Laura J. Thalacker

Laura Thalacker is a founding Member of Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd., a Las Vegas-based management-side employment law and business litigation firm. She exclusively represents employers (management) in employment and labor law matters. Ms. Thalacker's legal career spans over 29 years in Nevada. Prior to founding Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. in 2014, Ms. Thalacker was a partner in the Litigation Department of Nevada's then-largest law firm.

As a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR and SHRM-SCP) and a certified Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), Ms. Thalacker is uniquely capable of viewing her clients' problems from a strategic business standpoint, as well as from a legal perspective. By emphasizing a proactive approach to human resources compliance, Ms. Thalacker assists her corporate clients in avoiding time-consuming and expensive litigation so they can stay focused on building and growing their businesses. Her human resources compliance practice includes drafting employment policies, contracts, and handbooks and advising employers located in Nevada, throughout the U.S. and worldwide on such matters as employee discipline and termination, severance agreements, reductions in force, workplace investigations, social media, wage and hour compliance, leaves of absence, the WARN Act, and enforcement of non-competes and non-disclosure agreements. Ms. Thalacker also conducts workplace investigations and provides training for managers and employees on a variety of human resources issues including social media, harassment prevention, ADA and FMLA compliance.

When employment-related litigation arises, Ms. Thalacker vigorously defends employers, while also striving to achieve excellent results in a cost-effective manner. Listening to the client and understanding the client's goals are paramount. Ms. Thalacker has represented companies in a wide range of cases before Nevada state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, including in cases alleging breach of contract, employment-related torts, violation of trade secret laws and non-competition agreements, and violations of federal and state statutes such as the FLSA, Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA and other employment laws.

Ms. Thalacker consistently has been recognized by her peers as a leader in the field of employment and labor law. From 2012-2017 and 2019-2023, Ms. Thalacker has been named to "Super Lawyers" (including being honored by Mountain States Super Lawyers in 2013 as one of its Top 50 Women Lawyers). Since 2010, Ms. Thalacker has been included in "Best Lawyers in America" and is a five-time recipient of Las Vegas "Lawyer of the Year" honors from Best Lawyers: 2024 (Employment Law-Management), 2023 (Litigation-Labor and Employment), 2018 (Employment Law- Management), 2016 (Litigation - Labor and Employment), and 2015 (Employment Law- Management). Ms. Thalacker is ranked in Chambers USA (2019-2023) and is one of Lawdragon's "500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers" (2021-2024). She is rated AV-Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and, in 2012, was named by Las Vegas, Inc. as the "Top Lawyer" for Employment Law in Las Vegas. 

Ms. Thalacker is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. She is a former Chairperson of the State Bar of Nevada's Labor and Employment Section, as well as the State Bar of Nevada's Publications Committee. Ms. Thalacker currently serves on the Employment Law Steering Committee of IR Global, a leading international network of legal, accounting and financial advisers. Ms. Thalacker is also a member of the Association of Workplace Investigators and is a certified ATIXA Title IX Investigator. 

Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. is the exclusive Nevada member of the prestigious Worklaw Network and is the exclusive IR Global Nevada member firm for Labor and Employment and Commercial Litigation.

Admissions & Certifications

• State Bar of Nevada (1994)
• United States District Court, District of Nevada (1994)
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1997)
• Senior Certified Professional (SCP) - Society for Human Resources Management
• Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) - Human Resources Certification Institute  
• Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) – Human Resources Certification Institute 
• ATIXA Certified Title IX Investigator 

Memberships

• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Labor and Employment Section, State Bar of Nevada (past Chairperson)
• Litigation Section, State Bar of Nevada
• Labor and Employment Section, American Bar Association
• IR Global Labor & Employment Steering Committee 
• Association of Workplace Investigators
• Society for Human Resources Management
• Former Regional Vice-Chair (North America), Lex Mundi Global Labor and Employment Practice Group 
• Past Chairperson of the State Bar of Nevada’s Publications Committee 

Select Honors 

• 2024 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” (Employment Law – Management) – The Best Lawyers in America® 
• 2023 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” (Litigation-Labor and Employment) – The Best Lawyers in America® 
• 2018 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” (Employment Law – Management) – The Best Lawyers in America® 
• 2016 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” (Litigation-Labor and Employment) – The Best Lawyers in America®
  2015 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” (Employment Law-Management) – The Best Lawyers in America® 
• The Best Lawyers in America®– Employment Law (Management); Labor Law (Management); and Litigation–Labor and Employment (2010-2024) 
• Mountain States Super Lawyers® - “Employment & Labor” and “Employment Litigation: Defense” (2012-2017, 2019-2023) 
• Ranked in Chambers USA in the area of Labor & Employment (2019-2023) 
• ”Top 50 Women Lawyers,” Mountain States Super Lawyers® (2013) 
• Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers (2019-2023) 
• ”Top Lawyers,” Desert Companion Magazine (2014) 
• Vegas, Inc. Las Vegas “Top Employment Lawyer-Management” (2012)

Publications

• Employer-Mandated Vaccinations for COVID-19: Legally Required? Legally Allowed? (Clark County Bar Association Communique · Feb. 4, 2022)  
• If you can, should you? Employer choices on requiring the Covid-19 vaccine (IR Global Digital Podcast · July 14, 2021) 
• How the Gig Economy Is Changing the Working World (Lawyer Monthly · Oct. 22, 2020)
• Shock of the New: The Impact of the Gig Economy on the Traditional Workplace (IR Global Virtual Series - Employment Law Working Group · July 1, 2020) 
• Covid-19: Unprecedented Times, Desperate Measures (IR Global Virtual Series - Employment Law Working Group · Mar. 31, 2020) 
• Workplace Investigations: Process and enforcement in the age of #MeToo (IR Global Virtual Series - Employment Law Working Group · May 1, 2019) 
• #MeToo: Is it Time Up for Discrimination in the Workplace? (IR Global Virtual Series - Employment Law Working Group · Oct. 1, 2018) 
• Restrictive Measures in Employment Contracts: The use of covenants to protect trade secrets, customer goodwill and confidential information (IR Global Virtual Series - Employment Law Working Group · July 1, 2017)
• Those Prying Eyes: Potential Liability for Employers Accesssing Employee Social Media Posts (The Nevada Lawyer · Dec. 1, 2014)
• Blowing the Whistle on Employers: Differing Federal and State Approaches (Clark County Bar Association Communique · Apr. 1, 2013)
• Public Employees and the First Amendment: The Intersection of Free Speech Rights and Social Media (The Nevada Lawyer · Nov. 1, 2012)
• Essential Components of a Workplace Social Media Policy (Casino Enterprise Management · Nov. 1, 2010)
• Pitfall Potential: The Risks of Social Media (The Nevada Lawyer, Sep. 1, 2010) 

Education

• B.A. (summa cum laude), Political Science and Women’s Studies, Wartburg College (1991)
• J.D. (with high distinction), University of Iowa College of Law (1994)
• Senior Note & Comment Editor, Iowa Law Review (1993-1994)
• Best Advocate, Iowa Competitive Appellate Advocacy II (1994) 
• Best Brief, Iowa Competitive Appellate Advocacy II (1994) 
• Chicago Moot Court Team (1994)