Sara Begley

Practice Areas

Sara A. Begley is a seasoned employment attorney in the firm's Philadelphia office, known for her results-driven, practical approach to solving complex, high-stakes matters for corporate employers. Her national practice is diverse and includes a wide scope of employment litigation, including claims of discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment and Sarbanes-Oxley and state law whistleblower claims. Ms. Begley has extensive experience in crisis management, especially in response to claims of discrimination, harassment and assault. She also conducts investigations for global corporations and nonprofit organizations, regarding discrimination, harassment and assault claims. Ms. Begley is particularly talented at early and effective resolution of cases.

Ms. Begley has tried various employment-related and breach-of-contract cases in federal and state courts as well as before administrative and arbitration tribunals. She has successfully had a number of discrimination and retaliation matters dismissed on summary judgment. Her most recent jury trials involved claims of race, age and disability discrimination and retaliation that resulted in defense verdicts for her clients. Ms. Begley is also experienced in successfully representing employers in U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigations involving claims of systemic discrimination.

Ms. Begley conducts management training on a variety of employment issues for corporations and government agencies, and she is a frequent lecturer on the topics of #MeToo, discrimination, sexual harassment, Americans with Disability Act (ADA), Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA), internal and EEOC investigations, workplace privacy and social media. She regularly gives presentations for various bar associations, law school programs and human resources organizations on the topics of employment litigation and trial training.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Begley served for five years as the global practice group leader of the labor and employment group of a large international law firm.

Ms. Begley is deeply committed to pro bono work and has dedicated significant time to humanitarian projects, such as assisting Haitian women victimized by sexual violence following the 2010 earthquake. In 2012 and 2013, she traveled to Haiti to investigate claims of sexual/political oppression, and to aid in securing shelter and medical care. She worked with various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to investigate complaints and to develop policies and procedures to prevent sexual assault. She also volunteers her time to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Philadelphia Community Legal Services.

Ms. Begley spearheaded the Women in the Courtroom Symposium and led the global Women's Initiative at her prior firm. She is committed to and passionate about the advancement of women in the profession.