Betsy Lawrence

Betsy Lawrence has been practicing labor and employment law for more than 30 years. As Boeing’s chief labor counsel, she was responsible for all traditional labor law matters for the world’s largest aerospace company with some of the biggest private sector bargaining units in the United States. Lawrence provided legal and strategic advice on a broad range of labor issues and represented the company’s interests in grievance arbitrations, matters before the National Labor Relations Board and in federal court. Lawrence worked closely with the company’s labor relations function to manage and ensure legal compliance in connection with union contract administration, negotiations, labor disputes, work stoppages, and union organizing activities.

Prior to joining Boeing, Lawrence was chief labor and employment counsel at Honeywell International Inc. She was responsible for all labor and employment law issues worldwide for Honeywell’s $6.3B Safety & Productivity Solutions business employing approximately 25,000 employees in 61 countries. Lawrence was deeply engaged with business leaders and human resources professionals advising on day-to-day employee and labor relations matters as well as on workforce restructurings, plant closures, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures, including due diligence and integration activities. Lawrence also served as Honeywell’s global enterprise counsel for labor relations.

Lawrence began her legal career as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor where she litigated numerous enforcement matters under various federal labor laws before agency tribunals and in federal courts. After a decade of government service, Lawrence advised and represented corporate employers in a range of labor and employment matters while practicing at Shook, Hardy & Bacon. 

Lawrence is a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and served for many years as a senior editor for The Fair Labor Standards Act, an authoritative legal treatise published by Bloomberg BNA. She was a frequent lecturer at ABA and other professional conferences. Lawrence earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Kansas and her J.D. with honors from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law where she was a teaching assistant and member of the law review. Lawrence also holds a Certificate in Professional Mediation from Cornell University-School of Industrial and Labor Relations.