Washington, D.C. – September 8, 2020 – Bertram LLP today launched as a new female-owned law firm focused on complex employment litigation, whistleblower defense, internal investigations, and government contractor compliance. The firm was founded by Connie N. Bertram, a seasoned trial litigator, who for 30 years has represented employers, boards, and executives in employment-related disputes and litigation, including whistleblower, restrictive covenant, and harassment and discrimination matters.
“Bertram LLP is building a culture committed to diversity and inclusion and rising to do what is right, whether we are advising businesses, empowering clients and employees, or maintaining an eco-friendly, green business,” Bertram said. “Employment issues can be complex, with potentially emotional outcomes. We understand that employment claims can impact the culture of employers and the reputations of their executives and board members. We take a thoughtful and strategic approach in providing counseling, conducting investigations, and defending litigation.”
Bertram spent 30 years in BigLaw litigating complex harassment, discrimination, whistleblower, and restrictive covenant claims across the United States, including claims brought under Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Dodd-Frank, the False Claims Act (FCA), and other federal and state employment and whistleblower provisions. She has served as lead counsel in some of the most complex and hotly-contested litigation matters in the country. Bertram also advises federal government contractors on the many unique employment and affirmative action obligations that apply to them.
“Bertram LLP recognizes and champions individual strengths. Our goal is to reach out, mentor, and empower our attorneys to succeed at the highest level possible,” Bertram added. “As a nimble, boutique firm, there are no boundaries – no ceilings and no walls – holding us back from achieving our goals.”
A frequent speaker, Bertram often presents at national programs, seminars, and training conferences concerning employment-related issues, including employers’ response to the COVID pandemic, whistleblower provisions of the FCA, SOX and Dodd-Frank, OFCCP compliance, pay equity issues, sexual harassment, and whistleblower investigations. She has also authored books, guides, and chapters on various aspects of whistleblower and employment law, and for over ten years, edited the leading blog concerning government contractor compliance developments.
Bertram has been recognized as the “Go-To Thought Leader” in Government Contracts by the National Law Journal, among the Top 250 Women in Litigation by Benchmark Litigation, and in The Best Lawyers in America© and Chambers USA for Labor and Employment in the District of Columbia. Washingtonian listed her for over a decade as a Top Washington Lawyer in Employment. She has been named the Top Washington Lawyer in Employment Litigation by peer vote in the Washington Business Journal, a Leading Lawyer in Labor and Employment by the Legal Times, and Power Player of the Year by Washington SmartCEO. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in Labor and Employment every year for the past ten years. Bertram earned her undergraduate degree from the College of William & Mary in 1987 and her law degree, with honors, from George Washington University in 1990.