David C. Burton

David Burton represents companies in both state and federal courts in the areas of Title VII, age discrimination, fair labor standards, family and medical leave, the WARN Act, wrongful discharge, covenants not to compete, and employment contracts and handbooks, as well as other state and federal employment issues.

David Burton represents companies in both state and federal courts in the areas of Title VII, age discrimination, fair labor standards, family and medical leave, the WARN Act, wrongful discharge, covenants not to compete, and employment contracts and handbooks, as well as other state and federal employment issues.

Mr. Burton has significant experience defending employers in the Federal Courts of Virginia and other jurisdictions (including New York, Indiana, Illinois, Florida and Tennessee) in cases involving Title VII, disability, and age discrimination cases. Additionally, Mr. Burton has defended four collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Mr. Burton has also defended clients in pattern and practice claims brought by the EEOC on numerous occasions. Mr. Burton’s federal court experience also includes three jury trials involving Title VII claims made against employers.

Mr. Burton has extensive experience in the area of labor relations under the National Labor Relations Act, representing management before the National Labor Relations Board and federal courts throughout the country. Mr. Burton counsels employers on remaining union-free and decertifying existing unions in the workforce, and represents employers in aspects of unfair labor practice proceedings. He also represents management at the bargaining table in labor contract negotiations and arbitrations. Mr. Burton has presented numerous on-site training seminars for supervisors and management personnel on a variety of labor and employment issues.

Mr. Burton also has extensive experience representing companies in situations involving unfair business and trade practices, interference with business or contract expectancy, misappropriation and theft of proprietary information or trade secrets, fiduciary duty violations, business conspiracy and civil actions based on the Virginia computer crimes statute.

Prior to joining Williams Mullen, Mr. Burton was a law clerk in the Chief Staff Attorney’s office at the Virginia Supreme Court and thereafter was a law clerk for Senior Justice Richard H. Poff of the Virginia Supreme Court.

Mr. Burton is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and the Virginia State Bar and is also a member of the American Bar Association subcommittees on Practice and Procedure before the National Labor Relations Board and the Developing Labor Law. He is an editor of the American Bar Association’s legal treatise How to Take a Case Before The N.L.R.B. An active member of the Virginia Bar Association’s Labor and Employment section, he is a frequent speaker to the group.  Mr. Burton serves on Williams Mullen's board of directors.

Mr. Burton is a graduate of Leadership Hampton Roads. He is a board member of the Virginia Beach Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Stage Company. Mr. Burton is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA and has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Virginia Super Lawyers magazine. He is also listed in Virginia Business magazine’s “Legal Elite.” Martindale Hubbell has ranked Mr. Burton an AV attorney, its highest rating available.

Mr. Burton received his law degree from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in 1991 and his bachelor’s degree from Elon College in 1988. During his third year of law school Mr. Burton served as an intern for the Honorable James Spencer of the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.