F&P Featured on Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s Empowering Women 2025 List

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Franklin & Prokopik (F&P) is honored to be included in the recently published Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Empowering Women section. This list features firms dedicated to providing women with support and advancement opportunities in the legal field.

Over the last 25+ years, F&P has always sought to foster excellence at every organizational level. Our commitment to fairness and opportunity has created remarkable outcomes in female leadership representation. As of 2025, we are proud to be a majority women-owned firm and will continue to prioritize gender fairness through a supportive internal culture and merit-based advancements.

F&P regularly ranks in the top 10 among mid-sized firms nationwide in Law360’s respected Glass Ceiling Report. The firm has also achieved Mansfield Certification Plus through the Diversity Lab. These outcomes reflect more than just good intentions – they demonstrate sustained, measurable results. We actively support community initiatives. Specifically, our Herdon, VA, office volunteers with “Women Giving Back,” a nonprofit that provides essential items to women and children in crisis. The firm also champions team members’ personal philanthropic endeavors, demonstrating a commitment to community engagement in both significant and everyday ways.

Thank you to Virginia Lawyers Weekly for this recognition. To learn more about their publication, visit Virginia Lawyers Weekly

F&P Attorneys Score Jury Trial Victory for High Profile Client

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F&P Attorneys Mike Bennett and Sam Schilling recently came out victorious after a three-day jury trial in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Mike and Sam represented a local restoration company that works on historic landmarks and buildings such as the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Naval Academy, and Washington National Cathedral. The stakes were high since the client relies on their experience modification rating (“EMR”)* to secure their work on these projects. Although numerous attempts were made to settle the matter prior to trial, the Claimant had no interest in settlement and demanded to move forward with the trial.

The jury was tasked with deciding the Claimant’s permanent partial disability following a fall from a ladder that resulted in a dislocated elbow. The defense ramped up with discovery efforts after it was apparent that trial was imminent, including deposing multiple fact witnesses for the Claimant and identifying the best-suited witnesses of their own. This preparation was paramount in securing victory at trial, as the defense introduced testimony from employer witnesses that directly contradicted the Claimant’s alleged physical limitations.

The jury heard from a total of eight witnesses over the three-day trial, and deliberated for over two hours before affirming the Commission’s decision that the Claimant has a 16% permanent partial disability to the arm. This victory not only resulted in the Claimant receiving no additional benefits but also stabilized the company’s EMR, allowing them to continue working on high-profile projects across the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore area.

*An EMR is a risk assessment tool used to evaluate a company’s safety performance, which can fluctuate depending on the amount spent on a claim.

F&P Receives Favorable Ruling in COVID-19 Title VII Ruling

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Last week, F&P attorneys Ralph Arnsdorf, Scott Phillips, and Patrick Wachter obtained a favorable ruling in a case involving religious discrimination claims under Title VII related to COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Plaintiff Cara Dodson alleged religious discrimination after her employment was terminated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination. Defendant Lutheran Village at Millers Grant Inc. had denied her request for religious accommodation based on safety concerns for vulnerable residents.

Ms. Dodson is a licensed occupational therapist who worked at Lutheran Village from March 2019 to February 2022, often in close contact with clients. Lutheran Village’s vaccination policy required annual vaccinations unless exempted for medical or religious reasons. Ms. Dodson initially received a religious exemption for the COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021 due to its emergency use status. In September 2021, she requested another exemption, citing concerns about the vaccine’s use of aborted fetal tissue. Lutheran Village denied her request in December 2021, citing increased risks to residents and staff.

The court set multiple deadlines for discovery and motions, with Ms. Dodson’s counsel entering the case in August 2023, and Lutheran Village filed a renewed motion for summary judgment after the close of discovery.

Title VII requires employers to accommodate religious practices unless it causes undue hardship. Lutheran Village argued that accommodating Ms. Dodson would increase the risk of COVID-19 spread among vulnerable populations. The court found that granting the accommodation would impose undue hardship due to health risks.

The court granted Lutheran Village’s motion for summary judgment, concluding that Ms. Dodson’s requested accommodation posed a threat to health and safety. Ms. Dodson’s motion to produce additional evidence was denied due to lack of diligence in pursuing discovery.

As of June 26, 2025, the Plaintiff has filed an appeal of the ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.