2021 U.S. News
Best Lawyers
in Employment Law
OGLETREE DEAKINS
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest US 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, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies. www.ogletree.com
MEMPHIS W. CHRIS HARRISON, Shareholder, has represented and advised management for over twenty years. His practice includes all aspects of labor and employment law, including litigation, arbitrations, non-compete agreements, collective bargaining, union representation issues, grievances and labor arbitrations, unfair labor practices, employment discrimination, retaliation, AIR 21 and whistleblower claims, administrative law claims and airline regulatory matters. Prior to joining the firm, Chris served as in-house counsel at Pinnacle Airlines Corp., rising to become its Vice-President of Labor Relations and Associate General Counsel, where he oversaw all labor relations, employment and regulatory matters for three airlines and over 9,000 employees. Chris is also a Senior Editor of The Railway Labor Act by BNA books, the authoritative treatise on the RLA. TOM HENDERSON, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Memphis office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Henderson was listed in the Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. He has represented management in employment and labor relations matters for over 30 years. He has served as lead counsel in numerous jury trials in state and federal courts across the nation. KIMBERLY HODGES, a managing shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Memphis office, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Hodges was listed in the Employment Law - Management category. She is the managing shareholder of the Memphis office. Throughout her sixteen years as a litigator, Kim has amassed a wealth of employment and commercial litigation experience and defended corporate clients as first-chair counsel in state and federal courts across the United States. 30
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NASHVILLE TOM DAVIS, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Davis was listed in the Labor Law – Management category. Davis represents employers in all aspects of employment law matters with a primary focus on the area of traditional labor law. Davis advises clients on compliance with various aspects of the federal laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and state restrictive covenant laws. KEITH FRAZIER, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Frazier was listed in the Employment Law Management and Labor Law - Management categories. 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 in both state and federal courts, and he has experience trying collective actions in federal court before a jury and in an arbitration setting. JONATHAN HARRIS, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Harris was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment categories. He is the Managing Shareholder of the Nashville office. Harris represents management in a wide variety of employment-related matters. In addition to defending single-plaintiff lawsuits, Harris also represents employers in class and collective actions. He has handled countless EEOC charges and defended employers in lawsuits brought by the EEOC. JOHN HARRISON, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Harrison was listed in the Employment Law - Management category. He is Board certified as a labor and employment law specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His practice is devoted exclusively to the representation of employers in matters of personnel policies and practices, labor and employment litigation, wage-hour compliance and other workplace issues.
TIMOTHY PALMER, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Palmer was listed in the Employment Law - Management, Labor Law - Management, and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. Palmer is an experienced litigator specializing in both employment litigation and general civil litigation in state and federal courts. His practice focuses on the defense of employment litigation including discrimination claims, defense of personnel actions, and defense of employee benefit disputes. JENNIFER RUSIE, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Rusie was listed in the Litigation - Labor and Employment category. Rusie represents management in the area of labor and employment law with an emphasis on employment litigation, including cases involving Title VII, the ADAAA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, common law wrongful termination, and restrictive covenants. Additionally, approximately half of Rusie’s practice is devoted to Title III of the ADA - both architectural issues and website accessibility. WILLIAM RUTCHOW, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Rutchow was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. Rutchow currently concentrates his practice in three areas: Workplace Safety and Health, Unfair Competition/Trade Secrets, and Employment Litigation. He also has experience in commercial litigation, personal injury litigation, and NLRB proceedings. LIZ WASHKO, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Washko was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. Washko is co-chair of the firm’s Pay Equity practice group. Washko represents management in a wide variety of employment matters both at the agency level and in litigation, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, FMLA and FLSA cases. LUTHER WRIGHT, JR., of counsel in Ogletree Deakins’ Nashville office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Wright was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. He has significant experience in the areas of labor and employment law, corporate business litigation and complex litigation, including class action and collective action lawsuits. He typically represents management in all forms of employment discrimination litigation, including litigation based on federal anti-discrimination statutes, state statutes and common law, violence in the workplace, Fair Labor Standards Act claims and independent contractor disputes.
BIRMINGHAM GORDON BLAIR, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Blair was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. Blair devotes a substantial portion of his practice to general litigation, regularly representing colleges and universities, contractors, healthcare providers, manufacturers and retailers in personal injury, construction, tort, and contract litigation. However, the majority of Gordon’s practice is focused on the representation of employers in workplace-related matters, ranging from administrative proceedings to federal litigation.
BRIAN BOSTICK, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Bostick was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. He has considerable experience representing employers in employment-related litigation in both federal and state courts. He has defended employment lawsuits pending before each of the federal districts in Alabama, the Alabama Supreme Court, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
CARIN BURFORD, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Burford was listed in the Litigation - Labor and Employment category. Burford represents management in employment-related litigation concerning claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, unemployment compensation, wage and hour, and workers’ compensation. Ms. Burford also regularly provides training on issues such as employee discipline, harassment and workplace violence prevention, litigation avoidance, and workplace policies and procedures.
SCOTT KELLY, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Kelly was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. Kelly provides practical solutions for federal contractors and subcontractors across the United States to comply with the ever-changing affirmative action obligations imposed by doing business with the federal government. Kelly assists manufacturing, transportation, construction, food processing, hospitality, healthcare, and financial institutions with creative solutions for preparing, managing, and defending their affirmative action programs and related matters. www.HRProfessionalsMagazine.com
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JAMES PATTON, shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Patton was listed in the Employment Law - Management category. For 20 years, Patton has advised companies on a variety of workplace issues including preparing and enforcing non-competition agreements, dealing with complex employee leave issues, defending employment discrimination lawsuits, and providing advice on difficult workplace issues.
JAMES PENNINGTON, shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Pennington was listed in the Education Law, Employment Law - Management, and Labor Law - Management categories. 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.
DAVID WARREN, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Warren was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. Since 1993, Warren has represented employers in the employment and labor law field, with an emphasis on litigation prevention counseling and employment litigation defense. Warren has served as lead counsel in numerous bench and jury trials at the state and federal level and on state and federal appeals. He became a founding member of Ogletree Deakins’ Birmingham office in 1997.
ATLANTA CHRISTINA BROXTERMAN, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Broxterman was listed in the Employee Benefits/ERISA Law category. She practices exclusively in the area of employee benefits law. She represents clients in the areas of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans, ERISA compliance, COBRA administration, compliance with the privacy rule under HIPAA, and other federal laws relating to employee benefits matters.
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MEG CAMPBELL, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Campbell was listed in the Employment Law - Management, Litigation - Labor and Employment, and Qui Tam Law categories. An all-around labor and employment lawyer, she is particularly recognized for her expertise and experience in complex class and collective action litigation, whistleblower investigations and litigation including Sarbanes-Oxley and DoddFrank cases, appellate practice, and restrictive covenant law. Campbell has litigated single plaintiff, multiplaintiff, and class and collective action jury and non-jury cases in federal and state courts around the country.
PATRICK CLARK, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Clark was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. He concentrates his practice on advice and litigation in all areas of employment law. Although he has particular expertise in representing healthcare industry clients, his representative clients also include insurance, paper/building products and publishing companies. Clark’s representation of clients encompasses litigation in state and federal courts across the country.
CRAIG CLELAND, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Cleland was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. 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.
HOMER DEAKINS, Chairman Emeritus in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Deakins was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Labor Law – Management categories. Deakins has extensive experience in all aspects of labor relations law and has handled some of the largest and most highly publicized union elections in the United States on behalf of employers. Mr. Deakins also has extensive and varied experience in employment litigation, including jury trials in state and federal courts involving equal employment opportunity and employment-at-will cases.
TODD DUFFIELD, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Duffeld was listed in the Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment categories. His practice focuses on representing employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including counseling, labor-management relations, employment and restrictive covenant litigation. He is co-chair of the firm’s Airline and Railroad Practice Group.
GREG HARE, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Hare was listed in the Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment categories. Hare has been an employment lawyer at Ogletree his entire career, ever since 1991. He assists companies with human resources and employment-related litigation matters, including wrongful termination claims, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, employment contracts, trade secrets, and non-compete agreements. He also serves as managing shareholder of the firm’s Atlanta office.
KEVIN HISHTA, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Hishta was listed in the Labor Law Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories. He represents employers throughout the country in a wide variety of labor and employment law matters. Such representation involves employment-related litigation in federal and state courts, including class actions and franchise and independent contractor misclassification litigation.
ERIKA LEONARD, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Leonard was listed in the Employment Law - Management category. Leonard has successfully represented clients in nearly a dozen wage and hour class and collective actions, as well as numerous single-plaintiff employment discrimination cases, appellate litigation, and traditional labor matters. Leonard also advises clients on compliance with federal and state laws, prepares employee handbooks, conducts harassment, discrimination, and wage and hour investigations and training, and drafts employment agreements.
ROBERT SANDS, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Sands was listed in the Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management categories. Sands has spent his entire career at Ogletree representing the interests of management in all aspects of labor and employment law. Robert served for nearly a decade as the managing shareholder of the Atlanta office. Following this assignment, he has devoted all of his efforts to providing superior client service to firm clients.
WILLIAM (BILL) STEINHAUS, a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021. Steinhaus was listed in the Labor Law – Management category. For over 30 years, he has focused his practice solely on representing employers in the full spectrum of employment and labor matters. His in depth knowledge of the law and network within the legal community have resulted in requests for consultation from his peers and others to assist in identifying lawyers outside of his area of expertise and subject matter experts in various cases.
NATALIE N. TURNER, Shareholder’s practice primarily focuses on working with employers in three ways: providing proactive advice and training to employers on workplace policies and procedures to comply with employment related laws; conducting investigations, including at the C-Suite level; and litigating cases on behalf of employers; and working with local and national clients to implement policies and practices that comply with applicable local, state and federal law. Natalie regularly provides training to both rank and file employees and management regarding a wide range of employment related topics. Natalie is recognized by Best Lawyers® in the Litigation – Labor and Employment category for her work in this area.
AMIE WILLIS, Shareholder, has practiced law since 1996 and joined Ogletree in 2009. She has gained extensive experience in employment matters representing employers across the country in a wide variety of industries, including school districts and municipalities, manufacturing, hospitality, technology and health care. Since 2005, Amie has primarily represented large and small health care clients in New Mexico and Georgia. While Amie provides client counseling and training on a wide variety of topics, she also litigates civil cases on behalf of employers in state and federal courts, and before the New Mexico Human Rights Bureau.
LAUREN H. ZELDIN, Shareholder, practices primarily in the areas of employment discrimination and wage and hour litigation, including the representation of employers in connection with race, sex, age, national origin, religion, leaves of absence, and disability discrimination claims in federal and state courts and before various administrative agencies. Ms. Zeldin has experience representing employers in connection with Rule 23 class actions, FLSA collective actions, and EEOC pattern and practice litigation and systemic charges. Ms. Zeldin also represents employers and business in connection with public accommodations claims under various civil rights statutes, including claims for race discrimination.
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BASS, BERRY & SIMS
At Bass, Berry & Sims, positive human relationships and interactions drive business success. Our attorneys advise union and non-union companies as well as public, private and non-profit employers across a variety of industries, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small locally owned businesses, on labor and employment and employee benefits matters from a perspective that connects our clients’ dynamic human resources needs with affirmative strategies.
DAVIDSON FRENCH advises clients on labor and employment matters. His clients include a major university, a national retailer and multiple healthcare companies. Over the last five years, Davidson has assisted in responding to more than 100 EEOC claims for one client with 8,000+ employees, providing guidance and strategy for the successful resolution of each claim. Additionally, he served as lead counsel in a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action for a food service industry client, achieving a favorable settlement and helping the company address operational issues to prevent future claims similar in nature.
TIM GARRETT 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.
BOB HORTON, as chair of the firm’s 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.
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TIM MCCONNELL represents employers in employment claims and counsels companies on all manner of employment law issues and day-to-day management considerations. He has more than 20 years of experience representing and advising clients in the wide range of issues businesses face related to their workforce, including wage and hour compliance, disciplinary and termination decisions, paid leave, and workplace harassment and discrimination. Tim has a nationwide practice and handles cases filed in federal and state courts across the country, and he regularly defends clients in matters before the EEOC and related state agencies.
FRITZ RICHTER has more than 30 years of experience counseling clients on employee benefit plan design and administration, and compliance with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Employee Retirement Income Security Act. His clients span a wide range of industries, including healthcare, retail and hospitality. Fritz has helped clients navigate hundreds of audits; submitted numerous IRS, Department of Labor and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation filings; and crafted a wide variety of employee benefit plan documents – all focused on helping employers navigate complex government regulation.
DAVID THORNTON helps employers deliver retirement, health and welfare benefits to their executives and employees. With more than 30 years of experience, he has developed a diverse practice counseling hundreds of public and private employers and non-profit organizations in drafting, maintaining and administering retirement plans ranging from $1 million to several billion dollars in assets, including many in the $100 million to $500 million asset range. He has deep experience in ESOP transactions, successfully navigating the significant fiduciary duty considerations and tax code requirements involved with these transactions.
WIMBERLY LAWSON WRIGHT DAVES & JONES, PLLC The focus of our practice at Wimberly Lawson Wright Daves & Jones, PLLC is primarily on labor and employment law for management, together with general liability and workers’ compensation defense, for businesses and professionals, insurers, and governmental entities. We have offices throughout Tennessee, and serve clients both nationally and internationally. Our attorneys use a number of preventive and cost-effective methods to maximize employee benefit dollars as well as avoid costly legal problems. Our attorneys also sponsor and present a wide array of conferences and seminars every year, including our annual Labor Relations & Employment Law Update Conference. The Firm has been recognized for various coveted rating awards including: U.S. Top Ranked Law Firms by Fortune Magazine; Best Law Firms by U.S. News & World Report; and Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rated Award by Martindale-Hubbell. FREDRICK R. BAKER is a Member in the Cookeville, Tennessee office of the Firm. His practice includes an emphasis in workers’ compensation and employment discrimination, as well as ADA and FMLA compliance. Fred is the Editor of the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Handbook (M. Lee Smith Publishers) and is also Tennessee’s representative for the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. Fred has an AV Preeminent® Rating from MartindaleHubbell. He is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the field of Workers’ Compensation Law/Employers, and in Mid-South 2018 Super Lawyers in the area of Workers’ Compensation. He received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee. FREDRICK J. BISSINGER is Regional Managing Member of the Nashville, Tennessee office. His practice includes an emphasis in handling employment discrimination and wrongful discharge matters, ADA and FMLA compliance, and general liability matters. Fred has an AV Preeminent® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. He is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Employment Law/ Management and Litigation/Labor & Employment, and was named 2020 LAWYER OF THE YEAR by Best Lawyers for Litigation/Labor & Employment (Nashville). Since 2017 he has served as the Legislative Chair for the Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management. G. GERARD JABALEY is Regional Managing Member of the Knoxville, Tennessee office of the Firm. Gerard’s primary practice areas are defense oriented and encompass the areas of workers’ compensation, employment law, and human resources training. Gerard has an AV Preeminent® Rating - which is the highest possible rating given by Martindale-Hubbell, the leading independent attorney rating entity - and since 2016 he has also been listed in the Best Lawyers of America® in the area of Workers’ Compensation Law-Employers. Gerard is a member of the Employment Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, and a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
HOWARD B. JACKSON is a Member of the Knoxville, Tennessee office of the Firm. His practice includes substantial experience with labor law and employment litigation, and also includes training and counseling on a wide variety of employment law issues, as well as commercial litigation. He received his J.D. summa cum laude from Georgia State University, where he was Lead Articles Editor of the Law Review and First Honor Graduate. Howard has an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of Employment Law/Management and Litigation/ Labor & Employment. Howard is a member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee. JEFFREY G. JONES is the Firm Managing Member of Wimberly Lawson Wright Daves & Jones, PLLC. His practice includes an emphasis on commercial transactions, governmental law and creditors’ rights, as well as insurance defense. Jeff has an AV Preeminent® Rating from MartindaleHubbell, and is also listed in the Best Lawyers of America® in the area of Commercial Litigation. Jeff is currently the County Attorney for Putnam County, Tennessee, and a Director for the City of Cookeville Public Building Authority. In the community, Jeff is a past Director for the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Cookeville Rotary Club. T. JOSEPH LYNCH is a Member in the Knoxville office. His law practice includes an emphasis in general liability defense, labor and employment law, and workers' compensation defense. Joe received his B.A. in English, cum laude, from Carson-Newman College and his law degree from the University of Tennessee School of Law. He has an AV Preeminent® Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, and is also listed in the Best Lawyers of America® in the area of Workers’ Compensation Law/Employers. Joe is a member of the Knoxville and Tennessee Bar Associations, the Society of Human Resource Management, and the Tennessee Valley Human Resource Association. MARY CELESTE MOFFATT is a Member of the Morristown office of the Firm, which she joined in 1994. Her law practice includes labor and employment law (defense), commercial and business law, and general litigation. She received her law degree from Washington and Lee University. She has an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Litigation/Labor & Employment. Mary currently serves on the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners’ Investigatory Committee, and is an approved Rule 31 Listed General Civil Mediator by the Tennessee Supreme Court. JEROME D. PINN is a Member of the Knoxville, Tennessee office of the Firm, which he joined in 1996. His law practice includes an emphasis in employment discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation, as well as ADA and FMLA compliance, wage and hour law compliance, and affirmative action compliance. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and History from Cornell University, and his law degree from the University of Michigan. He has been admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of the State of Tennessee. Jerry is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Litigation/Labor & Employment. EDWARD H. TRENT is a Member of the Knoxville, Tennessee office of the Firm. His practice focuses primarily on labor and employment law matters, including litigation and appeals, as well as training and compliance. Ed also works with churches on child protection issues, employment law matters, and religious liberty issues. Ed has an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Employment Law/Management and Litigation/Labor & Employment. In 2016 Ed was named LAWYER OF THE YEAR by Best Lawyers for Employment Law/Management (Knoxville). Ed is also Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by The Florida Bar. www.HRProfessionalsMagazine.com
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LITTLER
Littler is the largest global employment and labor law practice, with more than 1,500 attorneys in 80 offices worldwide. Littler represents management in all aspects of employment and labor law and serves as a single-source solution provider to the global employer community. Consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, Littler has been litigating, mediating and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record for over 75 years. Littler Global is the collective trade name for an international legal practice, the practicing member entities of which are separate and distinct professional firms. For more information visit: www.littler.com.
ATLANTA R ICHARD BLACK is co-chair of Littler’s Class Action Practice Group and has represented employers in some of the largest and most significant class and collective action employment lawsuits in the country for nearly 25 years. Rich’s experience handling class and collective matters spans the wage and hour, employment discrimination, and ERISA breach of fiduciary duty areas across the retail, technology, financial services, computer services, communications, energy, pharmaceutical, construction, hospitality, travel, and transportation industries. Shareholder, LESLIE A. DENT 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.
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Shareholder, KURT PETERSON has successfully defended his clients in litigation against virtually every type of employment discrimination claim. His practice is national in scope, representing companies across the country in state and federal courts. He has successfully argued at the federal and state appellate levels on numerous occasions, including the 3rd, 6th and 11th circuits of the U.S. Courts of Appeal. Shareholder, CAMERON PIERCE focuses his practice on labor relations and a wide range of employment-related issues. With respect to labor relations, he regularly represents employers in matters before the NLRB, as well as in labor arbitrations and collective bargaining.
LISA “LEE” A. SCHRETER 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 wagerelated claims and specializes in helping employers to develop forward-thinking compliance measures that reduce wage and hour disputes and other employment-related issues.
Shareholder, DANIEL E. TURNER counsels and represents employers in all aspects of litigation in employment law issues, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, and leaves of absence. He has served as lead counsel in more than 50 class and collective actions throughout the country.
Shareholder, L. TRAYWICK DUFFIE 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.
BIRMINGHAM
Shareholder, OWEN HILL represents large and small employers in all types of employment-related litigation, specializing in complex employment litigation including multiple plaintiff, EEOC, and class action lawsuits. Owen has broad experience dealing with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, particularly in the context of class actions. He also practices before state and local labor and employment agencies.
Shareholder, 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.
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For more than 15 years, STACEY T. BRADFORD has represented a wide variety of employers throughout the Southeast, including those in the manufacturing, retail, healthcare and financial services industries, as well as medical facilities and staffing companies. She has handled a range of employment law matters before state and federal courts and administrative agencies nationwide. Shareholder, 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.
For more than 30 years, JAY D. ST. CLAIR has represented clients in employment and labor law matters including discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, labor management relations, wage and hour regulations, and occupational safety and health. He also is an adjunct professor at Cumberland School of Law, where he teaches Labor Law.
Shareholder, JENNIFER 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.
Shareholder, LATOI D. MAYO advises, counsels and defends employers in regard to labor and employment matters. She has successfully managed and 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 has notable experience in enforcing and/ or advising clients on arbitration agreements, restrictive covenants and wage and hour compliance issues.
MEMPHIS AMBER ISOM-THOMPSON is a member of the Littler CaseSmart® team based in Tennessee. She is responsible for the drafting of early case evaluations (ECE). She identifies and reviews pertinent documents, interviews relevant witnesses, and drafts ECE reports. In keeping with each client’s litigation philosophy, she partners with the local Littler litigation team and assists in developing and executing strategies for effectively handling litigation. Shareholder, JONATHAN E. KAPLAN has devoted his entire career to representing management clients exclusively in all areas of labor relations, employment law, and human resources management. His practice spans litigation, training, and consulting, in which he has handled matters in more than 40 states and Canada. Jonathan practices extensively before the NLRB across the country, and also has been admitted specially to practice before the state courts in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New York, and Ohio. Shareholder, PAUL E. PRATHER represents management exclusively in all areas of employment and labor relations, including state and federal employment litigation and in administrative proceedings before the NLRB, the EEOC and the DOL.
LEXINGTON JAY INMAN is a Shareholder in Littler Mendelson’s Kentucky office, where he provides solutions for employers of all sizes navigating today’s complex business world. Jay’s practice includes advice and counsel for employers making decisions about employment-related issues, policies, and procedures, and he also represents employers in administrative matters and litigation in state and federal courts, including trials and appeals. Jay serves as a go-to for clients and colleagues on drafting and enforcement of arbitration agreements, investigations in the workplace, and complex and appellate litigation.
emphis Office Managing Shareholder and Traditional M Labor Practice Group Co-Chair, TANJA L. THOMPSON dedicates her practice to representing companies in traditional labor law. National Fortune 500 companies as well as local employers across various industries, such as manufacturing and healthcare, seek her expertise in remaining union-free and in managing their union-represented workplaces. Union-free efforts include campaigns, comprehensive union vulnerability assessments, human relations audits, communication strategies, and positive employee relations training. www.HRProfessionalsMagazine.com
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CHARLOTTE harlotte Office Managing Shareholder, C STEPHEN D. DELLINGER is an accomplished litigator and advisor who provides counsel on intricate workplace issues involving a broad spectrum of federal and state statutory and common laws that affect not only employees, but a company’s business goals. His sophisticated guidance directs executives and managers toward legally compliant human relations actions and policies. ith a keen awareness of intercultural W dynamics in the workplace, CINDYANN THOMAS, Principal and CoChair of Littler’s EEO & Diversity Practice Group, adeptly navigates clients through multiple diversity and inclusion challenges and opportunities. She brings more than 20 years of experience and high-level credentials to her role as both a strategic process diversity consultant and an employment attorney. Company executives in a broad spectrum of industries, including government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, higher education and professional services, look to her for diversity and inclusion services and counsel that emphasize talent development, engagement, productivity and retention. S hareholder, J. RENÉ TOADVINE maintains a nationwide practice that focuses on representing management in all facets of employee benefits matters, including employee benefits tax issues, ERISA and benefits planning, executive compensation, employee benefits in mergers and acquisitions and bank finance and ERISA issues in securitizations. He also designs and drafts all types of employee benefits and executive compensation plans with adherence to compliance regulations. Shareholder, JERRY H. WALTERS, JR. represents employers and management in employ-ment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful discharge cases, among others. Jerry also has special expertise in defending wage and hour collective and class actions involving allegations of unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, unpaid missed or interrupted meal breaks, preliminary and postliminary unpaid time, misclassification of employees, and other FLSA and state wage and hour claims.
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NASHVILLE . CHRISTOPHER ANDERSON counsels J business clients on general employment matters and assists them with workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, employee handbooks, employment policies, and terminations. He also advises clients on compliance with state and federal employment law including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations. Chris is also an active trial lawyer. He defends businesses against employment claims and has handled wage and hour, discrimination, non-compete, and retaliatory discharge cases in both state and federal courts. He also assists clients with OFCCP audits and claims with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and comparable state agencies. Shareholder, MICHAEL S. MOSCHEL brings notable on-the-ground experience to his traditional labor work, with distinctive strength in the healthcare and federal contracting industries. He negotiates significant labor contracts and represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Department of Labor (DOL). He regularly advises clients regarding compliance with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and federal government contractor labor laws, regulations and executive orders, including obligations under the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) and the Davis-Bacon Act. As lead defense attorney in dozens of complex class action lawsuits, Nashville Office Managing Shareholder JEN ROBINSON has favorably resolved businesscritical litigation for her clients. Her insightful guidance, legal solutions and amicable demeanor have earned distinctive praise from clients and unexpected admiration from opposing counsel. Jen’s extensive legal experience includes numerous courtroom achievements on behalf of employers, as well as high-level investigations of supervisors, managers and C-suite employees. She works with a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, hospitality, retail, and healthcare. Shareholder, C. ERIC STEVENS provides his clients a common-sense approach to employment, representing employers in administrative investigations, employment litigation, and labor relations matters with a focus in the healthcare and financial institution industries. He represents both union and non-union employers in single-plaintiff and class-action claims under anti-discrimination laws, defense of whistleblower and retaliation claims, collective litigation involving federal and state wage and hour laws and contract negotiations.
RAINEY, KIZER, REVIERE & BELL, PLC
Legal Challenges are Coming at HR Professionals from Every Direction
The Firm provides its clients top-quality legal advice and representation in the areas of company policies and practices, discrimination claims, workers' compensation, and civil rights. The attorneys practicing in these areas have many years of experience in defending employers against claims of racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, ADA and FMLA violations, wage and hour violations, wrongful awards of unemployment compensation, retaliatory discharge, and workers' compensation. The members of the Firm’s Employment Law group also have extensive, specific experience in defending governmental entities against employment law claims and serving governmental entities’ unique employment law needs.
or over thirty years, ROBERT BINKLEY F has represented employers and individuals in employment, workers' compensation, insurance, and tort matters. He helps private and public employers in conducting investigations and litigation concerning compliance with Title VII, FMLA, ADEA, ADA, FLSA, THRA, and other state and federal employment related laws. He is a Rule 31 certified mediator and has served as the Firm’s personnel partner.
J OHN BURLESON has extensive experience in employment matters and has successfully defended public and private employers in state and federal courts. In addition to his extensive trial experience, he also regularly advises clients in regard to employment-related matters in the areas of compliance with Title VII, ADEA, ADA, the Tennessee Human Rights Act, and other state and federal laws. John’s litigation experience also makes him a sought-after mediator in employment law and civil rights cases.
That’s Why Rainey Kizer Makes Your Business Our Concern As the issues facing HR executives become more frequent, challenging, and complex each year, you need a law firm that provides advice invidualized for you specific needs. This is why you should know the employment law attorneys at Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell, PLC. For over 40 years, our AV-rated firm has advised businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies on all aspects of employment law. To learn more, please call.
Memphis
BRADFORD BOX regularly represents companies and carriers large and small. His practice focuses on matters throughout the Mid-South region. Brad is licensed to practice in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. He was distinguished as 2018 and 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” (Memphis Area) Insurance Law by Best Lawyers in America.®
Nashville
901.333.8101
615.613.0442
Jackson
Chattanooga
731.423.2414
423.756.3333
Tennessee does not certify specialists in the area of employment law.
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