Emily L. Matta

Emily Matta is an associate with Foulston’s litigation practice group in the firm’s Wichita office. She represents businesses and individuals in federal and state courts, handling employment disputes, complex business disputes, insurance defense, and personal injury cases.

Within labor and employment, Emily has defended clients against complaints of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in EEOC and state agency proceedings, in unemployment appeals, and in employment-related litigation. She also works with educational institutions on matters including disciplinary responses and Title VI discrimination.

Before she attended law school, Emily held every position from dishwasher to manager at her family’s restaurant in Wichita. Growing up in a small business family, Emily understands the legal landscape is complex and intimidating to navigate. She strives to demystify the law for her clients and to understand her client’s businesses and unique needs so she can deliver effective, timely, and practical representation. Outside of work, Emily enjoys reading historical non-fiction, shooting archery, and traveling through Kansas. She is a proud, self-labeled “Kansas history nerd” and has visited nearly every corner of the state, enthusing over historic sites and lesser-known roadside attractions. Most recently, Emily visited the Dalton Defenders Museum in Meade, Monument Rocks in Gove County, and Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park in Logan County.

Education

• University of Kansas School of Law (J.D., Order of the Coif)
  Kansas Law Review, Articles Editor; CALI Excellence for the Future Awards: Lawyering Skills II, Contract Drafting, Legislation and Statutory Interpretation, Trusts and Estates, Employment Discrimination, Federal Income Taxation, Taxation of Business Enterprises, Criminal Procedure
• Wichita State University (B.A. in History and Political Science, magna cum laude)

Admissions

• Kansas
• U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
• U.S. District Court for the District of Oklahoma
• Texas

• Employment & Labor
• Litigation & Disputes

• Judicial Extern, Hon. Steve Leben, Kansas Court of Appeals, 2019-2020
• Foulston Siefkin LLP, Summer Associate, 2018, 2019

• Selected by peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in the area of Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2025
• Kansas Bar Association, Pro Bono Certificate, 2023
• Wichita Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section
• Kansas Bar Association
• Kansas Association of Defense Counsel
   

2024

• Employment Law Squares (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)

2023

• Employee vs. Employer: An Employment Law Case Mock Trial (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute)

2022

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Tangible Ways to Improve DEI in the Workplace (Foulston Siefkin LLP, HR Training Series)
• Emerging Legal Issues Involving Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity Bias (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)
• Wait, Wait, Don't Sue Me (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)

2021

• Supervisor Training: Supporting LGBTQ Employees in the Workplace (Foulston Siefkin, LLP, client presentation)
• Comparing and Contrasting Ant-Discrimination Laws at the Federal, State, and Local Level (Kansas Leadership Council, Stakeholder Meeting regarding Wichita Nondiscrimination Ordinance)
• All-New Employment Law Mythbusters (Foulston Siefkin LLP, Employment Law Institute Webinar Series)

2023

• Supreme Court Raises Standard for Denying Religious Accommodations
  -Foulston Employment Law Blog, November 14, 2023
• SCOTUS Decision Makes it More Difficult to Deny Religious Accommodations
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 4, No. 8
• NLRB Ruling Will Make It Tougher to Discipline Workers for Outbursts
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 4, No. 6
• 4th Circuit Recognizes Gender Dysphoria as a Disability Under ADA
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 4, No. 4

2022

• DOL Actions Highlight Three Crucial Child Labor Protections Categories
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 3, No. 10
• DOL Guidance Spotlights FLSA, FMLA, and Visa Program Retaliation
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 3, No. 7
• EEOC's Updated COVID-19 Technical Assistance Targets Retaliation
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 3, No. 4

2021

• Pronouns and Misgendering: Answers to Common Questions from Employers
  -HR Daily Advisor, November 30, 2021
• Mask Use on the Rise as Delta Variant Surges
• OFCCP Proposes $15 Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors
  -Kansas Employment Law Blog, July 23, 2021
• 4 Things to Consider Before Demanding Warrant From OSHA
  -Midwest Employment Law Letter, Vol. 2, No. 7
• Let’s ‘Ketchup’ on Latest DOL Guidance for Tipped Employees
  -HR Daily Advisor, March 18, 2021

2020

• Lyda Conley’s Fight to Save the Huron Indian Cemetery
  -Journal of the Kansas Bar Association, Vol. 89, No. 5

2019

• Kansans at Risk: Strengthened Data Breach Notification Laws as a Deterrent to Reckless Data Storage
  -Kansas Law Review, Vol. 67

Kansas Legal Services, pro bono volunteer