Joan Clarke is an attorney in TLG’s Philadelphia office. She focuses her practice on employment litigation, civil litigation and commercial litigation.

Ms. Clarke, who is a native of Brooklyn, New York, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester and her law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law. At Vanderbilt, she served as an Associate Editor of the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment Law & Practice and interned with the Honorable William Haynes, USDC, Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

• Employment Discrimination
• General Commercial Litigation
• Personal Injury Litigation
• Higher Education Law

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Associate Editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment Law & Practice

ADMITTED TO PRACTICE

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

EDUCATION

• J.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 2003
• B.A., University of Rochester, 1998

PRIOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Miller, Alfano & Raspanti, P.C. Litigated cases involving bankruptcy, employment and construction; served as the assistant to the Special Master in mass tort litigation in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District, In Re: Diet Drug Products Liability Litigation.

Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Handled a broad range of legal disputes involving breach of contract, health care services, shopping center lease agreements and consumer financial services.

Interned with the Honorable William Haynes, USDC, Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee.

SIGNIFICANT REPRESENTATIONS

• Successfully first chaired a jury trial defending a local university against claims of premise liability.
• Member of a trial team that successfully defended a local university in a breach of confidentiality claim.
• Member of a trial team that successfully defended a local hospital against claims of negligence brought by a former patient.
• Negotiated a favorable settlement for a plaintiff who sustained permanent personal injuries from a hot stone massage.
• Negotiated a favorable settlement on behalf of a discharged employee, who was allegedly terminated because of his disability.

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS

July 16, 2009. Remarks on behalf of the Philadelphia Bar Association at the Naturalization Ceremony in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the United States Courthouse.

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Ms. Clark is an active member of several local bar associations and serves the community through her involvement in a local non-profit organization. She is currently involved in the following organizations:

• Pennsylvania Bar Association
• Executive Committee Member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Young Lawyers Division
• Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia
• National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division
• Board Member of the Settlement Music School