Teresa L. Shulda
Partner
Wichita
1551 N. Waterfront Parkway, Suite 100
Wichita,
KS
67206-4466
T: 316.291.9791
F: 316.267.6345
tshulda@foulston.com
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Profile
Teresa Shulda, co-chair of the firm's employment and labor law practice group, has been litigating employment disputes and advising on workplace law matters for over 20 years. Based in the firm’s Wichita office, Teresa focuses her practice on employer-side issues. She represents businesses ranging from some of the city’s largest corporations with thousands of workers around the globe to small, closely held businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
Much of Teresa’s practice includes advising clients on compliance-related issues and litigation-avoidance tactics. Working hand-in-hand with human relations departments, company owners, and in-house legal counsel, she crafts strategies that meet the company’s goals and fulfill federal and state requirements. Because much of her early career was focused on employee representation, she applies her understanding of the workforce perspective when counseling employers. Teresa prides herself in being readily available to help clients with sticky employment-law situations as they arise and ensuring that her clients understand the legal risks associated with employment actions.
In addition to delivering day-to-day client advice, Teresa is a powerful advocate for her clients – both in and out of the courtroom. Known for her deep understanding of federal regulations as well as Kansas employment laws, she regularly defends employers against discrimination claims, including those involving age, race, religion, national origin, gender, or disability allegations. In addition, Teresa handles disputes related to wrongful termination, breach of contract, civil rights, and whistleblower retaliation claims. She is particularly well-versed in federal statutes such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and Pregnancy Discrimination Act, as well as the Kansas Wage Payment Act. Teresa also assists clients with labor-law matters, including advising on day-to-day issues that arise under collective bargaining agreements, and providing guidance on National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) compliance to both unionized and non-unionized employers.
Teresa represents clients in federal and state courts, in regulatory agency proceedings, and in alternative dispute resolution forums. In a widely publicized age discrimination suit, she worked on the Foulston team that obtained a decisive victory for her client when the jury rendered a defense verdict in less than two hours, ending a 10-year litigation that originated as a collective action. Her enviable track record also includes numerous summary judgments on behalf of clients, several of which have been confirmed by higher courts. Teresa has also achieved many successful outcomes for her clients who are defending charges of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Kansas Human Rights Commission. An accomplished negotiator, she has secured highly favorable settlements for her clients that averted prolonged litigation.
Teresa is often asked to share her insights with human resources professionals and legal colleagues at seminars and meetings across the region. She serves as the co-editor of BLR’s Midwest Employment Law Letter and frequently publishes articles and client alerts on timely topics and legal rulings.
Education
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University of Colorado
(J.D.)
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University of Kansas
(B.A.)
Admissions
- Kansas (2008)
- New Mexico (2006)
- Colorado (2002)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas (2008)
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (2006)
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado (2002)
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Professional Memberships, Affiliations, and Honors
- Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Employment Law – Management, 2017-2025; Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2023-2025; and Civil Rights Law, 2025
- Identified by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in the United States for Labor & Employment Law, 2017-2024
- Named a "Labor & Employment Star" by Benchmark Litigation, 2018-2024
- Wichita Business Journal Women in Business Honoree, 2019
- United States District Court for the District of Kansas Bench-Bar Committee, 2024-2026
- American Bar Association
- Kansas Bar Association
- Midwest Employment Law Letter, Co-Editor
- Wichita Bar Association
- Wichita Bar Association, Ethics Committee
Recent Presentations
2025
- Emerging Ethical Challenges in AI, DEI, & Cybersecurity (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Corporate Counsel Series: Ethics)
2024
- FML-A to Z: From the Basics to the Complex (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
- Employment Law Update 2024 (Kansas Women Attorneys Association, 35th Annual Conference)
- The State of Religious Accommodation (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)
- Navigating Complex Intermittent-Leave Situations (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)
- Recent Developments for In-House Counsel, from the Attorney-Client Privilege to the Dawn of Reverse Discrimination Lawsuits (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Corporate Counsel Series: Ethics)
2023
- Employment, Labor, and Immigration Law Update (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Health Law Institute)
- Congratulations, You've Been Sued: Anatomy of an Employment Lawsuit (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)
- Employee vs. Employer: An Employment Law Case Mock Trial (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)
- Mental Illness in the Workplace: Staying Compliant with the ADA and FMLA (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)
2022
- Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind: Managing Employee Leaves of Absence (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
- Disruptive Provider Behavior: To Manage or Discipline? That Is The Question (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Health Law Institute)
- Wait, Wait, Don't Sue Me (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
- Emerging Legal Issues Involving Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity Bias (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
- New Court Rulings and Legislation Employers Need to Know About (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
2021
- Your Fall Plans vs. The Delta Variant: How to Protect Your Workplace Against COVID-19 (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
- LOA Toolkit: Managing Complex Leave Scenarios (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
- The Price Is Right – Employment Law Style (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
- Navigating Complex Leaves of Absence: Balancing FMLA, ADA, and Workers’ Compensation Requirements (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
- What Corporate Counsel Needs to Know About COVID-19 in 2021 (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Corporate Counsel Series: COVID-19 Webinar)
2020
- Advanced FMLA Scenarios (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
- FMLA Nuts and Bolts (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
- COVID-19 and Employment Matters (Kansas Women Attorneys Association, 31st Annual Conference)
- 2020 Vision: A Look at the Latest (Non-COVID) Employment Law Cases, Issues, and Trends (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
- Avoiding Common Employment Law Missteps in the New COVID World (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
- COVID-19 Guidance for Hospital Employers - FFCRA, OSHA, and Confidentiality (Kansas Hospital Association)
- Implementing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Coronavirus Webinar)
Recent Publications
2025
2022
- KS Court Throws Out FCA Lawsuit Because Whistleblower Failed to Blow Right Whistle
- Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 3, No. 2
2020
- Title VII Prohibits LGBTQ Discrimination, Supreme Court Rules
- Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 1, No. 7
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