Brooke T. Iley

Biography

CO-CHAIR, LABOR & EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE GROUP

Brooke Iley counsels and defends domestic and foreign corporations in all areas of employment and labor law compliance and litigation, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage and hour class and collective actions, trade secret disputes and data protection, and alleged fiduciary breaches. She represents clients in negotiations, litigations, and arbitrations nationally in these areas.

Brooke also creates compliance, internal audit, and investigation programs to support public and private company operations, workforce management, and corporate governance. As a leader of Blank Rome’s Coronavirus Task Force, she guides clients through the range of business relaunch, operational, and privileged risk assessments. Brooke implemented a digital COVID-19 impact tracking application to help clients monitor litigation and government enforcement proceedings. She also provides industry-specific advice on matters related to the pandemic, including employee travel, privacy concerns, accommodation requests, layoffs and restructuring programs, policy and operational plans, reconfiguring physical office spaces and work arrangements, tax issues, time off and wage payments, and ongoing business continuity issues.

She is a trusted adviser to companies, providing practical and proactive risk management advice, such as drafting and negotiating key executive agreements, restrictive covenants agreements, and providing employment law knowledge during transactions related to due diligence, purchase agreements, employee transfers, and workforce management.

Brooke is ranked for her work in labor & employment matters by Chambers USA, which notes that she “has impressive experience in contentious matters, including internal investigations, lawsuits and arbitrations.” Client comments from Chambers 2021 include: “exceptionally skilled attorney, who is solution-oriented, practical and responsive,” “our experience with her is very good and she is a very professional and knowledgeable resource to us in sensitive employee matters,” “extremely thorough and responsive, “I think of her as a key team member and extension of our staff…continually available for us and has a unique way of succinctly summarizing issues and options.”

Brooke is a member of both Blank Rome’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) Teams where she routinely advises the highest level of executives and boards on ESG mandates, conducts proactive assessments, and provides strategic counsel related to DEI issues.

Brooke is also a member of Blank Rome’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Lateral Recruiting Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Strategic Plan Implementation Committee, Blank Rome’s Women Who Lead Client Mentor Program, and the D.C. Women’s Forum.

Outside the Firm

Brooke is committed to various community and service activities that assist children and families in need, including volunteer positions and work for the Ronald McDonald House, Linda’s Legacy, SPAN, and Homeless in Need. She is married to Glen Iley and a proud mother of two. She loves spending time boating and outdoors, as well as cheering on the Terrapins.

Experience

  • Relationship partner in representation of publicly traded retail and other service industry clients with respect to corporate governance, SEC and board matters, whistleblower investigations, and national litigation management.
  • Serve as national counsel to various public and private companies such as global airline, global optoelectronic manufacturer, beverage distribution, cybersecurity defense, for employment compliance, advice, litigation, government proceedings, and other strategic business and employment-related matters.
  • Advise hundreds of companies nationwide on COVID-19-related business relaunch plans as well as successfully litigate and defend individual and class claims related to employment issues.
  • Serve as a lead employment internal audit and investigation counsel for various companies, including an international e-commerce bidding website, a publicly traded communications company, a leading international industrial services provider, a private equity firm and its acquired technology/service companies, and the largest privately-held bottling distributor in the United States, to address wage and hour and other compliance issues, implement compliance and ethics trainings/policies/programs, and handle administrative and legal disputes and traditional labor matters.
  • Provide trade secret and noncompete strategic advice and programs and handle litigation for a publicly traded business development company that seeks to make debt and equity investments in small and mid-sized businesses in the United States in connection with acquisitions, changes in control, and recapitalizations.

News & Views

See all News and Views

Recognitions

  • Labor & Employment Law, listed in Chambers USA
  • 2019–2024, “Labor & Employment Star,” listed in Benchmark Litigation
  • 2017, 2019, and 2021, listed in Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll

Affiliations

Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Anne Arundel County Bar Association
  • Bar Association of Baltimore City
  • Bar Association of the District of Columbia
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Maryland Bar Association
  • Montgomery County (MD) Bar Association
  • Prince George's County Bar Association
Professional Activities

Brooke is very active in various pro bono legal services with a focus on support for the elderly and children. She frequently advocates through Law for Elderly, and is a board member/strategic adviser to several nonprofit youth organizations that impact her community.

Brooke serves as a member of Blank Rome’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Credentials

Admissions

  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland
  • U.S. District Court - District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court - Maryland
  • United States Court of Appeals for Maryland
  • United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Education

  • University of Maryland, BS
  • The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, JD