Our Attorneys
Senior Counsel: Juan C. Lopez-Campillo
Senior Counsel: Priya S. Dadlani
Senior Counsel: Michele A. Simensky
Associate Counsel: David G. Rios
Associate Counsel: Bryant T. Cannon
Our Director: L Wilhite
L Wilhite joined the U.S. House of Representatives to build the Office of Employee Advocacy upon the Office's establishment in 2018. L (pronounced "Elle") is a dedicated public servant. By joining the House, she has proudly served the U.S. Government by working in all three branches of government. L has a depth of expertise in employment and labor litigation, counseling, policy-development and training, having handled complex personnel matters as part of her legal practice for more than 20 years. L applies her experience and her commitment to employee rights to serve as a strong advocate for House employees in all employment and labor matters under the Congressional Accountability Act.
Before joining the House, L served as the Director and Deputy Director of the Employment and Labor Law Unit in the Office of the Solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior. She helped establish the unit as a national practice group that provided legal advice and litigation representation in an agency of 70,000 employees plus thousands of volunteers. Her practice included litigating and advising on matters that arose under every antidiscrimination, antiharassment, and antiretaliation statute applicable to federal agency employees; legal counseling regarding disability accommodations, family leave, employee discipline and performance management; challenges to management actions under federal labor statutes; creation and collaboration on antiharassment and antidiscrimination policies; advising on workplace safety and privacy issues; and training of employees, human resources and management.
Prior to her time with the Department of the Interior, L worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Chief Counsel. L litigated discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases across the country and before numerous judicial and administrative bodies. L's practice included the litigation of multi-plaintiff and class actions alleging discrimination and constitutional violations; addressing disciplinary actions; and serving as supervisor and manager over the Office's administrative law practice.
L practiced in the law firms Arnold & Porter and Reed Smith before her tenure with the DOJ. Her litigation practice focused on regulatory and commercial litigation, including employment law matters. Before private practice, L clerked for the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, preceded by a clerkship with the Honorable Neal E. Kravitz in D.C. Superior Court.
L earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. from Princeton University. She is barred in multiple states and federal jurisdictions.
Juan C. Lopez-Campillo joined the Office of Employee Advocacy after practicing employment law in the private sector for more than 20 years. Juan is committed to applying his knowledge and experience to serve as counselor and zealous advocate for House employees.
Juan has represented clients throughout the country in all types of employment matters. Juan has represented clients in claims involving discrimination, harassment, union matters, wage and hour disputes, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and retaliation. This includes claims of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, and national origin. Juan's practice has included an emphasis on disability discrimination cases.
Juan has represented clients before federal and state trial courts, appellate courts, commissions, and administrative agencies; and he is adept at handling complex, multi-claim and multi-plaintiff litigation. In addition, he has served on the staff of the Honorable Joseph Nesbitt of Florida's Third District Court of Appeals.
Juan has also served as a community leader as Director and Legal Counsel to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando, Inc. His work included providing policy advice on Chamber-related issues; providing legal advice in the areas of employment, contract, conflicts of interest, and public records; and assisting the Chamber with actual and threatened litigation.
Juan earned an LL.M. in Labor and Employment Law from Georgetown University Law Center. He earned his J.D. with Honors from St. Thomas University School of Law. Juan is barred in Florida and multiple federal jurisdictions.
Priya S. Dadlani joined the Office of Employee Advocacy after practicing labor and employment law and commercial litigation in the private sector. Priya has represented clients in a variety of employment disputes, including cases that involved claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Congressional Accountability Act generally. Staying abreast of ever-changing legal developments, Priya has advised and counseled clients regarding disability, sexual orientation, race, sex, national origin, and age discrimination in the workplace.
Priya has handled employment claims in state and federal courts, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, the EEOC and other administrative agencies. She is honored to commit her extensive experience towards counseling and advocating for House employees.
Priya earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. While earning her law degree, she externed for the Honorable Veronica B. Mathein in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. Priya earned her B.S. from the University of Maryland, College Park. Priya is barred in New York, the District of Columbia and multiple other jurisdictions.
Michele A. Simensky joined the Office of Employee Advocacy after practicing civil rights and labor and employment law in both the public and private sectors. Michele began her career in private practice, and later worked as a Senior Counsel for the New York City Law Department and as an Assistant Attorney General for the New York State Attorney General's Office. Michele also worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as Oversight Counsel for the Committee on Education and Labor.
Over the course of her career, Michele has represented clients in a wide range of matters, including cases that involved claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and other civil rights laws. Michele has conducted oversight over both public and private actors regarding employment practices, managed complex investigations involving labor and civil rights matters, and advised on policy matters in furtherance of workplace rights.
Michele earned her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. She is barred in New York and multiple federal jurisdictions.
Associate Counsel: David G. Rios
David joined the Office of Employee Advocacy after practicing in the private sector for 10 years. David has expertise in litigating cases from inception to closure with an outstanding track record for producing great results for his clients. David is excited to bring his expertise and zealous advocacy to House employees facing legal challenges in the workplace.
David has represented clients in a wide array of matters that involved working closely with clients to investigate complex factual scenarios, advise on diverse issues, and litigate toward favorable resolutions.. David has handled claims in both trial and appellate courts, as well as before administrative agencies. David speaks Spanish fluently and has extensive experience representing non-English speakers.
David earned his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University and his B.S. from Florida State University. He is barred in Florida and the District of Columbia.
Associate Counsel: Bryant T. Cannon
Bryant T. Cannon joined the Office of Employee Advocacy after practicing employment law and commercial litigation in the private sector.
Bryant has had the privilege of representing and counseling a wide variety of clients in a range of complex employment and civil matters. He has a breadth of experience with matters arising under the workplace rights laws that give protections to House employees through the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, including extensive application of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Bryant has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in multiple state and federal tribunals, including before multiple government agencies, trial courts, and administrative bodies.
Bryant earned his J.D., cum laude, from the Charleston School of Law. After earning his law degree, he clerked for the Honorable Judge Daniel D. Hall in the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina. He is barred in multiple states.