Labor/Employment Law

Published November 30, 2018 by Virginia Business

Kevin E. Martingayle

Bischoff Martingayle
Virginia Beach

Title: Co-founder; partner

Other legal specialties: Appeals, civil litigation, civil rights, commercial litigation, constitutional law, estate litigation, land use and zoning law, municipal and administrative law

Birthplace: Richmond

Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics (cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), Hampden-Sydney College; law degree, University of Virginia School of Law

Spouse: Elisabeth

Children: Harrison, 21; Doria, 19; and Jackson, 17

Hobbies: Volunteer work for bar groups, legal organizations and several civic causes; participant in and organizer of many sporting events; fan of and sometimes participant in anything my family is doing.

First job as a lawyer: Epps & Brown in Virginia Beach

Fan of: Hampden-Sydney, U.Va. and LSU sports

Favorite vacation spot: New Orleans

Recently read book: “Higher Calling: The Rise of Nontraditional Leaders in Academia” by Scott Beardsley, dean of the U.Va.’s Darden School of Business

Career mentors: Sonny Stallings (former law partner) and Bill Bischoff (co-founder of my firm and current partner)

What new developments are you seeing in labor/employment law?
Protections and benefits for the average worker are getting less attention, while corporate profits and the stock market are getting a lot. All politicians claim to care about blue- collar workers and the middle class, but those of us who represent the labor force aren’t seeing a lot of meaningful action.

Do you expect a tightening labor market to result in an increase in the federal minimum wage?
Maybe. The market forces should drive up wages, but increasing the federal minimum wage is far more political than based on economics, and these days, predicting political outcomes is nearly impossible.