Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership | This website contains attorney advertising.

Mary L. Will

Deputy General Counsel / Partner

Overview

Mary Will is professional responsibility counsel to the firm. In that capacity, she advises the firm and its lawyers regarding conflicts of interest, ethics and other legal matters. Mary also advises employers on employment laws and workplace actions. She partners with clients to provide business strategies and solutions tailored to their specific needs, taking into account the business environment and culture in which each employer operates.

Compliance, Training and Transactions

Mary works closely with the firm’s corporate lawyers on the employment aspects of all types of mergers and acquisitions, including the integration of workforces, protection of trade secrets and business assets, and limitation of employment risks.

Mary partners with employers to:

  • Provide employment advice and strategic direction during mergers and acquisitions to reduce employment risks, minimize disruptions and effectively integrate workforces
  • Prepare and provide legal advice on employment agreements, non-competition agreements, confidentiality agreements and separation agreements
  • Protect confidential information, trade secrets and other business assets
  • Address and prevent discrimination, harassment and other workplace claims
  • Determine and implement sound wage and hour policies and practices
  • Investigate workplace complaints, including complaints under the Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank Acts
  • Address workplace privacy claims
  • Draft employee handbooks, codes of conduct, personnel policies and employee training materials
  • Strategically prepare for and address workplace developments and trends
  • Provide all types of workplace training to executives and employees
  • Prepare for and conduct reductions in force and plant closings

Employment Litigation and Government Investigations

Mary advises employers in a variety of litigation matters, including wage and hour cases, discrimination and harassment claims, noncompetition disputes and government investigations.

She represents employers before courts and government agencies. Among others, she represents employers in:

  • Wage and hour class actions
  • Discrimination and harassment cases brought under federal and state laws and based on race, sex (including sexual harassment), age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics
  • Non-competition and trade secret disputes
  • Governmental investigations and audits related to employee classification, wages, hours and workplace practices
  • EEOC and other state civil rights commission proceedings
  • Federal and state department of labor investigations and audits

Credentials

Bar Admissions

Colorado

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado

Education

University of Denver Sturm College of Law
J.D. Order of St. Ives (1990)

University of Denver
B.S.B.A. magna cum laude (1985)

Insights & Events

Other Perspectives

Firm Blog Contributions

  • LaborSphere – a resource providing coverage and insights on breaking cases, recently enacted legislation and a broad range of labor issues

Leadership & Community

Professional Associations

  • Colorado State Bar Association
  • Denver Bar Association
  • Colorado Human Resources Association
  • Society of Human Resources Management

Honors

  • Best Lawyers® —Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2023-25
  • Chambers USA — Colorado, Labor & Employment, 2013-24
  • Martindale-Hubbell — Top Ranked Lawyer in Labor & Employment Law, Peer Review Rating: AV® Preeminent™
Awards Methodology
No aspect of these recognitions has been approved by the highest court of any state.