Related Practices

Education

J.D., cum laude, University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, 2002
B.S., Psychology, magna cum laude, Tulane University, 1999
B.A., Sociology, Tulane University, 1999

Bar Admissions

Arizona, 2003
California, 2002

Abbe M. Goncharsky

Partner

vCard

Tucson

One S. Church Avenue
Suite 700
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Phone 520.838.7711

Fax 520.879.4703

About Abbe Goncharsky

Ms. Goncharsky is a partner in the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. Working throughout the state of Arizona, she concentrates her practice on representing businesses in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in governmental investigations. Ms. Goncharsky speaks regularly and provides training to employers in employment law topics, particularly on issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Ms. Goncharsky also maintains an active pro bono practice.

Prior to joining Lewis and Roca, Ms. Goncharsky served as a law clerk for the Honorable Jefferson L. Lankford of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One. While in law school, Ms. Goncharsky served as the President of the Student Bar Association and was a semi-finalist in the 2001 Thomas Tang National Moot Court Competition. As part of the Child Advocacy Clinic, she represented children in dependency matters at the Pima County Juvenile Court. Additionally, Ms. Goncharsky served as a law intern to the Honorable William E. Druke and to the Honorable M. Jan Florez of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two, and worked as a research assistant for Professors Dan B. Dobbs and Jane B. Korn.

Ms. Goncharsky frequently writes on employment-related topics. Ms. Goncharsky has contributed articles for Inside Tucson Business and is also a contributing author to the 2005-2009 Supplements to the Fair Labor Standards Act (Kearns, ed.), to the 2006-2009 Supplement to the BNA’s The Family and Medical Leave Act (Hale, Ossip and Coleman, eds.), and to the 2006-2009 Supplements to the ABA’s Wage and Hour Laws: A State-by-State Survey (McGillivary, ed.). Ms. Goncharsky is also a chapter author for the upcoming supplement to the Arizona Employment Law Handbook. Previously, Ms. Goncharsky contributed a Case Note to the Spring 2002 issue of the Arizona Law Review and regularly contributed to the Arizona Employment Law letter from 2003-2006.

Representative Cases/Matters

A wrongful termination claim brought against a municipal employer; successfully defended appeal in the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two on the basis of the invalidity of the plaintiff’s Notice of Claim.
A First Amendment case in Federal Court claiming a municipality violated its citizens’ rights to free speech by limiting posting of campaign materials; obtained summary judgment in favor of the municipality.
Numerous discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state agencies including the Arizona Civil Rights Division; obtained “no-cause” dismissals.
A wage-and-hour dispute brought against a private employer; the Department of Labor settled with the client for an amount substantially below the allegations of wages owed.
A successful appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in an immigration matter involving ineffective assistance of counsel by the client’s former attorneys, 439 F.3d 582 (9th Cir. 2006).

Memberships and Affiliations

Pima County Bar Association, Member and Past President for Young Lawyers' Division
Arizona Women Lawyers Association (Southern Arizona Chapter), President-Elect, Former Vice President, Treasurer and Membership Chair
Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee of the American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law section, Member
Federal Bar Association, Member
Young Lawyers’ Division of the State Bar of Arizona, Past President

Court Admissions

Arizona Supreme Court, 2003
U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2003
U.S. District Court, Arizona
California Supreme Court, 2002

Other Distinctions

Ms. Goncharsky has been selected to the 2011 edition of Arizona's Finest Lawyers and is listed in the 2010-2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America®, by Woodward/White, Aiken, S.C in the categories of Employment Law and Labor and Employment Litigation. She is listed in the 2012 and 2013 editions of Southwest Rising Stars in the category of Employment and Labor Law. She is also recognized by Inside Tucson Business as a 2006 Up-and-Comer.

Ms. Goncharsky received the 2005 John P. Frank Advocate for Justice Award for her exemplary commitment to pro bono work. In 2005, the Volunteer Lawyers Program recognized Ms. Goncharsky with its Lifesaver Award for her work on legal relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.