers in federal and state courts, in arbitration, and before various administrative agencies. DeAndrea is also an increasingly visible and respected voice at the firm. In addition to her previous role as the youngest-ever appointee to the firm’s Executive Committee, she serves on the DEI Committee and as a leader of talent management throughout the firm. In these roles, DeAndrea advises on initiatives that impact strategy and culture, helping Spencer Fane continue its evolution on all fronts while also blazing impactful trails for attorneys and legal professionals.