Burt is the Chairman of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Burt has extensive experience exclusively representing management in all matters involving the employer-employee relationship. He routinely represents and counsels employers in wrongful discharge claims, accusations of discrimination or harassment, covenants not-to-compete, and government audits of employment practices.

Burt and his team offer employers one on one counseling as well as management training, including the widely recognized and well-attended Employment Law Update. These proactive measures help employers save time, money and energy by avoiding litigation.

Representative Matters

• Litigated numerous wrongful discharge cases establishing the rights of Virginia employers
• Handled many covenant not-to-compete cases, including a number of cases that have reached the Virginia Supreme Court
• Defended employers against claims under federal anti-discrimination laws
• Defended against attempts to enforce invalid covenants on behalf of new employers
• Assisted employers with resolving numerous matters utilizing alternative dispute resolution options, including mediation

Recognition & Honors

• Best Lawyers in America, 1999-2023
• College of Labor and Employment Lawyers; Fellow, Inducted in 2018
• America’s Leading Business Lawyers; Chambers USA, 2005-2022
• Virginia Super Lawyers; Law & Politics, 2006-2022
• Virginia Super Lawyer, Corporate Counsel Edition; Law & Politics, 2008-2010
• Virginia Legal Elite; Virginia Business Magazine, 2004-2014, 2016-2022
• Top Lawyers; CoVaBIZ, 2017-2022
• Virginia Legal Elite Top Employment Lawyer; Virginia Business Magazine, 2004
• Phi Beta Kappa
• Omicron Delta Epsilon
• Phi Delta Phi

Kaufman & Canoles

Our Practice Group has earned a strong reputation for innovative leadership and client satisfaction. We have served our clients as a specialized Practice Group of the firm for more than a quarter-century, and together with our Employee Benefits Group we provide the full spectrum of legal needs for employers in Virginia and beyond.

Practicing from our eight offices within the Commonwealth, we are one of the largest labor and employment law teams in Virginia. We count among our members three former Chairs of the Virginia Bar Association Section on Labor Relations and Employment Law, as well as many attorneys recognized by their peers and clients for inclusion in attorney rating publications including Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Virginia Super Lawyers and Virginia Legal Elite. Our firm and lawyers within the group have earned the coveted AV® rating granted only to preeminent lawyers by the widely recognized Martindale-Hubbell rating service. As individuals, each lawyer offers experience in critical subspecialties. As a team, we possess the strength and depth to address any employer-employee issue. We also offer our clients the advantage of an expert consultant, the former Area Director of the EEOC.