Sarah Benjes

Associate

sarah.benjes@FaegreBD.com
Direct: +1 303 607 3606
Denver Office
3200 Wells Fargo Center
1700 Lincoln Street

Denver, Colorado 80203-4532

Contact Information


sarah.benjes@FaegreBD.com3200 Wells Fargo Center
1700 Lincoln Street
Denver, Colorado 80203-4532
T: +1 303 607 3606
F: +1 303 607 3600

Education

University of Denver Sturm College of Law
J.D., Denver University Law Review (editor in chief), Order of St. Ives (2007)
Harvard University
B.A., cum laude (1997)

Bar Admissions

Colorado

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Sarah Benjes

Associate

Sarah focuses her practice in employment litigation, counseling and compliance. She represents clients in employment disputes involving alleged violations of federal and state employment statutes, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) and the Colorado Wage Claim Act (CWCA).

Sarah also represents clients in disputes involving common law claims, such as breach of contract, promissory estoppel, breach of fiduciary duties and wrongful discharge in violation of public policy. She has experience representing employers in federal and state courts, and at federal and state administrative agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the Colorado Civil Rights Division, the Colorado Department of Labor, and the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

In addition to litigation, Sarah advises employers regarding a wide range of workplace issues, including employee hiring, discipline and discharge matters; accommodating qualified employees with disabilities; and complying with wage and hour and leave laws. She assists clients in drafting employment contracts, noncompete agreements, employee policies, employee handbooks and separation agreements, and conducts internal investigations on behalf of employers. Sarah has also trained clients and their employees on ADA and FMLA compliance, and discrimination and harassment prevention.

While in law school, Sarah was the editor-in-chief of the Denver University Law Review. She earned academic honors in employment law, employment discrimination law, immigration law, constitutional law, and legal research and writing. Sarah also served as a research assistant to Professor and now Dean Martin J. Katz, conducting research in the field of employment discrimination law.

Prior to law school, Sarah worked in human resources for the ski industry for six years and was most recently the senior manager of human resources and international staffing for Vail Resorts, Inc.

Professional Associations

  • Colorado Bar Association Labor and Employment Section
  • Colorado Women's Bar Association
  • Denver Bar Association
  • William E. Doyle Inn of Court

Legal Updates

  • Media Law Resource Center 50-State Survey 2010: Employment Libel and Privacy Law
    Co-author, Survey of Colorado Employment Libel Law chapter (2010)
  • Media Law Resource Center 50-State Survey 2009: Employment Libel and Privacy Law
    Co-author, Survey of Colorado Employment Libel Law chapter (2009)
  • Ballot Measure Could Prove "Death Knell" for Employment at Will in Colorado
    Boulder County Business Report, Volume 27, Issue 19 (September 2008)
  • Media Law Resource Center 50-State Survey 2008: Employment Libel and Privacy Law
    Co-author, Survey of Colorado Employment Libel Law chapter (2008)
  • ABA Wage and Hour Laws: A State-by-State Survey (2008 Supplement)
    Co-author, Colorado chapter, BNA Books (2008)
  • Smith v. City of Jackson: A Pretext of Victory for Employees
    Comment, 83 Denver University Law Review 231 (2005)

Related Practices

Employment Counseling & Compliance
Employment Litigation
Federal & State Employment Laws & Regulations
Labor & Employment
Labor Regulation
Litigation & Advocacy
Regulatory

Education

University of Denver Sturm College of Law
J.D., Denver University Law Review (editor in chief), Order of St. Ives (2007)
Harvard University
B.A., cum laude (1997)

Legal Updates

02-July-2009 - Ricci v. DeStefano: U.S. Supreme Court Rules for White Employees in Race Discrimination Case
03-June-2009 - Tenth Circuit Refuses to Meddle in Employers' Legitimate Hiring Decisions
29-January-2009 - Iowa Supreme Court Decision May Open Door for Juries to Sit as Super-Personnel Departments
08-September-2008 - The Death Knell of Employment At Will in Colorado?

Bar Admissions

Colorado

Court Admissions

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Events

05-May-2011 - Social Media Strategies: How to Leverage the Web 2.0 World While Avoiding Legal Missteps
15-February-2011 - Wage & Hour Law Today: The Essentials

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