HR Professionals Magazine 2021 Chambers USA Top Employment Law Attorneys

Top Labor and Employment Law Attorneys LISTED IN CHAMBERS USA

HR Professionals Magazine congratulates our top labor and employment law attorneys from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee listed in the 2021 Chambers and Partners Guide. For details about Chambers and Partners research, please visit their website, www.chambersandpartners.com. This list is not exclusive and represents the firms who responded to our inquiry.

Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for 10 consecutive years.

In 2021, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor & Employment category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 900 attorneys located in 53 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, including many of the Fortune 50 companies in the U.S. www.ogletree.com

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

James C. Pennington is the Managing Shareholder and a founding member of the Birmingham Office of Ogletree Deakins. For more than two decades, he has represented employers in a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including administrative agency charges, federal and state court litigation, union campaigns and collective bargaining. He helps employers avoid workplace disputes by providing management training and developing defensive documentation such as effective employee handbooks, dispute avoidance and resolution policies, and drug and alcohol testing policies and procedures. He is known for helping employers navigate through the intersections of disabilities and leave laws.

Craig Cleland defends employers in litigation— including class and collective actions—and counsels them in risk management and compliance. He is the former Chair and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Class Action Practice Group. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgia State University College of Law, where he teaches Complex Litigation. He has been recognized as a BTI Client Service All-Star twice—one of a small number of employment lawyers in the U.S. who “combine exceptional legal expertise with practical advice, business savvy and creative, effective solutions.”

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Margaret H. Campbell is a shareholder in the Atlanta office and has practiced employment, litigation, and labor law at Ogletree since 1981.

An all-around labor and employment lawyer, Meg is particularly recognized for her experience in complex class and collective action litigation, whistleblower investigations and litigation including Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank cases, appellate practice, and restrictive covenant law. She has litigated single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, and class and collective action jury and non-jury cases in federal and state courts around the country.

Keith Frazier represents management in the area of labor and employment law, with an emphasis on employment litigation, including collective actions under the FLSA and the ADEA. Frazier has been counsel in over 20 jury trials, and he has experience trying collective actions in federal court before a jury and in an arbitration setting. He has also handled over 40 arbitrations arising under collective bargaining agreements. In 2005, Keith was elected to the Firm’s Board of Directors and served until 2011. He also served a three year term on the Firm’s Board from 2014 until 2017.

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

TAMPA, FLORIDA

Monique Gougisha Doucette joined Ogletree Deakins in 2009 and is a shareholder. She practices primarily in the area of employment litigation and represents management in claims arising under various federal and state employment laws. Monique has significant experience litigating employment matters in a variety of business sectors such as construction, energy, banking and hospitality. She also has expertise in workplace misconduct and sexual harassment issues.

Monique regularly conducts customized workplace respect and anti-harassment training for employers.

Peter W. Zinober is shareholder and labor & employment lawyer concentrating his practice on the defense of employment discrimination cases in state and federal court, both jury and non-jury, as well as wage and hour, disability discrimination, Sarbanes-Oxley, Dodd-Frank, and other whistleblower defense, age and all other types of employment litigation. Pete also focuses on “traditional” labor management relations law, including the representation of employers in connection with unfair labor practice and representation case proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, labor and non-union arbitrations, collective bargaining and counseling.

Mark Mallery is the Founding Shareholder of the firm’s office in New Orleans, where he has practiced labor and employment law for over thirty years. Mark has acted as lead counsel on complex disputes, including Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower claims; pattern and practice and class based claims; collective actions under the FLSA; and class-based discrimination claims. Mark has also litigated a variety of “intellectual property” issues. On the traditional labor side, Mark has represented management in union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining, work stoppages and unfair labor practice charges.

Chris Moore is the Office Managing Shareholder of the firm’s New Orleans office and is an advocate for employers. He has successfully defended federal and state law claims of race, sex, religious, age and disability discrimination; breach of contract, wrongful termination, retaliation, defamation, harassment, infliction of emotional distress, misrepresentation, interference with contract, whistleblower, employee benefits and abuse of right claims; state and federal wage claims; family and medical leave claims; unfair labor practices; and labor arbitrations.

Chris has also represented management in union organizing campaigns, labor disputes and the defense of unfair labor practice charges.

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

C. Matthew Keen is Managing Shareholder of Ogletree Deakins and has practiced labor and employment law in the Raleigh office of Ogletree Deakins since 1987. His practice has included employment litigation in state and federal courts, representing clients before the National Labor Relations Board and advising clients on equal employment opportunity and wage and hour issues. He has successfully litigated cases to defense verdicts in employment discrimination cases. He has also litigated matters involving ERISA, non-competition and trade secrets, workplace injuries and other contract and tort claims. He has successfully represented clients in dozens of labor and employment arbitrations.

Robert A. Sar is Office Managing Shareholder of the firm’s Raleigh office. Bob assists employers in all areas of labor and employment law, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblowers, wage and hour, class and collective actions, non-competition and non-disclosure covenants, leaves of absence, employment agreements and policies, union labor matters, and workplace safety. He represents diverse industries including higher education, retail, financial, healthcare, pharmaceutical, professional services, hospitality, manufacturing, sales, software and technology.

Bob has extensive experience litigating employment matters in state and federal courts.

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Bass, Berry & Sims

At Bass, Berry & Sims, positive human relationships and interactions drive business success. Our Labor and Employment team works with public and private companies across a variety of industries, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small locally owned businesses.

As experienced litigators, the team defends employment cases and works with employers to avoid litigation on the frontend through day-to-day counseling and HR training. Our attorneys are regularly involved in matters involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, non-competes, FMLA, wage and hour, defamation, employee misclassification and a myriad of other traditional labor issues.

For more information, visit bassberry.com.

Tim Garrett of Bass, Berry & Sims helps employers solve complex issues related to all aspects of labor and employment law, providing in depth counseling and developing creative solutions to underlying business issues. He is an experienced trial lawyer, defending employers of all sizes in employment litigation claims across the country. His work has ranged from defending a major university during a significant wage and hour collective action involving thousands of employees to the successful defense of a major healthcare provider in a gender discrimination/retaliation case. In addition, Tim has served as nationwide labor and employment counsel for the largest nonprofit dialysis company in the U.S. Tim has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers for the past ten years, along with Best Lawyers in America® and Chambers USA for many consecutive years.

This recognition paired with his experience has earned him a national reputation for counseling employers through the maze of complex employee issues.

Bob Horton, Chair of Bass, Berry & Sims’ Labor & Employment Practice Group, represents management in all areas of labor and employment law. Bob's practice consists primarily of counseling clients regarding employment issues and defending companies against all manner of employment claims throughout the U.S. Bob has substantial jury trial experience and has obtained defense verdicts in discrimination and retaliation lawsuits across the country.

With a robust non-compete practice, Bob has assisted employers in drafting non-compete agreements on a state by state basis, enforcing non-compete agreements by way of obtaining injunctive relief, and defending the company and new employees against claims of breach of non-compete agreements with prior employers. Bob assists numerous public companies and executives in the negotiation of employment agreements, as well as executive departures and subsequent issues that arise from equity grants in various forms.

GO CONFIDENTLY. Bass, Berry & Sims listens and responds with creative yet practical counsel. We stay on pace with the complex and rapidly evolving employment landscape, connecting your dynamic human resources needs to proactive strategies.

Relationships, reliability, and respect – at the center of our Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits practices.

Stay up-to-date on the latest in HR Law. Visit our blog at bassberryhrlawtalk.com.

Centered to deliver. bassberry.com

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Littler Mendelson, P.C. (continued) GEORGIA

ALABAMA

Leslie A. Dent is a shareholder in Littler’s Atlanta office. She is an experienced trial lawyer who has successfully tried cases ranging from individual discrimination matters to complex wage and hour class actions. She represents employers in class and collective actions involving off-the-clock claims, challenges to exempt status and other wage-related claims, as well as Rule 23 class actions alleging discrimination claims. Leslie counsels and represents employers on a broad range of employment law issues, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and leave laws. She has extensive experience conducting and supervising internal investigations and defending whistleblower and retaliation claims, including Dodd Frank and False Claims Act claims.

L. Traywick Duffie is a special counsel in Littler’s Atlanta office. He represents corporate clients in a broad range of employment and labor law, including employment litigation, union organizing, wage and hour and Employee Retirement Income Security Act matters. He has successfully defended numerous class and collective matters and countered union organizing campaigns in more than 40 states. He has successfully defended single plaintiff, multiple plaintiff and class action litigation involving, race, age, sex, pregnancy, disability, retaliation, ERISA, whistleblowing, covenants not to compete and state law contract claims.

Lisa "Lee" A. Schreter is a shareholder in Littler’s Atlanta office. She is co-chair of the Wage and Hour Practice Group and former chairperson of Littler's Board of Directors. She focuses on representing employers in complex class and collective actions involving overtime and other wage-related claims and specializes in helping employers to develop forward-thinking compliance measures that reduce wage and hour disputes and other employment-related issues. She also represents and counsels management clients in connection with all other types of labor and employment matters arising under federal and state laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Service Contract Act and state law wage and hour requirements.

Daniel Turner is a shareholder in Littler’s Atlanta office. He counsels and represents employers in all aspects of litigation in employment law issues, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, and leaves of absence. Serving as lead counsel in more than 50 class and collective actions throughout the country, he has litigated cases under the Title VII and Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and various wage and hour laws. Dan's extensive litigation practice also includes state law tort, contract, restrictive covenant claims, and various types of civil rights litigation.

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Office Managing Shareholder Jay D. St. Clair has represented clients in employment and labor law matters for more than 30 years, including discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims; labor management relations; wage and hour regulations; and occupational safety and health.

Charles A. Powell has represented employers throughout the Southeast against employment discrimination and harassment, non-competition and wage and hour litigation lawsuits for more than 23 years. He has a strong record of successfully defending employers against various employment and labor law claims.

Jennifer Fox Swain has represented management in employment matters for more than 25 years. Her practice includes litigation in state and federal courts, as well as before arbitrators, the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other state and federal agencies. Jennifer also has experience handling class and systemic cases brought by the EEOC. Additionally, Jennifer regularly advises employers on issues relating to compliance with various employment discrimination statutes, rules and regulations and counsels employers on day-to-day personnel issues. She also assists employers with the development, drafting, implementation and enforcement of workplace policies and procedures.

Janell Ahnert's practice encompasses all facets of employment law, specifically in representation of management in both employment counseling and employment litigation. Janell handles a variety of employment law matters in state and federal courts and has broad experience defending employers accused of harassment and discrimination in federal court. She has litigation and counseling experience in numerous areas of employment law, including issues involving wage and hour claims, harassment, discrimination, and whistleblowing.

ARKANSAS

Eva C. Madison is a shareholder in Littler’s Fayetteville office. She represents and advises employers of all sizes in all aspects of employment law, primarily focusing on employment litigation, ranging from single-plaintiff cases to multiple-plaintiff, class, and collective action cases. Practicing in state and federal courts and before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Arkansas Department of Labor, she has handled matters involving race, gender, national origin, religion, disability, and age discrimination and harassment under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Arkansas Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act.

Littler Mendelson, P.C.

With more than 1,600 labor and employment attorneys around the world, Littler provides workplace solutions that are local, everywhere.

Our diverse team and proprietary technology foster a culture that celebrates original thinking, delivering groundbreaking innovation that prepares employers for what’s happening today, and what’s likely to happen tomorrow. Because at Littler, we’re fueled by ingenuity and inspired by you.

TENNESSEE

FLORIDA

Paul E. Prather is a shareholder in Littler’s Memphis office. He represents management exclusively in all areas of employment and labor relations, including state and federal employment litigation and in administrative proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the United States Department of Labor. With more than 30 years of success in defense litigation, including jury trials, he is a frequent lecturer and author for management and legal groups on labor and employment law issues.

Patrick DeBlasio is a shareholder in the Miami office. He represents employers in all aspects of employment litigation, including claims arising under Title VII; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act; and other employment laws. He also has significant experience defending employers in single plaintiff and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act; conducting wage and hour audits; handling restrictive covenants; and repre-senting employers in proceedings before the Department of Labor and similar agencies, in state and federal court, and in arbitration. Additionally, Patrick provides general advice and counseling on employment matters and regularly speaks before industry groups and associations on employment-related topics.

Tanja L. Thompson is office managing shareholder in Littler’s Memphis office, co-chair of the firm’s Traditional Labor Practice Group and a member of the firm's Board of Directors. She dedicates her practice to representing companies in the area of traditional labor law. National Fortune 500 companies as well as local employers across various industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and services, seek her expertise in remaining union-free and in managing their unionrepresented workplaces. Her union-free efforts include campaigns, comprehensive union vulnerability assessments, human relations audits, communication strategies, and union avoidance and positive employee relations training.

Jennifer B. Robinson is office managing shareholder in Littler’s Nashville office. She has been the lead defense attorney in nearly 40 wage and hour class and/or collective actions involving claims of misclassification, overtime and minimum wage violations, and missed meal and rest breaks. She also counsels, trains and conducts audits for clients to ensure compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws. In addition to her wage and hour practice, Jennifer defends employers in single and multi-plaintiff lawsuits involving claims of discrimination, harassment, failure to accommodate and breach of contract.

C. Eric Stevens is a shareholder in Littler’s Nashville office. He has over 30 years of experience representing clients - focusing on healthcare and financial institutions - in labor relations and employment litigation. He represents both union and non-union employers, providing counseling to avoid litigation as well as defending clients in both court and administrative proceedings. Eric regularly speaks to industry groups and business roundtables on new developments in the law and issues that can directly affect their operations. He provides training on discrimination, harassment, wage and hour and related topics for private employers, public employers and governmental entities.

Finn Pressly is a shareholder in the Miami office.

Finn’s practice focuses on employee benefits and executive compensation. He has extensive experience counseling clients on all aspects of health and welfare benefit plans, including issues related to plan design, summary plan descriptions, all aspects of health care reform, HIPAA privacy and security compliance, subrogation and claims reimbursement issues, wellness programs and consumer driven health care initiatives (including health savings accounts) as well as health care continuation coverage (COBRA).

KENTUCKY

LaToi Mayo is a shareholder in the Lexington office.

She has advised, counseled and defended employers in regard to labor and employment matters for the past 20 years. She has successfully litigated single plaintiff discrimination and wage and hour claims as well as class and collective actions in both state and federal court. LaToi has also successfully handled investigations and charges on employer’s behalf before administrative agencies like the Department of Labor, EEOC, and NLRB and similar state agencies. LaToi works most frequently with manufacturers, health care facilities, and local city governments.

LaToi has notable experience in enforcing and/or advising clients on arbitration agreements, restrictive covenants and wage and hour compliance issues. LaToi routinely presents at seminars, focusing on labor and employment topics for a variety of professional organizations in Kentucky. She also provides training for managers, supervisors and general workforce and provides compliance counseling.

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Evans Petree PC

The attorneys in the labor and employment group have extensive experience in representing clients in all types of employmentrelated disputes. We advise both organizations and individuals in understanding their rights under evolving federal, state, and local employment laws. Evans Petree PC was founded over 100 years ago and is a full-service law firm composed of 42 attorneys. The firm represents a diverse local, national and international clientele. We offer counsel in a wide variety of practice areas including corporate, private equity/transactional, real estate, banking, construction, litigation, employment law, private client, tax planning, wills and estates, health care, family law and employee benefits.

Michael R. Marshall is the co-leader of the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group and uses his experience in other arenas to reach solutions and resolutions to his clients’ disputes. When no resolution is possible, Mike is a zealous advocate in the courtroom. He has extensive experience in litigating and resolving employment matters and other business-related disputes. He has received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2022 in the fields of Litigation-Labor and Employment and Employment Law-Management for the fifth year, and been selected to the Mid-South Super Lawyers list every year since 2015.

More than experience.

More than advocacy.

MORE THAN L AW.

W. Kerby Bowling serves as co-leader of the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group. He worked at Kellogg as a unionized laborer before campaigning against organized labor. He assists clients in remaining non-union and avoiding employment litigation. Mr. Bowling is AV rated by MartindaleHubbell and has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2022 for Administrative/ Regulatory Law and Labor Law-Management for the tenth year and as a Power Player in Employment Law from Inside Memphis Business for the seventh year. He is also on the Board of the National Foundation for Transplants.

Charles W. ‘Chip’ Cavagnaro, Jr. represents management in state and federal courts in all aspects of labor and employment law, as well as before numerous government agencies.

His clientele ranges from small companies to multinational corporations. By using his experience in the courtroom and before administrative agencies, he has been able to formulate policies and practices that address the challenges faced by employers through claims of discrimination or unfair treatment. He can effectively advise the firm’s clientele on reducing the risk of employment litigation. He was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2022 in the area of Labor and Employment Litigation for the seventh year.

L. Clayton Culpepper III serves as counsel for a number of businesses and aggressively advocates for his clients. He has litigated cases from Tennessee to California, in federal and state courts, in front of both juries and judges. Clay represents and counsels clients in both business/commercial litigation as well as significant personal injury. He has been selected to the Mid-South Super Lawyers list since 2013 and has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America since 2016. He is also a member of the 2012 Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Class.

E VA N S P E T R E E . C O M

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