Wendy G. Adkins

Member

(O): 304.284.4136

(F): 304.284.4156

(C): 304.685.6408

wgadkins@jacksonkelly.com

PDF

Wendy G. Adkins

Member

(O) : 304.284.4136

(F): 304.284.4156

(C): 304.685.6408

wgadkins@jacksonkelly.com

PDF

Wendy G. Adkins is a Member in the Education industry group, focusing primarily on employment, commercial litigation, education, and real estate. She practices out of the Firm’s office in Morgantown, West Virginia. Wendy is also the Managing Member of the Firm’s Morgantown and Martinsburg, West Virginia, offices.

Bio

Wendy is passionate about her legal practice, her clients, and anything involving West Virginia University – both her undergraduate and law degrees are from WVU. Wendy’s wide-ranging employment litigation practice has allowed her to gain experience in many aspects of the law. In fact, she is more than a lawyer – she is a consultant, an advisor, and a fierce advocate.

Wendy also takes a hands-on approach to drafting her clients’ legal arguments, ensuring she knows her clients’ factual and legal arguments inside and out. With an undergraduate degree in journalism, brief writing is a happy task for Wendy. She will work all the pieces of the legal puzzle until they come together seamlessly.

Wendy does not shy away from a challenge. She was the first person in her family to graduate from a four-year college and is the first and only lawyer in her family. That may be why Wendy most enjoys guiding her clients through their thorniest legal issues. She always has her clients’ best interests in mind and understands the toughest part of her job is providing the best legal advice, even when that guidance is not necessarily what the client hopes to hear. This is not always easy, but it allows her to guide her clients to the best outcomes. Wendy is the whole package and the type of attorney all clients want in their corner.

Education

West Virginia University College of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2003)
Order of the Coif (2003)
West Virginia University (B.S. in Journalism, 2000)
Dean’s List (1996-2003)
Scholars Program (1996-2000)

Admissions

Pennsylvania (2015)
West Virginia (2003)
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit (2008)
U.S. District Court, Northern District of West Virginia (2007)
U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia (2003)
West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals (2003)

Notable Legal Experience

Contract & Commercial Actions

First chair litigator at trial in a dissolution action in West Virginia Business Court Division
Litigated complex contractual disputes, including multi-year service contracts and covenants not to compete
Represented clients bringing breach of duty claims against members of a limited liability company

Litigation Actions

Represented clients before administrative law judges, state circuit court judges and federal district court judges throughout West Virginia
Drafted briefs filed with United States Supreme Court; United States Courts of Appeal for the Third, Fourth and Tenth Circuits; Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Oral argument before Benefits Review Board panel regarding federal administrative appeal
Represented and advised clients during mediations involving claims in excess of $1 million

Property Actions

Represented oil and gas industry clients throughout the Appalachian Basin in quiet title actions and “lease busting” actions
Appeared before administrative boards regarding municipal planning and zoning decisions
Represented public utility in condemnation actions

Employment Actions

Counseled employers on wage and hour issues, employee leave and benefits, reductions in force, drug testing, and obligations under the Family and Medical Leave Act
Drafted and reviewed personnel policies and employee handbooks
Assisted in-house counsel, human resource representatives, managers, and supervisors with employee discharge and discipline decisions
Represented employers in state and federal courts in actions involving wage and hour claims, employment discrimination claims, and various harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims

Represented State Higher Education Institutions in:

Promotion, tenure, and other faculty grievance issues at level one conferences and hearings before institution’s chief grievance administrator
Federal due process action related to academic integrity proceedings
Procurement process action in state court
West Virginia Freedom of Information Act request for an investigative report in state court
Various state employment discrimination actions
Public-private partnerships actions in state court
Arbitration concerning statutory separation from another institution

Work History

Jackson Kelly PLLC (2007-Present)
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, Judicial Law Clerk for the Hon. Irene M. Keeley (2005-2007)
Huddleston Bolen, LLP, Associate Attorney (2003-2005)

Professional Organizations

Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, Member (2015-Present)
Pennsylvania State Bar, Member (2015-Present)
Monongalia County Bar Association, Member (2008-Present)
West Virginia Defense Trial Counsel, Member (2007-Present)
West Virginia State Bar, Member (2003-Present)
- Employment Law Committee, Co-Chair (2021-Present)

Community

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows Program (2020)
Fairmont State University, Board of Governors (2019-Present)
American Heart Association, Jackson Kelly liaison (2008-Present)
Partnership in Education with Eastwood Elementary School, Jackson Kelly liaison (2008-Present)
Junior Achievement, Board Member (2012-2014)
Monongalia County Schools Partnership in Education, Board Member (2009-2011)
Leadership Monongalia (2009-2010)

Awards

Ranked in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business among “Leaders in Their Field” for Labor and Employment Law (2022-2026)
The Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation (2022-2026) ; Litigation – Labor and Employment (2024-2026)
West Virginia Super Lawyers® – General Litigation Law, “Rising Stars” (2018)
West Virginia Super Lawyers® – General Litigation and Workers’ Compensation Law, “Rising Stars” (2010-2017)
Top 20 under 40, Corridor Magazine (November 2012)

Speaking Engagements & Publications

Co-Presenter with Laura Lorensen, “Employment from Start to Finish,” “Employee Leave and Accommodations,” “Wage and Hour Basics,” and “Workplace Discrimination and Harassment,” LEAD Manager Training Program, Embassy Suites, Charleston, WV October 30, 2024.
Presenter, “Top Priorities of an HR Department of One.” West Virginia Rural Water Association, Water on the Mountain Conference, Aug. 15, 2023
Presenter, “Is Your Workplace Ready for the COVID-19 Vaccine?,” Institute for Healthcare Governance, April 13, 2021
Presenter, “Pandemic Look at Employee Issues,” WVCLE Shale Law, Nov. 6, 2020
Presenter, “Navigating Employment Issues During COVID-19,” Association of Housing Authorities, May 13, 2020
Presenter, “Navigating Employment Issues During COVID-19,” Martimsburg-Berlkeley County Chamber of Commerce Virtual Rise & Shine, April 24, 2020
Presenter, “Employment Issues and COVID-19,” West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, April 9, 2020
Presenter, “Board Governance,” Morgantown Area Partnership Board, May 15, 2019
Presenter, “Board Governance,” United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties, April 16, 2019
Presenter, “The Top Five Priorities for an HR Department of One,” West Virginia Chamber of Commerce 2019 HR Conference, Charleston, West Virginia, April 10, 2019
Presenter, “What Employers Need To Know In a #MeToo World,” Professional Development Seminar, Blue Ridge Community & Technical College, Martinsburg, West Virginia, March 29, 2019
Presenter, “Employment Agreements/Independent Contractors v. Employees/Non Competes,” Jackson Kelly PLLC Trends in WV Employment, Labor and Benefits Law Seminar, Charleston, West Virginia, Oct. 16, 2018
Monongalia Health System and Monongalia General Hospital: Presentation to the Boards of Directors on Authority and Responsibilities of a Board of Directors (June 2013, May 2016)
West Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Section Lunchtime Lecture Series (Oct. 5, 2012)
West Virginia University Summer Law Institute (2010, 2014)