M. Carter DeLorme

Overview

For more than 25 years, attorney Carter DeLorme* has defended companies in labor and employment law matters, consistently crafting innovative solutions advancing clients' business objectives. Clients turn to Carter to represent them in matters involving equal employment opportunity, wage and hour, trade secret, and restrictive covenant claims before federal and state courts and administrative agencies.

He also has tried important contract interpretation and employee discipline arbitrations. In addition, Carter has extensive experience, particularly with health care providers, in supporting management efforts to remain union-free, respond effectively to corporate campaigns, and engage in collective bargaining with various national and international unions. Carter has served as the lead practitioner for a number of Major League Baseball teams in player salary arbitration hearings.

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Experience

Successfully represented a global defense contractor and one of its management employees in a lawsuit brought by a former employee who had worked in their Saudi Arabia branch office. The U.S. district court granted Carter and his team's motion to dismiss the suit for lack of personal jurisdiction.
Supervised a Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) matter. Carter's team convinced a jury in the Eastern District of Virginia to find in favor of a pro bono client and awarded her $3 million in compensatory and punitive damages on her claims under the TVPA.
Represented a manufacturer in a lawsuit brought by a former employee alleging that he was terminated as a result of age discrimination. The arbitrator found that the claimant was not dismissed for discriminatory reasons, but that he was terminated as a result of poor performance.
Successfully represented a charter school in the first union campaign waged by a teachers union in the jurisdiction. Carter and his team provided advice to the school management team on union campaign strategy and trained management on the rules of engagement during union organizing efforts, among other things. One day before the scheduled election, the union withdrew its petition based on concerns that the union would lose the election.
Successfully represented a Major League Baseball team in a rare player arbitration salary dispute. The team had not taken a salary arbitration case to hearing in 15 years.
Successfully defended a global information and technology company in a national and international discrimination and retaliation class action case brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleged that the company engaged in a pattern or practice of pregnancy discrimination by, among other things, reducing the pay of pregnant women and women who took maternity leave. Carter and his team proved that the allegations were false.
Obtained the dismissal of claims by a former President and CEO of a children's charity who had sued the charity after she was terminated for cause, alleging defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress ("IIED"), civil conspiracy, and tortious interference with contractual relations. The plaintiff sought over $4 million in damages. After previously granting defendants' motion to dismiss the IIED claim, the U.S. District Court of Maryland granted defendants' motion for summary judgment on all of the plaintiff's remaining claims.
Successfully defended a major telecommunications company and its subsidiaries against a proposed class action under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Maryland and Virginia state law seeking additional wages on behalf of a class of clerks performing "force clerk work." The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland granted Carter's client's motion to dismiss the complaint with prejudice and awarded the client costs.
Represented a leading health care provider in the Atlantic Coast region and its affiliate in difficult and prolonged negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement with the National Nurses Union. The agreement, which took over 13 months to negotiate, covers approximately 1,700 nurses.
Represented an academic and research center in Washington, DC, in temporary restraining order proceedings regarding the center's policy of mandatory vaccination against seasonal influenza. The center was successful in defeating the union's request for a temporary restraining order, and the litigation was dismissed.
Provided strategic labor relations advice to a leading real estate developer during a campaign by a union seeking to represent a multi-building and two-state unit of building engineers. Carter's client prevailed in the election by an overwhelming margin.

Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year” in Washington, DC (2022); Litigation – Labor and Employment (2018-2024)
Washington DC Super Lawyers, Employment & Labor (2013 to 2016, 2018 to 2021, 2024)