From Our Video Series


Honors & Awards
- Kentucky Super Lawyers®, 2018-2021 (Employment & Labor)
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2016-2020 (Litigation - Labor & Employment)
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2019-2020 (Employment Law - Management)
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2020 (Labor Law: Management)
- The Best Lawyers in America®, "Lawyer of the Year", 2019 (Litigation: Labor and Employment)
- A. M. Best Client Recommended, 2018
Admissions
Kentucky, 1998
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Kentucky, 2003
U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky, 1998
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2000
Education
University of Louisville School of Law, Louisville, Kentucky, J.D., 1998
University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, B.A., 1994
- Major: History
Overview
The value I bring to my clients is that when the dispute cannot be resolved I have trial experience and can best prepare the client for the courtroom. I have chosen to practice at McBrayer because its employment law department is constantly evolving and expanding, which is a resource that our clients are not able to receive from our competitors. We take a team approach to solving our clients’ problems and when necessary we will bring in attorneys from different practice areas to offer a new perspective.
My main practice area is focused in employment and commercial litigation where I help clients with business disputes, claims of discrimination and harassment, non-compete and other restrictive covenant agreements, wage and hour issues, and contract disputes. Most recently, I have assisted clients in resolving U.S. Department of Labor and Kentucky Labor Cabinet investigations and audits.
In addition to litigation work, I work with clients to develop employee handbooks including social media policies, and am involved in employee relations issues. My background lends itself well to consulting with businesses with regard to client and competitor issues as well as disputes among business owners themselves.
BEFORE MCBRAYER
Prior to joining McBrayer’s Louisville office, I practiced at Seiller Waterman, LLC from 1997-2011.
Additional Practice Experience
- Business Torts
- Commercial and Business Litigation
- Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Employee Benefits Law
- Employment Law for Employers
- Employment Litigation
- Human Resources and Policy Training
- Human Resources Investigations
- Human Resources Services
- Insurance Defense
- Internet & Media Law
- Internet Defamation
- Labor Law
- Non-Compete Agreements
- U.S. Department of Labor Investigations
Professional Activities
Professional Activities
- Kentucky Bar Association, Member, 2007-Present
- Louisville Bar Association, (Law Day in the Schools Program), 2007-Present
- Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company of Kentucky, Board of Directors, 2007-2009
- Better Business Bureau of Louisville, Board of Directors, 2017
News & Insights
News
- Super Lawyers, December 10, 2020
- The Lane Report, October 19, 2020
- August 20, 2020
- Business Lexington, December 19, 2019
- Super Lawyers, December 2, 2019
- U.S. News – Best Lawyers® in America, September 4, 2019
- July 1, 2019
- March 12, 2019
- December 19, 2018
- Louisville Business First, August 18, 2017
- Attorneys from McBrayer law offices in Lexington and Louisville achieved a 2018 listing in U.S. News Best Lawyers in AmericaAugust 15, 2017
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
- A Webinar for Employers - How to Handle the Newest Set of Workplace Challenges from COVID-19Webinar, March 3, 2021
- A McBrayer WebinarOctober 29, 2020
- Webinar, May 15, 2020
- ARGI, January 30, 2020
- Tricks and Treats for HR ProfessionalsOctober 30, 2019
- On-Site Supervisor Training on Issues of Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation and Medical LeaveHuman Resources Consulting
- The Current State of Reasonable Accommodation: Attorney Cindy Effinger speaks at Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (KySHRM) Annual Conference 2018Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (KySHRM) 34th Annual Conference 2018August 28, 2018
- University of Kentucky Office of Continuing Legal EducationLexington, KY, June 7, 2018
- Employment Law for EmployersAugust 29, 2017
- Kentucky Chamber ConferenceLexington, KY, May 3-4, 2016
- Kentucky ChamberLouisville, Kentucky, May 24-25, 2016
- Kentucky ChamberLexington, KY, May 9-10, 2017
- Kentucky ChamberLouisville, Kentucky, May 23-24, 2017
- Kentucky Society of Human Resource Managers (KYSHRM) 32nd Annnual ConferenceWhat HR Professionals Should Know About the Recent Trends in NLRB Decisions and GuidanceLouisville, Kentucky, August 30-September 2, 2016
- The EEOC Strikes Back: New Guidance on RetaliationLexington, KY, January 26, 2017
- Mental Health Issues in the Workplace: Don't Let Them Drive You CrazyLexington, KY, November 5, 2015
- Harassment and Discrimination UpdateLexington, KY, November 5, 2015
- Same-sex Marriage, EEOC Interpretations of Title VII and other LGBT Issues in EmploymentLexington, KY, November 5, 2015
- Mental Health Issues in the Workplace, and Possible Effects of Expanded Insurance Coverage for Mental Health TreatmentLouisville, KY, September 23, 2015
- 27th Annual Kentucky HR UpdateLexington, KY, May 26, 2015
- 27th Annual Kentucky HR UpdateLouisville, KY, May 12, 2015
- Getting It "Write": A McBrayer Employment Law Seminar, Louisville, KYSeptember 30, 2014
- Getting It "Write": A McBrayer Employment Law Seminar, Lexington, KYSeptember 28, 2014
- The HR Deposition Demystified, KY SHRM Conference, September 24, 2014
- Lessons in Workplace Liability, Business First, June 10, 2014
- May 29, 2014
- EEOC Update, 26th Annual Kentucky HR Update, Lexington, KY, May 28, 2014
- EEOC Update, 26th Annual Kentucky HR Update, Louisville, KY , May 21, 2014
- Two Trending Issues in Employee Relations, ADP, April 17, 2014
- October 10, 2013
- September 25, 2013
- Social Media: Strategy and Implementation Are you protected?, Kentuckiana Chapter of Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), June 21, 2013
- June 13, 2013
- Legal Issues for Restaurants, Bars and Hotels - A Critical Update, McBrayer law, February 2013
- Kentucky Pharmacists Association annual meeting, Employment Law, 2012
- Fayette County Bar Association, Bench & Bar, Employment Law, June 26, 2012
- Employment Policies and Procedures: A Critical Legal Update for Employers, McBrayer, 2009 - Present
Articles
- Business First of Louisville , February 26, 2016
- HRKentucky.com Newsletter, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, July 10, 2015
- The EEOC in 2014, Kentucky Chamber, HR Newsletter, July 2014
- Facebook Friends & Workplace Enemies, Kentucky Chamber HR Newsletter, November 2013
- Inclement Weather and Time Off Issues: To Pay or Not to Pay, Kentucky Chamber Human Resource, November Newsletter, 2012
Blogs
Blog Posts
- Employers, Take Note: EEOC Releases COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance January 25, 2021
- ALERT: New CDC Guidance Redefines “Close Contact” and Employers Must Take Notice October 22, 2020
- UPDATED - EEOC Releases Guidance on ADA Issues and COVID-19 for Employers September 24, 2020
- EEOC: Opioid Use by Employees May Require Reasonable Accommodation August 14, 2020
- DHS Provides Form I-9 Guidance During COVID-19 Pandemic May 27, 2020
- Phased Reopening Guidelines: How to Stay Safe and Compliant May 11, 2020
- Employee Temperature Checks and Confidentiality: Separating Fact from Fiction May 11, 2020
- Businesses: Submit Your Reopen Proposal! April 24, 2020
- View More »
Employment Law Blog
Multimedia
Multimedia
- Corporate Law Practice Area - Advertisement
- Cynthia L. Effinger - Attorney Biography
- Our Clients - ARGI
- Employment Law - Keep Your Terminations from Being Terminal
Employment Law
The number one issue employers face today with respect to employee issues is the fact that the laws are ever changing and the laws are now more employee friendly. In order to keep my clients up to date on the ever-changing nature of employment law, I am committed to staying in constant communication so as to keep them in compliance, offering educational training seminars, and updating policies that should alleviate litigation down the road. I have seen significant change with respect to the integration of technology and the Internet with social media policies and social media in the workplace.
The in-depth knowledge I have developed over the years in this area of the law has benefited employers ranging in size from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies. My goal as a lawyer is to work with our clients to assess and eliminate litigation risk. By putting my experience and knowledge of this frequently changing area of the law to work, I am able to help our clients avoid disputes and, more importantly, create strong and lasting relationships with their employees. This is as important for locally owned restaurants and their chefs and wait staff as it is for large health care businesses and their doctors and CEOs.
Our employment team conducts regular seminars on hot topics in the area of human resources and employment policy and procedure. We conduct seminars to educate clients on changes in the law that will impact them. These seminars are often conducted in our office. We are also available to do on-site seminars, not only for employers and their human resources departments, but for entire staffs, depending on the topic. At any time my clients can visit the McBrayer Employment Law Blog where they will find relevant content published on a weekly basis by myself and the other members of our employment law department.
Recent Client Success
Crawford v. EKU
I was able to obtain summary judgment in favor of the employer on a race discrimination claim pending in federal court. Plaintiff alleged she was treated differently because of her race in the terms and conditions of her employment and that she suffered retaliation for complaining about discrimination.