Biography

Employers trust Joy Einstein to be in it with them, through the day-to-day complexities of workforce management, the high stakes of a major litigation or union campaign, and the unexpected moments that call for clear judgment and a steady hand. As a Shareholder in Shulman Rogers’ Employment & Labor Practice Group, Joy brings elite legal expertise to employers across Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, and delivers it the way clients actually want it: directly, accessibly, and with a genuine stake in the outcome. 

Joy advises businesses across the full range of employment law matters, from workplace harassment and misconduct to compensation, leave, and wage and hour compliance. She builds tailored employment policies and handbooks that help organizations get ahead of risk, and she represents employers before federal and state courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), and municipal human rights commissions. 

For employers with unionized workforces, Joy is a steady partner through every stage of the labor relations process, including collective bargaining negotiations, unfair labor practice charges, union representation proceedings before the NLRB, strikes, grievances, and arbitration. When litigation is unavoidable, she also defends consumer reporting agencies, financial institutions, background check companies, and tenant screening companies in Fair Credit Reporting Act litigation and related claims. 

Beyond the courtroom, Joy helps executives, partners, and owners negotiate severance agreements and business divorces, with a proactive approach focused on helping clients move forward with confidence. She is also a go-to resource for the hospitality industry, working regularly with the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington on employment law education, from the FLSA 80/20 rule and tip credit regulations to wage modeling and post-pandemic workforce issues. 

Joy earned her J.D. from William & Mary’s Marshall Wythe School of Law and her B.A., magna cum laude, from William & Mary. Before joining Shulman Rogers, she clerked for Judge James E. Seibert in the Northern District of West Virginia. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, and is fluent in French.

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025-2026
  • The Best Lawyers in America® – Women in the Law, 2025
  • Bar Association of Montgomery County Employment Law Section, Co-Chair

Professional & Community Affiliations

  • MCPS Foundation for Hospitality and Restaurant Management, Cadre Member
  • Bar Association of Montgomery County, Member

Publications

  • Transformation of LGBT Protections in Employment Law, Co-Author, The Advocate, Spring 2016
  • Wage and Hour Division Survey Signals Reinvigoration of “Right To Know” Proposal Under Fair Labor Standards Act
  • Supreme Court Addresses CAFA and Jurisdictional Maneuvering

News & Insights

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Results

  • Settled wage and hour class action claims on favorable terms, saving the employer from having to declare bankruptcy.
  • Defended employer against EEOC charge, resulting in determination that no reasonable cause existed to believe discrimination occurred after a petition was filed with the NLRB.
  • Represented employer in union organizing campaign, resulting in an employee vote against unionization.  The vote was upheld on appeal.
  • Represented employer in unfair labor practice charge proceedings related to employee terminations.  NLRB upheld the employee terminations.
  • Achieved summary judgement dismissing lawsuit by former employee claiming he was owed payout for accrued but unused vacation and other leave benefits upon termination of employment.
  • Won motion to dismiss Fair Credit Reporting Act claims brought by consumer.
  • Defended apartment complex management company against housing complaint filed with Maryland Commission on Civil Right and HUD.