Lindsay A. Vaught
Email:
Tel/Direct:
515-246-0333
Tel/Main:
515-243-7611
Address:
100 Court Avenue, Suite 600
Des Moines, IA 50309
Practice Groups
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 (2021-2025)
- Litigation - Labor and Employment (2021-2025)
Chambers USA / Iowa
- Labor and Employment (2024-2025)
Speaking/Presentations
Lindsay's most recent speaking engagements include:
Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., Employment Law Seminar, "Changing and Emerging Areas for Private Employers," with Rebecca Reif and "Top 10: Hot Topics + Case Law Update Panel," with Katherine Beenken, Brett Nitzschke and Jazmine Polk, November 2024
Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., Title IX Seminar, "Higher Ed Investigator Training," with Rebecca Reif, June 2024
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