Kristina H. Vaquera

Kristina H. Vaquera is a Principal in the Norfolk, Virginia, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice focuses exclusively on labor and employment counseling and litigation.

Ms. Vaquera represents employers in federal and state court lawsuits and agency investigations and charges covering a wide range of statutes and subjects, including anti-discrimination and civil rights laws, wrongful termination claims, disability accommodation and access, wage and hour laws, covenants not to compete, leave of absence claims, negligent hire/retention, and breaches of fiduciary duty and contract. Ms. Vaquera has litigated class and collective actions, including FLSA, FCRA, and discrimination class actions. She also represents clients in mediation and arbitration before various national and state entities.

As part of Ms. Vaquera’s counseling practice, she provides daily counseling and training to management to help employers avoid litigation. She assists clients with employment agreements, handbooks, background checks and drug testing issues, and disciplinary action. She represents employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Department of Labor, and numerous state agencies, such as the Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, Virginia Department of Housing Discrimination, and Virginia Worker’s Compensation Commission.

Ms. Vaquera speaks extensively on various employment topics, including to the Virginia and Hampton Roads Society of Human Resource Managers, Virginia State Bar Labor and Employment Section, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Virginia Employment Commission, International Professional Managers Association, Virginia Government Contract Attorneys Association, Society of Designers and Architects, local chambers of commerce, Hampton Roads Industrial Liaison Group, PINK! Women Business Owners Conference, Public Media Business Association, the American Council of Engineering Companies, and the Retail Association of Hampton Roads. She lives in Hampton Roads with her family.

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

•Girl Scouts of the USA
•Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association
•St. Matthew’s School - President, Parent Teacher Guild

Honors and Recognitions

•Virginia’s Inside Business, Top 40 under 40 professionals (2003)
•Virginia Legal Elite: Young Lawyer (2009)

Published Works

•Virginia Employer's Guide to Hiring and Firing. NA: 2007. [Co-Author]
•The Developing Labor Law. NA: 2000. [Contributing Editor]

Kristina H. Vaquera In the News

Kristina H. Vaquera is Spotlighted on Influential Women of Law List

January 15, 2020 • Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Kristina Vaquera and Milena Radovic Discuss Top Wage and Hour Mistakes

November 25, 2019 • Inside Business

Kristina Vaquera and Milena Radovic Author Changes on the Horizon for Virginia Wage Statements

October 23, 2019 • SHRM

Kristina H. Vaquera Publications

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Virginia Renews Work Share Program to Support Virginia Employers, Employees

May 1, 2020

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Virginia Enacts Three Bills on Employee Misclassification

April 16, 2020

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Virginia: See FLSA to Determine Need to Report Hours Worked on Exempt Employees’ Wage Statements

April 15, 2020

Webinars

webinar

Is Virginia the New California? - Part Two

2 - 3:00 PM EST
Archived

webinar

COVID-19: Daily Briefing - Alternatives to Furloughs or Layoffs

4 - 4:30 PM EST
Archived

Kristina H. Vaquera Blog Posts

Employment Class and Collective Actions

Insurance Agents Properly Classified as Independent Contractors, Circuit Court Rules

February 26, 2019