Attorneys

Mary Elizabeth (Betsy) Davis began her legal career as a law clerk to the Hon. Dennis J. Smith, Fairfax County Circuit Court. Joining Spotts Fain Chappell & Anderson, P.C. in 1998, Betsy became a shareholder and director of the firm in 2005. She is a member of the litigation section and focuses her practice in the areas of employment law, intellectual property and commercial litigation.

In her employment practice, Betsy advises management in all areas of labor and employment law. She also represents employers in state and federal courts in the areas of Title VII, age discrimination, fair labor standards, family and medical leave, wrongful discharge, covenants not to compete, and employment contracts and handbooks, as well as other state and federal employment issues.

Her intellectual property practice includes both litigation and the registration of copyrights and trademarks. She works closely with the firm's business section in order to assist the firm's clients to create, protect, defend and prevent infringement of trademarks, copyrights, service marks, trade names and trade dress rights. She also advises businesses regarding internet and domain name issues. When disputes arise, she counsels and represents clients in alternative dispute resolution, proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and infringement and dilution litigation in state and federal courts.

Betsy received her B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1994 and her J.D. cum laude from the University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law in 1997.

An active member of the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyer's Conference, Betsy is the Regional Chairperson of "No Bills Night". She is also a member of the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property, the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. American Inn of Court, the Richmond Bar Association and the Junior League of Richmond. Betsy was named in the Virginia Business magazine's Legal Elite list in 2004 and 2005 in the Young Lawyers Category.

Some of Betsy's presentations and articles appear on the website, including:

Presentations

Fair Labor Standards Act and Employment Pitfalls: Hiring and Firing Employees

Articles:

New Amendment to FMLA Requires 26 Weeks of Unpaid Military Family Medical Leave

Minimum Wage Increases to $7.25

Supreme Court Limits Employees' Equal Pay Claims

Employers should know your obligations under the Uniformed Services Employment Rights Act (USERRA)

Employers should review and tighten noncompete provisions

Employers should review existing practices regarding releases of age discrimination claims

Judge Spencer emphasizes importance of employee evaluation process

Releases under the Older Worker Benefit Protection Act

New regulation on destruction of records used in background checks