Employment Litigation
The Employment Law Service Group practices much like a “boutique firm” within Stites & Harbison. From workforce-reduction issues to dealing with the Family Medical Leave Act and everything in between, the Employment Law Service Group at Stites & Harbison focuses on providing clients with creative, competitive, and cost-effective employment law solutions. Our group’s diverse and experienced attorneys know that responsiveness in helping employers avoid immediate employment law problems is critical. Clients can count on a high level of service with a seamless team approach from our offices in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Georgia.
Our group is dedicated to providing employers with vigorous and zealous defense of all employee-driven lawsuits. Many of the group's attorneys have extensive first-chair trial experience before arbitrators, judges and juries in both employment matters and in business litigation, and are adept at developing and implementing first chair strategy.
The members of our group also understand when it is in the client's best interest to reach a settlement in order to prevent extensive litigation. We will not hesitate to recommend and facilitate as favorable resolution for the client as quickly as possible.
In addition to handling EEOC and state administrative charges, the group litigates complex civil suits involving a wide variety of federal and state discrimination claims, including cases alleging:
- Sex, age, race, religion, or national origin discrimination
- Sexual harassment
- ADA
- FMLA
- Wrongful discharge
- Wage and hour disputes
In litigation involving the breach of covenants-not-to-compete, confidentiality agreements, and nonsolicitation agreements, our seasoned litigators successfully prosecute and defend TROs and other injunctive-relief motions at both the state and federal levels.
Applying in-depth litigation knowledge to develop practical preventative-counseling solutions for clients is another strength of our group. We also provide materials to fit specific client needs for in-house training. Group members regularly draft and review employment documents including employee handbooks, employee contracts, and severance agreements.
Our attorneys are frequent speakers on a variety of employment law topics, and have authored numerous articles on employment law issues. The group also regularly sends out Client-Alerts via e-mail to ensure our clients receive up-to-date information in employment-law developments that could impact their businesses.
Several members of our group have also authored treatises on employment law and personnel practice published by the state Chamber of Commerce.
The Employment Law Service Group is always "on the job for you."
Stites & Harbison Continues Expansion in Atlanta – Lands Commercial Litigation Team of 12 from Copeland, Stair, Kingma & Lovell LLP
ATLANTA—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 12 attorneys from Copeland, Stair, Kingma & Lovell, LLP (CSKL), including named Partner Johannes S. Kingma, Managing Partner Shannon M. Sprinkle and General Counsel William D. Newcomb, have joined Stites & Harbison’s Atlanta office.
Sixth Circuit’s Briefing Schedule Seems to Ensure No Ruling on Stay Before First ETS Deadline
On November 16, 2021, the Sixth Circuit was chosen by lottery to hear the consolidated challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (“OSHA”) Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) mandating COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing for employers with 100 or more employees. On November 23, 2021, OSHA filed a motion for the Sixth Circuit to dissolve the stay that had been entered by the Fifth Circuit before the various challenges were consolidated. Later that same day, the Sixth Circuit entered an order setting a briefing schedule on the motion to dissolve the stay that seems to ensure that employers will not be subject to at least the first deadline originally set by the ETS.
Lauren Paxton Roberts Named as Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Litigation Counsel of America (LCA) has named Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Lauren Paxton Roberts as a Fellow.
Jeffrey Melcher Joins Stites & Harbison
ATLANTA—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce attorney Jeffrey W. Melcher has joined its Atlanta office as a Member (Partner). He will be based in Atlanta while also serving clients in Nashville, Tenn.
Rachel Dix Bishop Earns 2021 Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association Rising Star Award
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association (TDLA) has selected Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Rachel Dix Bishop as the recipient of the 2021 Rising Star award.
Stites & Harbison Welcomes Johnathan Burnley
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney Johnathan D. Burnley to the firm’s Nashville and Franklin, Tenn., offices. He joins the Business Litigation Service Group.
KPCA Annual Conference - 2021
The Campbell House, Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington office attorney Ashley Hopkins will be a speaker at the 2021 KPCA Annual Conference October 27-29, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Key Takeaways for Employers Under OSHA’s Updated COVID-19 Guidance as Delta Variant Spreads and Positive COVID Cases Increase
On August 13, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) updated its guidance for COVID-19 precautions in the workplace to match the CDC’s new guidance, issued on July 27, 2021.