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Laura Mitchell is a principal in the Denver office of Jackson Lewis P.C. and leads the firm’s Workplace Analytics and Preventive Strategies Pay Equity subgroup. She partners with employers to evaluate, develop and implement policies and practices that ensure workplace fairness while mitigating legal risk. Laura is a guiding force in the firm’s most specialized and technical practice areas where she leverages an analytics-focused approach to partner with her clients in building legally compliant programs around which they can anchor their workplaces achieving productivity and stability.

Laura understands that creating a competitive advantage for employers in today’s workplace involves using a data-driven approach to counsel companies on the development of proactive and equitable non-discriminatory practices in hiring, promotions, separations and pay—and where advancements in technology can create both opportunities for efficiencies and risk that can be measured. Committed to putting her clients’ organizational goals first and foremost while balancing legal risk, Laura views herself as an extension of her clients’ team, responsible for providing proactive guidance and engaging in transparent, ongoing communication. Staying the course with employers across their organizational journey while balancing legal compliance obligations throughout their employees’ lifecycle ensures Laura’s position as a go-to resource.

Laura works with companies across all industries—both new and well-established multi-national organizations of all sizes—to realize the combined vision of legal compliance, increased productivity and economic growth enhanced by a focus on pay equity.  As part of the pay equity journey, she advises employers on the evolving pay transparency landscape, working to align compliant practices with the practical realities of the business world.

Laura partners closely with government contractors to understand, implement and demonstrate compliance with their EEO regulatory and compliance obligations. She also works closely with non-government contractor clients to conduct risk assessments of their programs, policies, and training to align with federal and state anti-discrimination requirements.

On April 22, 2026, Virginia enacted House Bill (HB) 636 and Senate Bill (SB) 215, companion bills that expand pay transparency requirements and limit how employers may seek and use applicants’ compensation information.

Under the new law, employers are prohibited from seeking the wage or salary history of a prospective employee or relying on

Equal Pay Day, observed this year on March 26, highlights how far into the current year the average woman must work to earn what the average man earned in the prior year. While the date may shift from year to year, the conversation it prompts does not.

For employers, Equal Pay Day is less about

Ahead of the May 13, 2026, filing deadline, the California Civil Rights Department has released preliminary templates and updated FAQs for the 2025 pay data reporting cycle. Although these simplified templates may still be revised, they highlight new mandatory data fields, including exemption status, employment type, and total annual weeks worked. Read more about these

Massachusetts employers with 100 or more employees should prepare now for the next round of state pay reporting, as the deadline is quickly approaching. This year, the reports are due by February 2, 2026, as the normal February 1 deadline falls on a weekend and is extended to the next business day.

Massachusetts’ “An Act

On December 4, 2025, the New York City Council voted to override Mayor Eric Adams’ veto, enacting new local laws that significantly expand pay transparency obligations for private employers.

Under the new law, employers with at least 200 employees must report pay data, including demographic and occupational information, on an annual basis following a

The City of Columbus, Ohio, has joined a growing list of jurisdictions adopting pay transparency laws intended to promote pay equity. On November 4, 2025, Mayor Andrew Ginther signed an ordinance that introduces new requirements for employers and restricts salary history inquiries. This ordinance closely mirrors the Cleveland pay transparency law that went into effect

As a reminder, starting October 29, 2025, Massachusetts employers with 25 or more employees must comply with the Commonwealth’s new pay transparency and disclosure requirements. The Act Relative to Salary Range Transparency directs covered employers to include pay ranges in all job postings and provide this information to applicants and employees upon request.

The pay

On October 9, 2025, the New York City Council passed amendments to local laws that, if passed, would impose new pay equity reporting obligations on certain private employers and require the city to conduct annual pay equity studies.  These measures are designed to identify and address wage disparities based on gender, race, and ethnicity.

Beginning October 27, 2025, Cleveland employers with 15 or more employees will need to comply with the city’s new pay transparency and compensation history requirements. Ordinance No. 104-2025 prohibits covered employers from asking applicants about their salary history, including benefits, and bars employers from using compensation history to screen candidates or make hiring decisions.