Overview

Yvette V. Gatling has extensive experience and knowledge in defending employers in federal and state court and in matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor on claims related to race, sex, age, national origin and disability discrimination, ERISA retaliation, sexual harassment, and equal pay for corporate defendants. Yvette has deep knowledge and assists clients nationwide with reductions-in force and other downsizing issues. Yvette is a core member of the firm’s Compliance Audit Practice Group and represents employers in a number of different industries including healthcare, financial services, oil and gas, technology and retail.  

Select examples of Yvette’s experience include the following:

  • Obtained summary judgment in the Eastern District of Virginia that was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in a race discrimination case
  • Secured summary judgment in the Southern District of Texas that was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a wage and hour misclassification case
  • Obtained summary judgment in the Southern District of Texas that was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a case alleging race, color and gender discrimination in violation of Title VII and a violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act
  • Led a team in conducting a nationwide audit of over 1000 exempt positions of a major oil and gas company
  • Led a team conducting an audit of the nationwide pay practices of a leading oil and gas company

She has represented companies in appeals before the Fourth and Fifth Circuit. 

In addition to her robust legal practice, Yvette serves as co-chair of the firm’s Healthcare Practice Group and is involved in a number of initiatives both within and outside of Littler dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal industry. 

Previously, Yvette served as law clerk to the Hon. Tucker L. Melançon, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana. In law school, she was a member of and served as a senior editor of the Louisiana Law Review.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

American Bar Association

Member

Virginia Bar Association

Member, Board Member

National Employment Law Council

Member, Executive Committee

Labor and Employment

National Bar Association

2017-2018

Class Liaison and Member

Leadership Symposium Planning Committee

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

2012

Fellow

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

2012

Former Board Member

Houston Community Voicemail

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2025

Named, Influential Women of Law

Virginia Lawyers Weekly

2023

Recipient, Rick Palmore Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellows Alumni Award

Order of the Coif

News, Analysis & Press

Virginia Rescinds COVID-19 Standard

SHRM Online

March 30, 2022

Unconscious Bias in the Workplace

Today’s General Counsel

October 1, 2018

Diverse Attorneys Need Mentors and Sponsors Too (Perspective)

Bloomberg BNA Big Law Business

July 29, 2016

Speaking Engagements

Reductions in Force: Best Practices

Tysons Corner, VA

November 1, 2023

Healthcare Industry Roundtable

Littler Executive Employer Conference, Phoenix, AZ

May 10, 2023

Pay Equity and Wage Transparency: Current Trends and What Companies Need to Know

Littler Webinar

June 29, 2022

2022 Mid-Atlantic Regional Employer Conference

Washington, DC

June 8, 2022

Late Night with Littler: A Healthcare Industry Roundtable

Littler Executive Employer Conference

May 4, 2022

The Pandemic Two Years Later: How COVID-19 Has Changed Nothing, But Everything

Employment Law Update, Richmond SHRM

March 17, 2022

COVID-19 in the Workplace: Recent Developments and Compliance Challenges - Session 21

Sacramento, CA

December 3, 2021

Virginia Fall Employment Law Mini Series: Masks, Mandates, Vax? Oh My! – Navigating Workplace Safety

Tysons Corner, VA

September 29, 2021

COVID ETS – Are you compliant with the new standards released by OSHA?

June 17, 2021

Employment Panel

Northern Virginia Black Attorneys Association

December 11, 2020

Tysons Corner Fall Mini Series: How to Constructively Avoid Intended and Unintended Discrimination in the Workplace

October 14, 2020

Women's Leadership Initiative Open Forum: Maintaining Leadership Presence in a Virtual Workplace

October 8, 2020

Littler's Women's Leadership Initiative Open Forum

August 6, 2020

What To Expect After the Pandemic Subsides

ASHHRA Webinar

May 2020

Tales from the Trenches: Updates and Practical Guidance for Healthcare Employers on COVID-19

April 27, 2020

COVID-19: Common Employer Questions Asked and Answered

Richmond SHRM Webinar

April 2, 2020

How to Self-Audit Your Organization’s Wage and Hour Practices

Law.com webinar

October 10, 2019

Mentoring In the Law Practice Environment

Richmond, VA

October 3, 2019

Infectious Disease in the Workplace: How to Prepare for and Handle the NEXT Outbreak

Tysons Corner, VA

September 11, 2019

Timely Talk About Wage and Hour Law | Auditing Your Organization's Wage and Hour Practices

February 6, 2019

Auditing Your Organization’s Wage and Hour Practices

Tysons Corner, VA

November 15, 2018

Top 10 Mistakes Employers Make

Tysons Corner, VA

September 20, 2018

Healthcare Roundtable

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 2, 2018

The Next Wave: Pay Equity Laws

SHRM Richmond, VA

February 13, 2018

Healthcare Industry Roundtable

The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference

May 10, 2017

2016 Houston Employer Conference

Houston, TX

August 11, 2016

Newly Effective Texas Handguns Laws: What Does This Mean For Employers?

February 10, 2016

2015 Houston Employer Conference

Houston, TX

August 13, 2015

Furloughs, WARN, Reductions-in-Force and Other Cost-Savings Considerations in the $40 per Barrel Oil Economy

February 11, 2015

Wage & Hour Issues in the Oil Patch

December 2, 2014

Wage & Hour Issues in the Oil Patch

Houston, TX

October 24, 2014

The 2014 Houston Employer Conference

Houston, TX

August 14, 2014

Litigation Armoring – Building Advance Defenses to Common Wage and Hour Class Claims

The 2013 Houston Employer Conference

Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX

August 22, 2013

The 2012 Houston Employer Conference

Houston, TX

August 2, 2012

Business or Pleasure: The Challenges of “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) Policies in the Workplace

The 2012 Houston Employer Conference

Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX

August 2, 2012

2012 Littler Healthcare Summit: Critical Employment Law Issues Facing Healthcare Employers Today

Houston, TX

June 14, 2012

A New Generation of Regulation A Practical Perspective: ADAAA Final Regulations and the FMLA

May 18, 2011

Reductions in Force

March 12, 2009

Education

  • J.D., Louisiana State University, 1998
  • B.A., North Carolina State University, 1994

Bar Admission

Virginia
Texas

Courts

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia