Emily L. Matta

Emily Matta is an associate with Foulston’s employment and labor law practice group in the firm’s Wichita office. She received her J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law. Emily previously clerked with Foulston as a summer associate and served as a judicial extern for Hon. Steven Leben at the Kansas Court of Appeals, where she gained valuable insight into the appellate process.

Before she attended law school, Emily held every position from dishwasher to manager at her family’s restaurant in Wichita. She experienced first-hand the difficulties small businesses face in navigating state and federal employment laws. 

Now, as an attorney, Emily guides businesses and non-profits through the complex patchwork of applicable employment laws. She advises clients on various day-to-day employment issues, including assessing legal risk before disciplinary and termination decisions. To ensure legal compliance, Emily works with in-house counsel and human resources professionals on annual updates and other revisions to employee handbooks and HR policies and procedures. She represents clients in defending against complaints of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation with administrative agencies, in unemployment appeals, and in employment-related litigation. In every aspect of her work, Emily takes pride in getting to know her clients’ businesses and unique needs so she can deliver effective, timely, and practical representation.

Emily is a Kansas history enthusiast. She has visited nearly every corner of the state and, in her spare time, is working through a list of historic sites and lesser-known roadside attractions to visit. Most recently, Emily visited the Dalton Defenders Museum in Meade, Monument Rocks in Gove County, and Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in Logan County.   

Education

• University of Kansas School of Law (J.D., Order of the Coif)
  Kansas Law Review, Articles Editor; CALI Excellence for the Future Awards: Lawyering Skills II, Contract Drafting, Legislation and Statutory Interpretation, Trusts and Estates, Employment Discrimination, Federal Income Taxation, Taxation of Business Enterprises, Criminal Procedure
• Wichita State University (B.A. in History and Political Science, magna cum laude)

Admissions

• Kansas
• U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
• U.S. District Court for the District of Oklahoma
• Texas

• Employment & Labor
• Litigation & Disputes

• Judicial Extern, Hon. Steve Leben, Kansas Court of Appeals, 2019-2020
• Foulston Siefkin LLP, Summer Associate, 2018, 2019

• Kansas Bar Association, Pro Bono Certificate, 2023
• Wichita Bar Association
• Kansas Bar Association
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Wichita SHRM
   

2023

• Employee vs. Employer: An Employment Law Case Mock Trial (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)

2022

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Tangible Ways to Improve DEI in the Workplace (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
• Emerging Legal Issues Involving Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity Bias (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
• Wait, Wait, Don't Sue Me (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)

2021

• Supervisor Training: Supporting LGBTQ Employees in the Workplace (Foulston Siefkin, LLP, client presentation)
• Comparing and Contrasting Ant-Discrimination Laws at the Federal, State, and Local Level (Kansas Leadership Council, Stakeholder Meeting regarding Wichita Nondiscrimination Ordinance)
• All-New Employment Law Mythbusters (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)

2023

• SCOTUS Decision Makes it More Difficult to Deny Religious Accommodations
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 4, No. 8
• NLRB Ruling Will Make It Tougher to Discipline Workers for Outbursts
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 4, No. 6
• 4th Circuit Recognizes Gender Dysphoria as a Disability Under ADA
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 4, No. 4

2022

• DOL Actions Highlight Three Crucial Child Labor Protections Categories
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 3, No. 10
• DOL Guidance Spotlights FLSA, FMLA, and Visa Program Retaliation
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 3, No. 7
• EEOC's Updated COVID-19 Technical Assistance Targets Retaliation
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 3, No. 4

2021

• Pronouns and Misgendering: Answers to Common Questions from Employers
  -HR Daily Advisor, November 30, 2021
• Mask Use on the Rise as Delta Variant Surges
• OFCCP Proposes $15 Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors
  -Kansas Employment Law Blog, July 23, 2021
• 4 Things to Consider Before Demanding Warrant From OSHA
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 2, No. 7
• Let’s ‘Ketchup’ on Latest DOL Guidance for Tipped Employees
  -HR Daily Advisor, March 18, 2021

2020

• Lyda Conley’s Fight to Save the Huron Indian Cemetery
  -Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, Vol. 89, No. 5

2019

• Kansans at Risk: Strengthened Data Breach Notification Laws as a Deterrent to Reckless Data Storage
  -Kansas Law Review, Vol. 67