professional experience

Mr. Shaffer maintains a private law practice dedicated to civil rights and disability rights and accessibility. He is also the Section 508 compliance officer at a government agency.

Mr. Shaffer has been a partner and managed labor and employment law groups at several national firms, including Thelen Reid & Priest, Harter & Hadden, Garvey, Schubert & Barer and Semmes, Brown & Semmes.

Mr. Shaffer also was an associate at the firms Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Arnold & Porter.

Mr. Shaffer is a member of the D.C. Bar, many federal circuit and federal district courts and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

Mr. Shaffer has worked extensively in class action litigation. He has represented minority law and female enforcement agents in class action discrimination cases against the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs Service, U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. He also was the lead attorney in the defense of several major class actions involving public accommodations and employment, the most notable of which have been the Adams Mark Hotel class actions and the Holiday Spas class actions.

On behalf of insurance companies, Mr. Shaffer has reviewed and monitored the defense of employment class actions under employment practices liability insurance (“EPLI”) policies to assist the insurer in determining their likely liability should a class action develop, the practicability of settlement, and in the underwriting process, the level of risk a particular insurer has in issuing a policy of EPLI insurance, given the statistical utilization of minorities and females and the company’s personnel practices that may have a disparate impact upon females or minorities. He was lead counsel in defending the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in a class action under the ADA and Rehabilitation Act. Mr. Shaffer also frequently works with corporate clients to develop affirmative action plans and often defends on-site compliance reviews by the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”).

Mr. Shaffer has served as the Co-Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Labor and Employment Law Section, Federal bar Association.

Chair Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, Federal bar Association Chair, Individual Rights and Remedies Committee, Federal bar Association Member, Federal Bar Association, Governing Board of the Labor Law and Labor Relations Section.

Recipient, Federal Bar Association Distinguished Service Award for contributions into the Labor Law & Labor Relations Sections.

He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, a member of the Capital Veterans’ Engagement Board and a member of the Consumer Technology Association’s standards committee for audio-based navigation systems.

2013–present: Access Policy Officer, Office of ADA Policy and Planning, Department of Access Services. Responsibilities include reviewing existing and proposed federal, state, and local regulations, and making recommendations on how they how they apply or would impact Metro’s Rail, Bus, and MetroAccess services. Responsible for Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 for WMATA‘s internet and intranet and alternate formats. Liaison to community organizations for persons with disabilities, speak on and behalf of Metro regarding accessibility of BUS, RAIL and MetroAccess for persons with disabilities. Advocate for greatest possible accessibility of BUS, RAIL and MetroAccess for customers with disabilities.

March 2006–2013: Assistant General Counsel, WMATA. Responsible for class action litigation Disability Rights Council v. WMATA and several Title VII and ADA single plaintiff employment actions. Provide general legal advice as requested on various matters relating to discrimination, insurance and labor issues. Responsible for title VI and ADA?

2005–March 2006: Partner, Shaffer, Rappaport & Schmidt. Partner in firm specializing in complex litigation, labor and employment law.

2003–2005: Owner, Garvey, Schubert & Barer. Managed Washington labor practice of Seattle firm. Represented clients in insurance, class actions and labor matters.

2002–2003: Managing Partner, Shaffer, Rapaport & Schmidt. Managed small boutique employment firm with offices in Washington, New York and New Jersey.

2000–2002: Partner, Thelen, Reid & Priest, Washington, D.C. Established employment and labor practice in Washington office of New York firm, which grew to 8 attorneys. Represented clients in high tech, software, insurance, energy and communications.

1995–2000: Partner, Arter & Hadden. Responsible for managing labor and employment practice in Washington of national firm headquartered in Cleland, Ohio. Represented national hotel, retail and food corporations in discrimination class action. Advised insurers and reinsurers of Employment Practices Liability Insurance on risks of class action exposure in underwriting practices, and in utility industry.

1993–1995: Partner, Semmes, Bowen & Semmes, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Established labor and employment practice at regional firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Grew department to 6 attorneys. Handled civil rights and employment class actions, advised firm clients in every facet of employment and labor law, including strike discrimination, wrongful discharge, and other related litigation.

1987–1992: Associate, Arnold & Porter, Washington, D.C. Worked on employment-related issues, securities class actions, and civil rights class actions as well as a variety of commercial litigation.

1984–1987: Associate, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, San Jose, California. Worked in labor and litigation sections on securities and product liability class actions, wrongful discharge, bad faith, and a variety of labor and employment issues.

1983–1984: Law Clerk to the Honorable Betty B. Fletcher, United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court Appeals for the Ninth Circuit