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Best Lawyers in North Carolina, United States for Labor and Employment Law - Management
Employment Law Legal Guide 2025
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Joshua R. Adams is a principal in the Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He exclusively represents employers in a broad range of employment-related litigation in both federal and state courts, as well before administrative agencies. In addition to providing employers with advice and counsel, Josh focuses his litigation practice on collective/class action wage and hour litigation and complex, single-plaintiff wage disputes across the country. He regularly advises employers...
A Board-Certified Specialist in Immigration Law, Ms. Bradshaw was named in the 2004 Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” as the top employment attorney in North Carolina. She has been nationally recognized by inclusion in “The Best Lawyers in America” for both Immigration Law and Employment Law, and by "Chambers & Partners" and "Super Lawyers" as a leading immigration attorney. She has also been listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Amer...
Ken Carlson is a senior litigator who has successfully defended companies in virtually every aspect of employment law. He also has a strong practice in drafting employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, and noncompetition agreements, combined with a significant amount of work involving trade secret and noncompetition law. In addition to his litigation practice, Ken regularly advises employers on how to avoid problems before they occur, and helps companies protect their intellec...
Bill Cary works with a variety of public and private entities in the emerging area of Climate Resilience planning and strategies. His extensive litigation experience includes commercial and environmental disputes. Bill helps the Firm’s clients address the risks and opportunities that climate change and extreme weather bring. His recent work with U. S. Department of Defense and several NGOs working together to identify ways to strengthen the resilience of coastal DoD facilities has led t...
John D. Cole is a litigator with broad experience across the spectrum of employment law and labor law. For more than 20 years, John has represented employers of all sizes in cases throughout the eastern United States. He has handled numerous cases involving virtually all aspects of employment law before various federal courts, federal and state administrative agencies, and the state courts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. He has also handled employment arbitration cases before A...
Kevin Dalton is a partner in the firm’s Charlotte office. His practice focuses on counseling clients regarding employment issues and defending clients against claims alleging wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, and wage and hour violations. He has assisted companies in remaining non-union, including responding to unfair labor practice charges and advising employers during union representation campaigns. Before joining the firm, Kevin served as a Captain i...
M. Robin Davis is the office managing principal of both the Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, offices of Jackson Lewis P.C. Robin handles individual and multi-plaintiff litigation in state and federal courts, and before various state, federal and local agencies, as well as provides counseling and advice to employers of all sizes in various employment related matters including discrimination claims, harassment claims, wage and hour claims, unemployment claims, workplace violence claims, a...
Stephen D. Dellinger advises and represents employers and management in a broad range of employment law matters and labor issues. His practice focuses on employment-related litigation involving: Title VII The Americans with Disabilities Act The Family and Medical Leave Act The Age Discrimination in Employment Act Wage and hour issues Labor matters under the National Labor Relations Act He also handles wage and hour and discrimination class and collective actions and routinely appears before f...
Dawn serves as Young Moore’s Managing Partner and is the first woman to lead the firm since its inception in 1954. She also co-leads the Employment/Workers’ Compensation litigation team. An employment lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, Dawn advises and represents clients on matters involving workers’ compensation claims and other employment issues such as non-compete agreements, harassment and retaliation claims, ADA, FMLA and FSLA issues, employment agreement dra...
John Doyle is a partner in Constangy's Winston-Salem office where he specializes in labor and employment relations law with a practice limited to representation of management clients. Mr. Doyle has represented employers in all aspects of labor and employment law matters and is a frequent writer and lecturer on various labor and employment law subjects. He is also an experienced litigator, defending employers in federal and state courts throughout the U.S. and before numerous administrative ag...
Nicole Gardner practices employment law and represents a broad range of businesses and senior executives. She provides business advice and counsel, represents clients in litigation and acts as a mediator in state and federal employment cases. Nicole has been recognized for excellence by her peers, being consistently listed in Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite,” as well as “Super Lawyers,” and “The Best Lawyers in America.” Nicole advises and coun...
Tricia Goodson counsels clients on all aspects of the employer relationship. Her years of experience in providing guidance to employers and litigating on their behalf when necessary allows her to provide innovative, timely counsel to employers. Tricia counsels management clients on a variety of employment-related issues, including federal and state discrimination and harassment laws; wage and hour compliance; employment policies and handbooks; employment agreements; restructuring; severance p...
Kelly Hughes has spent her career advising and supporting employers across multiple industries and in various forums. Ms. Hughes assists executives and management at all levels in crafting employment policies and agreements that not only comply with federal, state, and local laws but also complement the unique needs of the particular client and promote its financial and business objectives. Ms. Hughes is a nationally recognized authority on workplace flexibility and guides clients in creating...
Mr. Joyner represents employers in a myriad of employment-related and complex commercial matters, including litigation involving, discrimination, wage and hour, wrongful discharge and other claims and matters in state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Mr. Joyner has extensive experience representing employers in wage and hour class action and collective action defense, particularly involving alleged tip credit violations in the restaurant industry and misclassification of exempt...
Mr. Keen 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, wo...
Beth Langley has over 25 years of experience counseling employers of all sizes in an assortment of employment law issues. She has represented businesses in employment litigation in matters involving civil rights, non-competition agreements, and trade secret protection. Beth provides advice and counsel to employers on a variety of employment law issues, including workplace employment compliance, executive compensation, trade secret protection, and employment agreements, including non-competiti...
Wood Lay's diverse practice focuses on representing and advising employers in matters involving the full range of labor and employment law issues with an emphasis on employment, ERISA, non-competition, and trade secret litigation. His significant litigation experience also includes the handling of complex business tort claims for a number of Fortune 500 companies. With over 30 years of experience, Wood focuses his practice on advising national employers on addressing the employment law challe...
Kathleen K. Lucchesi is a principal and the office litigation manager in the Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. For Kathi, the business of law is about people. Working first to find creative, business-oriented solutions, Kathi prioritizes developing effective policies and practices to keep employers out of the courtroom. But when the road to resolution leads to the courthouse, her extensive trial experience provides clients with the confidence that they’ll be well r...
With two decades of experience as a practicing attorney, Karin McGinnis, CIPP/US, is known as a true business partner when litigating and providing counsel to her clients. Well versed in employment, privacy, and general commercial litigation, Karin helps clients navigate a range of complex issues. In addition to employment and privacy matters, Karin has successfully litigated a wide range of matters, including lawsuits involving trade secret misappropriation, defamation, violations of noncomp...
Areas of Practice: Health Care , Labor & Employment , Litigation Michael Murchison has substantial experience handling civil litigation matters in federal and state courts. He regularly represents businesses, health care entities, financial institutions and others in a wide range of matters, including employment discrimination claims, breach of contract claims, non-compete disputes, and administrative proceedings. He regularly counsels businesses and health care entities with respect to l...
D.J. O’Brien represents employers and individuals in business litigation, employment law, and government enforcement actions. He has deep experience in all levels of federal and state appellate and trial courts in North Carolina, including the N.C. Business Court. D.J. concentrates a significant part of his practice in high-stakes actions under the False Claims Act. D.J. represents businesses in a variety of employment-related litigation cases, including class and collective actions and...
Will's practice experience encompasses various areas of employment and workplace-related counseling and civil litigation in both federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels. He regularly represents employers and employees before the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC),...
Chris Page, a shareholder at Young Moore and Henderson, is an experienced and successful trial lawyer, serving as lead trial counsel in numerous state and federal jury trials since he began his law career in 1992. Chris represents a broad array of commercial clients, but his practice centers primarily on complex business litigation, employment litigation, and trademark/ trade secret litigation. He also regularly represents clients in non-compete litigation. Chris is listed in North Carolina S...
A frequent speaker on litigation and arbitration issues and an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Paul Peralta brings extensive successful high-stakes trial experience to his varied litigation clients. Paul has handled wide-ranging employment and commercial litigation, including management representation in Title VII, ADEA, ADA and ERISA litigation, as well as proceedings before the EEOC and corresponding state and local agencies. Additionally, Paul has counseled an...
Clients rely on Amy Puckett for advice and counsel on a full range of employment issues, including compliance with federal and state employment laws and best practices for employee management. Having worked in house, Amy understands the business challenges facing employers and the importance of practical advice, risk management, and effective solutions. With over a decade of experience, Amy leverages her in house and outside counsel experience to partner with clients in a variety of industrie...
Bob is a trial lawyer who regularly represents management in labor/employment law and related matters. National employers rely on Bob to advise their employment practices and represent their interest throughout the country. He has defended hundreds of lawsuits, taken hundreds of depositions and successfully obtained many jury verdicts and arbitration awards.He often represents prominent employers and their executives in high-stakes disputes and advises clients facing scrutiny by the governmen...
Robin Shea has more than 20 years' experience in employment litigation, including Title VII and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (including the Amendments Act), the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act; and class and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage-hour laws; defense of audits by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs; and labor relations...
To his clients, Russ Sizemore is a problem solver. With a focus on employment law, Russ serves as an extended member of his clients’ human resources departments, providing legal counsel on a range of employment issues and litigating complex employment cases. A true partner, Russ invests the time to deeply understand his clients’ business models and corporate cultures. He appreciates that clients often face time-sensitive challenges and need an attorney they can turn to on short no...
Ann H. Smith is a Partner in the Raleigh/Durham office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Ms. Smith has practiced employment law since 1996 and has handled a wide variety of employment matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Ms. Smith has represented and advised Fortune 250 companies as well as governmental entities. Ms. Smith’s litigation experience includes general employment law disputes involving claims pursuant to the ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and Title VII. Ms. Smith has al...
Bryan Starrett has a unique background as a litigator, employment lawyer, and in-house generalist for a new public company. This combination of experience gives Bryan an invaluable perspective for understanding how a legal issue fits within clients’ business operations and goals, and how to provide thoughtful and practical counsel to clients. In his litigation practice, Bryan represents clients in all levels of state and federal courts in North Carolina, including the North Carolina Bus...
Mr. Strach is a trial lawyer who regularly represents management in labor/employment law and related matters. A significant area of Phil’s representation of employers and management includes advising clients on covenants not to compete and litigating claims involving restrictive covenants, trade secrets, and other business-related litigation. Phil also regularly defends management and employers in employment discrimination cases and counsels management on how to prevent or reduce the ri...
Jill S. Stricklin works with employers to prevent and resolve disputes regarding all aspects of the employment relationship. She has successfully defended civil lawsuits and administrative charges involving claims of employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and improper denial of leave and benefits, as well as wrongful discharge against public policy, intentional/negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision and retention, breach of contract, interference with c...
Jessi Thaller-Moran focuses her practice on employment law and litigation, which includes counseling employers on legal compliance and helping them proactively identify, prepare for and respond to issues involving personnel management. Jessi guides employers on appropriate responses to a rapidly-changing workplace. Over the last few years, this has included counseling through the rapid transitions required by the COVID-19 pandemic and responding to increasingly localized laws on everything fr...
Travis Vance is dedicated to responsive client service and forming a partnership with companies to help tackle their most difficult and high-profile issues. Having gained a reputation as a professional and aggressive advocate for his clients, Travis has emerged as a thought leader in the field of workplace safety. His writing and interviews are followed closely by experts in the safety arena and have been featured in premiere publications such as Inc., Bloomberg Law, Business Insurance, The W...
Devon is one of the firm's Managing Directors. Her practice encompasses a wide range of labor and employment issues, including wage and hour matters, federal contractor compliance, employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, employee discipline and termination decisions, personnel policies and practices, restrictive covenants, and background checks. Devon regularly counsels HR executives and C-suite officers, navigating them through the many state and federal requirements f...
Jill Wilson represents numerous public school boards of education, private educational institutions, and colleges and universities on a multitude of education issues and in litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts. She has advised and/or litigated on all aspects of education. She frequently assists public and private boards in investigating and resolving issues when independent counsel is advisable. Jill represents numerous public school boards of education, private educatio...
John Zaloom brings more than 20 years of experience to his employment and litigation clients. He advises clients on day-to-day employment issues and assists them when litigation is necessary. John also litigates complex and high stakes business disputes, intellectual property disputes, First Amendment litigation, and healthcare credentialing issues. John’s employment litigation experience includes disputes involving restrictive covenants, trade secrets, discrimination claims, Fair Labor...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.