Kristina H. Vaquera

Kristina H. Vaquera is the Office Managing Principal and Office Litigation Manager of the Norfolk, Virginia, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Kristina is an experienced employment and labor attorney with over 20 years of strategic advice and representation of employers exclusively across a wide range of industries. Kristina focuses on partnering with companies to help them navigate complex employment issues and laws and ensure multi-state compliance, and advocating for her clients in federal and state court litigation and agency matters. 

Kristina represents employers in federal and state court litigation, as well as agency charges and investigations covering a wide range of federal and state statutes and subjects, including discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, harassment, failure to accommodate disabilities and access claims, defamation, breach of contract, fraud, failure to pay wages and wage misclassification, and a variety of other statutory and common law claims, such as covenants not to compete and restrictive covenants, negligent hire/retention, and breaches of fiduciary duty and contract. Kristina has litigated class and collective actions as part of her litigation practice. She represents clients in grievances, mediations, arbitrations, and charges before various national and state entities, including before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and numerous state agencies, such as Virginia Occupational Safety and Health,  Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, Virginia Department of Housing Discrimination, and Virginia Worker’s Compensation Commission.

As part of her national advice and counsel practice, Kristina provides strategic advice and counsel on a wide range of legal matters, including inclusion risk assessment and compliance. As part of Kristina’s counseling practice, she provides daily advice and counseling and training to management to proactively assist employers in mitigating risk and avoiding litigation. She assists clients with employment agreements, handbooks, background checks and drug testing issues, investigations and disciplinary action.  She also has extensive experience in conducting workplace investigations and delivering both in-person and virtual training sessions for all employees, including boards, executive leadership teams, managers, in-house counsel and human resource professionals. Kristina works with companies to guide them through workplace safety and health compliance as well as investigations of workplace injuries.

Kristina also partners with clients to assist with traditional labor relations issues, including unfair labor practices claims, bargaining and negotiations. She speaks on employment law topics and works with employers in preventative and educational counseling, including to SHRM VA DC, Hampton Roads Society of Human Resource Managers group, Virginia Bar Association’s Labor and Employment and Corporate Counsel Sections, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Virginia Employment Commission, International Professional Managers Association, Virginia Government Contract Attorneys Association, Virginia Ship Repair Association, Society of Designers and Architects, local chambers of commerce, Hampton Roads Industrial Liaison Group, PINK! Women Business Owners Conference, Public Media Business Association, the American Council of Engineering Companies, and the Retail Association of Hampton Roads. 

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Employment Law – Management” (2020-present)
• Martindale-Hubbell®, “AV Preeminent® - Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence” (2012-present)
• Virginia Super Lawyers®, “Rising Stars” (2007, 2010-2013) and “Super Lawyers” (2014-present)
• Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Influential Women of Law (2020)
• Virginia’s Inside Business, “Top 40 under 40” professionals (2003)
• Virginia Legal Elite: Young Lawyer (2009) 

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• Girl Scouts of the USA
• Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association
• St. Matthew’s School – President, Parent Teacher Guild; Room Parent Coordinator

Published Works

• Virginia Employer’s Guide to Hiring and Firing. NA: 2007. [Co-Author]
• The Developing Labor Law. NA: 2000. [Contributing Editor]