BIO'S
About
Ardra O'Neal
Ardra M. O’Neal, Esq. is the founding partner of The O’Neal Firm, LLP, and subsequent partner of O'Neal & Sapperstein, Inc. For more than 27 years, she has specialized in labor and employment law. Ms. O'Neal litigates state and federal court employment related lawsuits and counsels executives, managers and human resource professionals nation-wide on the full range of issues concerning employer-employee relations, including wage and hour issues, employee leave matters, independent contractor classifications and discrimination and harassment claims.
O'Neal & Sapperstein, Inc. provides a comprehensive range of employment law counsel and representation to emerging and established business owners. Some of the representative cases and matters handled by the Firm include: cases alleging all forms of employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful discharge, negotiation of employment agreements, executive compensation contracts, non-compete, non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements and severance and separation agreements
Previously, Ms. O’Neal served as one of four Senior Labor and Employment Attorneys for Sodexho USA, a Fortune 500 corporation employing nearly 150,000 employees in the United States and over 360,000 globally. She also practiced law with one of the nation's largest law firms and served as lead defense counsel in all areas of labor and employment litigation. Ms. O'Neal has appeared before state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board.
Throughout her nearly thirty year career, Ms. O'Neal has frequently been called upon to lecture on labor and employment issues. Some of these engagements include the following: 2002 Loriman Education Services, Virginia Personnel Law Seminar; 2002 Alexandria, VA Chamber of Commerce, Employment Law Seminar; 2003 Georgia Avenue Business Development Classification of Independent Contractors Seminar; 2003 DC Chamber of Commerce Documentation and Employee Handbook Seminar; 2003 DC Chamber of Commerce Termination and Severance Agreements Seminar; 2004 Virginia Employment Law CLE Seminar; 2006 National Employment Law Council Conference; 2006 DC Chamber of Commerce Employer Advocacy Program; and 2010-2015 Women of Prince Peorge’s County Business Owners employment law seminars.
Ms. O'Neal is also a co-author of Employment Law in Virginia, a comprehensive treatise analyzing the complexities of Virginia employment laws.
Ms. O'Neal obtained her law degree in 1996 from Case Western Reserve University, School of Law, where she won several moot court competition awards including: Dean Dunmore Moot Court Competition Best Overall Performance Award; Dean Dunmore Moot Court Competition Distinguished Advocate Award; A.E. Bernstein Best Oral Advocate Award; Paul J. Hargenroeder Trial Tactics Award and, National Moot Court Team, First Place. Her undergraduate studies were completed at Johnson C. Smith University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and was Valedictorian of the Class of
1992.
About
Ethan S. Sapperstein
Ethan S. Sapperstein, Esq. is an accomplished employment law attorney with over fifteen years of experience representing employees and employers in a wide range of legal matters. With a tough and aggressive approach to litigation, keen attention to detail, and commitment to providing personalized service, Mr. Sapperstein is dedicated to helping clients achieve their legal goals.
A veteran plaintiff’s lawyer, Mr. Sapperstein aims to maximize recovery for employees facing discrimination, retaliation, harassment, unpaid wages, and wrongful termination. He regularly represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative law agencies including the EEOC, MSPB, NLRB, DLLR, and MHRC. He also provides counsel for individuals before they sign severance agreements, non-compete agreements, settlement agreements, and contracts of all types.
Mr. Sapperstein also leverages his plaintiff-side experience for employer clients. His deep understanding of plaintiff-side tactics allows him to assess and mitigate exposure risks for clients in the healthcare, finance, technology, government contracting, and other industries. He has successfully defended employers in matters related to wage and hour violations, FMLA, discrimination, age discrimination, sexual harassment, and defamation.
Additionally, Mr. Sapperstein provides human resources consulting and compliance counsel for employers ranging from start-ups to 100+ employee corporations and nonprofits. Mr. Sapperstein is experienced in drafting employee handbooks, HR policies, and employment contracts, as well as providing human resources training and development to ensure employers meet legal and best practice requirements and obtain the appropriate training and development. Mr. Sapperstein also conducts risk exposure analysis and works with a team of experienced HR professionals and attorneys to find the best and most cost-efficient solutions for each employer client.
Prior to his employment law practice, Mr. Sapperstein worked for two boutique firms, where he represented clients in commercial litigation, antitrust, and intellectual property matters, and also provided risk arbitrage analysis for investment clients.
Mr. Sapperstein obtained his Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in 2007, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. Mr. Sapperstein received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Jarmar Saunders
Jarmar Saunders is the CEO at O’Neal & Sappertein, Inc. He has been developing and managing small businesses for over 26 years. Jarmar is responsible for managing The Firm's marketing, finances, and development. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in business management.
Marsha Batista
Marsha Nearon Batista is O'Neal & Sapperstein, Inc.'s paralegal and intake specialist. Ms. Nearon Batista is trained and certified in subsidiary legal matters. She is responsible for assisting the attorneys in preparing for hearings, trials and corporate meetings. As a paralegal, she performs substantive and procedural legal work. Ms. Nearon Batista possesses a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Paralegal certificate.
