VAUGHN BURKHOLDER
PARTNER
KANSAS CITY OFFICE
7500 College Boulevard, Suite 1400
Overland Park, KS 66210-4041
T: 913.253.2133
PROFILE
Vaughn Burkholder is a partner and member of Foulston’s litigation & employment practice group in the
firm’s Kansas City office. In practice for nearly four decades, Vaughn helps employers reduce their risk
and defends clients in employment litigation. He represents employers involving ADA, FMLA, harassment,
discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation and other employment issues. He has been the lead
defense counsel in numerous successful cases before the EEOC, KHRC and other administrative
agencies, and has been the lead attorney for negotiations, settlement, and litigation of employee rights
lawsuits. Vaughn also assists employers with employment policies and procedures, reductions-in-force,
investigations, discipline, terminations, and all other workplace issues.
A nationally recognized authority on employment law issues, Vaughn has been quoted in HR Magazine,
the Kansas City Business Journal, and the Wichita Eagle. He has been selected by his peers for inclusion
in The Best Lawyers in America
®
for the last 20 years, and since 2008, the Missouri & Kansas Super
Lawyers
®
list. In 2013, he was named by Best Lawyers
®
the Kansas City, KS Employment Law –
Management “Lawyer of the Year.” Vaughn enjoys Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory’s highest “AV” rating
for lawyers. Vaughn is a member of the Kansas Association of Defense Counsel, on whose Board of
Directors he has served. Vaughn has also served on the Kansas Bar Foundation Board of Trustees.
Personal Mission Statement:
When it comes to advising employers about how to handle the challenges they face arising from the
workplace, just knowing the laws is not enough. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. The most
valuable legal advice comes from a lawyer who has taken the time to know and understand the client’s
goals and tolerance for risk. Vaughn takes pride in helping his clients navigate today’s employment law
minefield with minimum risk.
And when the need arises for a lawyer to address a challenge that doesn’t require Vaughn’s many years
of experience, he knows the right Foulston lawyer who can handle the matter in the most cost-efficient
way. Vaughn’s entire legal career has been spent at Foulston; he is proud to work with partners and
associates who share common professional goals. All Foulston lawyers have a “client-first” mentality — it’s
what defines the firm.
Bring Vaughn unique challenges and he will provide tailored solutions. That’s what Foulston does.
www.foulston.com
Education
Creighton University School of Law (J.D., 1982)
cum laude
Midland University (B.A., 1977)
summa cum laude
Admissions
Kansas (1982)
U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas (1982)
PRACTICE AREAS
Employment & Labor
Insurance Defense Litigation
Administrative/Regulatory
Governmental Liability
Litigation & Disputes
INDUSTRIES
Government
Healthcare
Insurance
Hospitality & Retail
Tax-Exempt/Not-for-Profit Organizations
Franchise & Distribution
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS, AFFILIATIONS, AND HONORS
Recognized by Best Lawyers® as the 2013 Kansas City, KS Employment Law “Lawyer of the Year”
Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Employment Law –
Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, and Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers,
1995-2024
Selected for inclusion in Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers® List, 2005, 2008-2014 (a Thomson
Reuters business)
Named a "Labor & Employment Star" by Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2022
Kansas Bar Association
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
Johnson County Bar Association
www.foulston.com
Kansas Bar Foundation Former Trustee
Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
Kansas Association of Defense Counsel Former Director
PRESENTATIONS
2024
Employment Law Squares (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)
2022
Wait, Wait, Don't Sue Me (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
2021
Tales From the Dark Side: Employment Law Trends, Our Predictions for the Future, and What This
Means for You (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
2020
A View From the Plaintiff's Side (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
HR Roundtable (Olathe Chamber of Commerce)
New Federal Laws in the Time of COVID-19 (Overland Park Chamber of Commerce)
2019
Employment Discrimination Mock Trial (Kansas SHRM State Conference)
Employment Law Update (Olathe Chamber of Commerce)
2018
End-of-Year Update: We Made the List But It’s Up to You to Check It Twice (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR
Training Series)
Not as Easy as One, Two, Three: How the FMLA, ADA, and Workers' Compensation Interact with
Employee Leave of Absence and Return to Work (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
In the Beginning: What Every HR "Newbie" Needs to Know about Employment Law
(Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
www.foulston.com
#YouToo: In-House Counsel's Ethical Obligations in the Age of #MeToo (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Ethics
Seminar for Corporate Counsel)
2017
Dealing with Ill / Injured Employees (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
Employment Law Myth Busters: Exposing Common Misconceptions about Wage-and-Hour Law,
Employee Handbooks, and Other Workplace Issues (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)All
About Employment Agreements (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
Hot Issues In Employment Law (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
Performance Management (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
2016
Dig Two Graves: Avoiding Retaliation in the Workplace (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law
Seminar)
“WWED?” (What Would the EEOC Do?): The Interplay Between Religious Accommodation and LGBT
Rights in the Workplace (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Seminar)
HR101: The Employee Handbook – Guidebook for Your Workplace (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment
Law Seminar)
2015
In the Beginning: What Every HR “Newbie” Needs to Know about Employment Law (Foulston Siefkin
LLP, Employment Law Seminar)
The Craziest Thing I Ever Heard: New Court Rulings and EEOC, NLRB, and DOL Activity that Every
Employer Needs to Know About (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Seminar)
PUBLICATIONS
2017
Employee Injury Sustained on 'Holiday Trip' Covered by Workers' Compensation
?-Kansas Employment Law Blog
What I’ve Learned in 35 Years as an Employment Lawyer
-Kansas Employment Law Letter, Vol. 24, No. 4
2011
Worker Classifications Taking on New Importance
-Ingram's Kansas City Business Magazine
www.foulston.com
2010
Quoted in Digital Divide: Employers Should Take Care Not to Cross Lines in Social Media Law -
Corporate Counsel
-Kansas City Business Journal
2009
Difficult Employment Decisions in the Downturn
-A Business Perspective, The Wichita Eagle
2007
Quoted in - Weapons Policies Under Fire
-HR Magazine
2006
Quoted in Companies Must Stay Abreast of Employment Law Changes
-Kansas City Business Journal
ISSUE ALERTS
2020
Coronavirus: Stay-at-Home Orders
www.foulston.com
