Susan L. Barrett

Overview

Susan Barrett is an employment lawyer who advises a prominent national retailer within the healthcare industry. Susan dedicates her time to advising this large corporation on the full range of employment matters related to general daily employment compliance, discrimination matters, public accommodations, and other employee-at-will needs. Susan is skilled at handling internal investigations and crafts position statements related to daily employee relations within large corporations. Her practice includes investigating and resolving allegations of discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace, recommending appropriate legal defense and settlement strategies. Susan is best known for her distinct ability to provide the most up-to-date legal knowledge communicated through a clear and easy-to-understand style. She has a unique talent for identifying targeted needs and facilitating appropriate problem solving and dispute resolution methods.

Early in her career, Susan spent a decade working for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), serving in both legal and management roles. Ultimately named the Deputy General Counsel and Chief of Enforcement of the MCAD’s Springfield office, Susan routinely managed, litigated and mediated cases on behalf of the agency and its constituents. She also handled internal investigations and counseled employees in connection with their employment concerns. At the MCAD, Susan prosecuted discrimination and sexual harassment cases, represented the Commission in Massachusetts’ trial and appellate courts, and counseled the MCAD commissioners and staff on legal and policy matters. While in a leadership role at MCAD, Susan conducted trainings all over the state for Human Resources Executives and employers on anti-discrimination laws and best practices for avoiding legal exposure.  As part of this effort, Susan participated on committees responsible for drafting MCAD’s sexual harassment and disability discrimination guidelines and revising MCAD regulations. While at the MCAD, Susan served as the Chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section Council, interfacing with the employment bar on various issues affecting legal practice before the MCAD.

In the time between serving the MCAD and joining private practice, Susan was a long-time instructor at Bay Path University, a Massachusetts, all-women, private university. Susan taught college-aged students a range of courses related to employment, constitutional, business and administrative law. As a result of her work as faculty, Susan invested her time in developing her knowledge of the laws affecting businesses and individuals in the workplace. During this time, Susan also participated in the university’s initiative to redesign its curriculum through a Title III Grant. The grant and her work supported the university’s goal to improve and strengthen the academic rigors, institutional management and fiscal stability of the institution.