Representing employers and employees alike in a broad spectrum of labor and employment matters, Jane Lemley (f/k/a Jane Rasmussen) recognizes that the relationship between employer and employee is at once deeply personal and profoundly impactful. She understands that her clients’ careers and livelihoods are often on the line, or that an employment claim against a company may pose an existential threat to its reputation and ongoing viability.
Jane’s ability to both analyze and empathize makes her particularly well-suited to this area of the law. Her clients benefit from her extensive experience on both sides of employment relationships, which provides her with an innate understanding and appreciation of the strategies and objectives each brings to contract negotiation, litigation, and investigations into alleged employee misconduct. These insights facilitate the implementation of creative and positive strategies designed to reduce the likelihood of conflict and efficiently resolve employment disputes.
Priding herself on her accessibility and professionalism, Jane regularly counsels clients throughout the country regarding wrongful termination, unlawful harassment and discrimination, wage and hour laws, employee handbooks, and her clients’ rights and obligations under their commercial contracts. She routinely drafts, reviews, and negotiates a wide variety of employment contracts, including executive employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, non-disclosure agreements, independent contractor agreements, stock option and other forms of equity award agreements, non-competition agreements, and severance agreements and releases.
Jane conducts investigations of alleged employee misconduct, including sexual harassment and other forms of unlawful discrimination, and testifies regarding her conclusions when necessary. In addition, she trains management and staff on a host of employment issues and provides one-on-one remediation counseling when appropriate or necessary to properly address and resolve incidents.
Before joining Harrison & Johnston in July 2021, Jane was a solo practitioner at the Law Firm of Jane Lemley Rasmussen in Fairfax, Virginia. In addition to serving clients in the Shenandoah Valley, Jane continues to represent clients in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia (particularly in Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax) at Harrison & Johnston’s new Fairfax location.
After graduating with High Distinction from the University of Virginia, Jane earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Labor and Employment Law sections of the Fairfax Bar Association and Washington, D.C. Bar Association. As an original member of the League of Women Lawyers, Jane collaborates with other female attorneys across all practice areas in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
Recognized by her peers for her professional accomplishments in the areas of labor and employment law management, Jane is listed in the 2021 and 2022 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and was included in NorthernVirginia Magazine’s 2020 list of Top Lawyers.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia and a long-time resident of Falls Church City, Jane currently lives in The Plains (near Middleburg), where she spent weekends and summers while growing up. She enjoys Virginia’s Hunt Country with her friends and family.