Lindsay A. Vaught

Tel/Direct:

515-246-0333

Tel/Main:

515-243-7611

Address:

100 Court Avenue, Suite 600
Des Moines, IA 50309

Assistant:

Jayne Bryngelson
515-246-4420
jayne.bryngelson@ahlerslaw.com

Court Admissions

All Iowa Courts

U.S. District Courts – Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa

U.S. Court of Appeals – Eighth Circuit

Education

J.D. (Summa Cum Laude), University of Denver, 2010

B.A., Business Economics, Miami University, Ohio, 2006

Bar Admissions

Iowa, 2010

Background

Lindsay joined the firm in 2013 and practices primarily in the Employment Law and Litigation Practice Groups. She works closely with both public and private clients, including institutions of higher education.

Lindsay counsels clients on various employment law matters, including employee discipline and terminations, employment contracts, and drafting and revising employment policies. Lindsay conducts investigations for employers into internal employee complaints, such as complaints of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and employment policy violations. She also conducts trainings for employees at all levels regarding harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. She represents employers defending all types of employment claims, as well as defending administrative complaints before the EEOC, Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and local civil rights agencies. Lindsay represents employers, as well as employees, in non-compete contract matters. Lindsay has served as an investigator in Title IX matters for institutions of higher education. She has represented clients through jury and non-jury trials in state and federal court, and before administrative agencies. She also handles general litigation defense, including § 1983 litigation, personal injury, and contract claims.

She currently serves on the firm's Management Committee, and previously chaired the Private Law Practice Area, the Employment Law Practice Group, and the firm's Wellbeing Committee. Prior to joining the Ahlers firm, Lindsay served for three years as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Ronald E. Longstaff and the Honorable Celeste F. Bremer of the United States District Court, Southern District of Iowa. She graduated from the University of Denver law school where she was a staff editor for the Law Review. While in law school, Lindsay worked for two years as a Research Assistant to a business contract law professor.

Representative Projects

  • Successfully obtained summary judgment on behalf of an employer defending claims of sex discrimination and sexual harassment.
  • Successfully obtained partial summary judgment on behalf of an institute of higher education defending claims of constitutional violations.
  • Obtained administrative closure of multiple actions against employers, large and small, before the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and EEOC involving claims of race, age, sex, and disability discrimination and harassment, and retailiation.
  • Litigated numerous employment non-compete disputes, including injunction hearings and bench trial

Memberships

American Bar Association

Iowa State Bar Association

National Association of College and University Attorneys

Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America©

  • Employment Law - Management (2021-2024)
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment (2021-2024)

Speaking/Presentations

Lindsay's most recent speaking engagements include:

Iowa Employment Conference, 2024 Iowa Employment, Training, Benefits & Wellness Conference, "Private Sector Drug Testing," April 2024

Ahlers & Cooney P.C., Employment Law Client Seminar, "Defending Employment Litigation," with Emily Kolbe, April 2023

Ahlers & Cooney P.C., Employment Law Client Seminar, "Where are We?  A Look at the Current Employment and Economic Landscape," April 2022

Iowa State Bar Association, Fall Labor & Employment Law Seminar, Drug Testing, November 2021

Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., Employment Law Webinar Series, "Stump the Ahlers’ Attorneys – Panel Q&A Series Finale," with Drew Bracken, Rebecca Reif, Ann Smisek and Carrie Weber, February 2021

Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., Employment Law Client Seminar, "FMLA/ADA Hot Topics," with Becky Reif, November 2019

Iowa SHRM Conference, “The Wage Gap & Pay Equality Update,” October 2019

Iowa Employment Conference, Spring Conference, New Technologies in the Workplace and Implications for Employment Law, with Rebecca Reif, April 2019

Ahlers & Cooney P.C., Employment Law Client Seminar, "Work Comp and Private Sector Drug Testing Q & A Session" with Nick Pellegrin, October 2018

Iowa Employment Conference, Fall Conference, "Advanced Employment Law: Pay Equity, ADA, FMLA & Other Case Law Updates" with Rebecca Reif, October 2018

Iowa Employment Conference, Spring Conference, "Dealing with Employees on Job-Protected Leave- ADA and FMLA Compliance Issues" with Rebecca Reif, April 2018

Ahlers & Cooney, Employment Law Client Seminar, "Legal Pitfalls of Employee Hiring" with Rebecca Reif, November 2017

Iowa Employment Conference, “Employee Hiring: Avoiding Legal Pitfalls” with Rebecca Reif, September 2017

Published Articles & Books

Gender Matters: An ongoing search for practical solutions to address and eliminate bias, harassment, discrimination in the Iowa legal profession, The Iowa Lawyer (page 16), co-authored with Leslie Behaunek, Tim Hill, and Andrea Mason, November 2018 

Private Ordering of Employee Privacy:  Protecting Employees' Expectations of Privacy with Implied-in-Fact Contract Rights, 1 Am. U. Lab. & Emp. L. Forum 27, Winter 2011

Professional, Community and Civic Leadership

Iowa State Bar Association, Federal Practice Committee, Chair (2019-2020), 2017 - present