Lynette A. Whitfield

In 2015 I unexpectedly entered a season of life where I had a series of multiple, serious, life-threatening health issues. In the last four years, I had 19 surgical procedures, and too many hospitalizations, medical tests and medications to count. Through it all, I fought hard to maintain my federa...l employment. However, in 2018 I officially lost my position. My proficiency and competency were questioned when I knew the only issue was my illnesses, not my skillset. I was angry, embarrassed, depressed and my confidence was at an all-time low. Years earlier I earned my masters and doctorate degrees and completed a post-doctoral fellowship. Now, I was lying in a hospital bed, terminated from my federal position. I could not help but stare at my final SF-50. It noted my “removal” and “5 U.S.C. 75. Adverse actions.” The remarks section of the form (item 45) stated “failure to maintain work schedule & unacceptable performance.” I knew that the only reason I was not at work was due to my health. My work evaluations had always been in the top tier during the annual performance appraisal period. I frequently received awards (i.e. time off, bonuses, and certificates). I just wasn’t able to work due to my illnesses. This wasn’t fair! I was devastated. When I realized I needed an employment attorney, I didn’t know where to turn or who I could trust as I felt completely betrayed by my employer. At this time I was not thinking clearly. I was very ill, completely stressed out and filled with a range of emotions. I reached out to an attorney I’d known for years who practiced a different type of law. He offered to send out a request for recommendations via an attorney list serve. Within two hours, he received numerous recommendations. All, but one were for Ms. Lynette Whitfield. In addition, Ms. Whitfield was a part of the list serve and had also emailed my attorney friend directly offering her services. I called her immediately! Lynette was calm and astute. She was humble and completely unassuming. During our brief conversation, she listened intently to my circumstances. Lynette then advised me on my legal options as well as the pros and cons of each approach. When asked, she also shared the probability of success or failure of each option based on her many years of experience. I recall feeling a sense of relief during the course of our conversation. Lynette never rushed me to make a decision and always reiterated that her priority was my best interest. I hired Lynette to serve as my legal counsel two years ago. There have been frustrating periods during the course of my case as we worked with OPM, but I never felt overwhelmed as I knew I had the best possible attorney working on my behalf. Lynette and her paralegal, Erica always kept me updated and allowed me the time necessary to make critical decisions pertaining to my case. She had the technical expertise and historical knowledge to guide me through the various stages of my case. In September 2019, my disability annuity case was approved by OPM. Lynette did not cease working with me after my case was approved. Rather, she is still just as invested as we work together to ensure that I receive the appropriate lump sum payout, disability annuity payments and benefits (i.e. medical, life, dental, vision). Working with Lynette has been an absolute pleasure. It truly is one of the best decisions I ever made. I enthusiastically recommend her without any reservations. If I ever required legal services in the future, I would definitely retain her services.

The daunting challenges brought on from unexpected health issues and ending my career clouded my judgment and ability to insure I got the benefits provided in the law for federal employment. Things got better from the moment I hired Attorney Lynette Whitfield to help me manage the twists and turns of... filing my application in the journey to seek federal disability benefits. Her reasonable approach helped restore my confidence in knowing the complex process and timeline would be served by her steady hands, technical knowledge and sincere motivation to help. Giving her this unqualified recommendation is my way of supporting all those in similar situations.