Atty. Manesh K. Rath
Manesh Rath is a trial and appellate attorney with experience in general commercial litigation, food litigation, wage and hour and class action litigation, occupational safety and health law, association law, accessibility, and labor law. Mr.
Profile Summary
About Manesh K. Rath at a glance
Manesh K. Rath is a employment and litigation attorney based in Washington, District of Columbia, practicing at Keller and Heckman LLP. Admitted to practice in Virginia, Virginia, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, Virginia, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and District of Columbia, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Educated at William & Mary Law School (J.D., 1995) and Virginia Tech (B.S.). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Employment Law - Management (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - Labor and Employment (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026). Serands clients in Washington, DC and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Manesh Rath is a trial and appellate attorney with experience in general commercial litigation, food litigation, wage and hour and class action litigation, occupational safety and health law, association law, accessibility, and labor law
- Mr. Rath has been the lead amicus counsel on several cases before the U.S
- Supreme Court, including Staub v
- Proctor Hospital and Vance v
- Ball State University
- Mr. Rath is a co-author of three books in the fields of OSHA law, wage and hour law, and labor and employment law
- On developing legal issues, he has been quoted or interviewed in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Smart Money magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, on PBS's “Nightly Business Report," WAVY-TV and C-SPAN
- He was listed in Smart CEO magazine's Readers' Choice List of Legal Elite
- Mr. Rath was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016 practicing Employment and Labor Law - Litigation
- Food Litigation and General Commercial Litigation Mr. Rath counsels and represents businesses and associations facing business litigation disputes
- In numerous cases nationwide, Mr. Rath has conducted litigation, motions and trials before state and federal courts and administrative agencies
- He has handled cases in more than forty different jurisdictions throughout the nation, including serving as lead counsel defending businesses in collective and class action matters
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Mr. Rath has extensive experience representing industry in OSHA rulemakings
- He has successfully represented employers—including some of the largest in the country—against OSHA citations and investigations before federal OSHA in regions across the country and in state plan states
- Association Law Mr. Rath serves as counsel to many associations on a broad range of matters, including governance, incorporation, anti-trust, and contractual issues, and legislative and regulatory matters
- Wage and Hour and Class Action Litigation For almost 20 years, Mr. Rath has successfully defended employers nationwide in wage and hour and class action litigation
- He has served as lead counsel in class and collective action litigation in a number of jurisdictions, and was the first to raise class defeating arguments in several jurisdictions
- Mr. Rath also counsels and performs internal wage and hour audits for companies around the country
- Accessibility Mr. Rath advises product manufacturers, employers and product management firms on compliance with ADAAG accessibility guidelines
- Transportation Mr. Rath works with shippers and carriers of freight and passengers on matters involving federal motor carrier safety, driver qualification and wage and hour/hours of service compliance
- Labor Law In the area of labor law, Mr. Rath represents employers throughout the country in union organizing campaigns, in negotiating and collective bargaining agreements, and in defending against unfair labor practice (ULP) charges
- The Employment Law Aftermath For over 9 years, Mr. Rath has hosted The Employment Law Aftermath with Manesh Rath, a quarterly briefing to in-house counsel
- The Aftermath highlights the most impactful employment law developments in the past 90 days
- The program is regularly attended by corporate counsel of some of the region's largest employers
- Following each Aftermath, a web encore is provided for those not in their corporate counsel's office and for those who cannot attend the live briefing
- For more information please visit www.khlaw.com/aftermath
- The OSHA 30/30 Mr. Rath is the host of the OSHA 30/30 webinar
- This program brings critical developing issues of Occupation Safety and Heath to Keller and Heckman’s large community of General Counsel, Industrial Hygienist and safety and health professionals who are responsible for safety and health compliance
- Mr. Rath currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Legal Center
- He served on the Society for Human Resources (SHRM) Special Expertise Panel, and on the Northern Virginia SHRM Board of Directors for several years
Practice Areas Explained
Manesh K. Rath's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Manesh K. Rath handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
Manesh K. Rath is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in District of Columbia →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Manesh K. Rath is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in District of Columbia →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in District of Columbia
Practicing law in District of Columbia. Legal matters in District of Columbia are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Washington are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate District of Columbia state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in District of Columbia brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in District of Columbia courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional District of Columbia attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Washington or all attorneys in District of Columbia.
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