Susan Motschiedler provides deep employment and labor experience primarily to medium and small businesses on routine and crisis administrative matters; long-term growth planning and protection; and employment litigation. Her collaboration with multidisciplinary teams benefits clients in matters of business structure; acquisition; acquisition planning and more. 

Capabilities

Biography

Susan Baird Motschiedler is a member of Parsons Behle & Latimer's employment and labor law and litigation practice groups. With an eye toward avoiding litigation, she excels at providing up-front advice and counsel to business owners and management regarding employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation; disciplinary action and documentation; disability accommodation issues; benefits; employment policies and practices; employee leave laws; layoffs; protection of trade secrets and other confidential and proprietary information through the use of confidentiality, noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements; wage and hour laws; and other employment-related issues. Susan also regularly conducts real world client training programs for employers on topics including harassment and discrimination, disability accommodation, hiring and firing, conducting investigations, record keeping and coaching/disciplining employees. When disputes arise, Susan confidently defends clients in litigation, administrative proceedings and alternative dispute resolution forums. 

Susan regularly counsels and represents employers in lawsuits in a variety of areas including:

  • Sex discrimination and sexual harassment
  • Age discrimination
  • Religious discrimination
  • Americans with Disabilities Act, disability and employee medical issues
  • Wrongful termination
  • Employment contracts and compensation
  • Non-compete, confidentiality, and non-solicitation agreements
  • Handbooks
  • Social media in the workplace
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), overtime, exemptions, and wage issues
  • Independent contractor issues
  • Drug and alcohol testing
  • Family Medical Leave Act and other leave issues
  • Terminations and unemployment
  • Union issues
  • Investigations
  • UALD and EEOC charges and audits
  • Training for management and employees

Ms. Motschiedler also maintains a practice of black lung defense counsel in workers' compensation claims brought under the federal Black Lung Benefits Reform Act.

She has represented employers with coal mine or other non-coal mine operations in Utah, Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama before the Department of Labor Office of Administrative Law Judges, the Benefits Review Board, and in appellate proceedings before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Accomplishments

Academic

University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law (J.D., 2005)

Rhodes College (B.A., 1994)

Major: Anthropology/Sociology
Major: German

Universität Tübingen, Germany (1992-1993)

Professional

Recognized in Utah Legal Elite, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

Recognized by Mountain States Super Lawyers as Rising Star in Business Litigation, 2012, Employment & Labor, 2015

Associations

Professional

Utah State Bar
Ethics Advisory Committee
Member

Women Lawyers of Utah
Past President
Co-author, "The Utah Report: The Initiative on the Advancement and Retention of Women in Law Firms"
(October 2010)

David K. Watkiss Sutherland II Inn of Court
Member

Salt Lake County Bar Association
Member

Insights

Articles

Presentations

Credentials

Licensed

Utah
U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit

Education

University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law