Daniel P.Hart
Partner
Labor & Employment
dhart@seyfarth.com
Whether prosecuting a trade secrets lawsuit against a competitor or defending against a harassment lawsuit brought by a former employee, Dan is passionate about helping clients obtain long-term success by protecting their investment in people.
More About Dan
In the knowledge-based economy, people relationships are the lifeblood of any business. Dan advises clients on attracting and retaining top talent, prevents poaching by competitors, and represents clients in contentious employment litigation. He helps companies of all sizes navigate the challenges and opportunities that arise from their most important asset—their people.
Dan's practice spans employment and commercial litigation disputes involving employee trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and employee mobility and single-plaintiff or multiplaintiff lawsuits alleging workplace discrimination, harassment or other employment-related claims. With nearly 20 years of litigation experience, he has represented clients in numerous lawsuits and investigative matters alleging violations of state and federal employment laws—from individual EEOC charges and single-plaintiff lawsuits to class and collective actions brought by thousands of employees. In addition, Dan represents employers in restrictive covenant, trade secret misappropriation, and employee raiding cases throughout the US, including obtaining permanent injunctive relief on behalf of his clients against former employees and competitors.
Outside the courtroom, Dan provides day-to-day counseling and advice to employers about the laws affecting the employment relationship. He combines his experiences as a litigator and counselor to provide clients with practical solutions to employment challenges. Dan holds the firm's conviction that no two clients or cases are the same. He serves clients with approaches that best align with each client's culture, values, and long-term goals.
Dan is a frequent speaker and blogger on trade secrets and noncompete issues. He advises employers on developing strategies to protect their trade secrets, confidential information, and customer goodwill through the use of restrictive covenants and other practical measures. As part of this advice, Dan assists companies in implementing multistate restrictive covenant agreements and employee retention agreements for use with their employees throughout the US, where significant differences in the law from state to state create substantial hurdles to administering such agreements on a national basis.
Dan leverages Seyfarth's technology platform to help clients implement and manage their employment agreements. For example, Dan has partnered with the firm's internal IT developers to create multistate restrictive covenant templates that clients can easily adapt for use across jurisdictions and for use with a variety of employees, while ensuring compliance with ever-evolving state restrictive covenant laws.
Consistent with his people-focused practice, Dan is proud to work with his Seyfarth clients in a variety of industries and in all sizes of companies—from family-owned businesses that employ a handful of employees, to multinational corporations that employ hundreds of thousands of people throughout the globe. In addition, combining his passion for international business with his years of experience as an employment litigator and counselor, Dan advises foreign-based companies on the intricacies of US employment, trade secrets, and noncompete law.
Dan's practice spans employment and commercial litigation disputes involving employee trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and employee mobility and single-plaintiff or multiplaintiff lawsuits alleging workplace discrimination, harassment or other employment-related claims. With nearly 20 years of litigation experience, he has represented clients in numerous lawsuits and investigative matters alleging violations of state and federal employment laws—from individual EEOC charges and single-plaintiff lawsuits to class and collective actions brought by thousands of employees. In addition, Dan represents employers in restrictive covenant, trade secret misappropriation, and employee raiding cases throughout the US, including obtaining permanent injunctive relief on behalf of his clients against former employees and competitors.
Outside the courtroom, Dan provides day-to-day counseling and advice to employers about the laws affecting the employment relationship. He combines his experiences as a litigator and counselor to provide clients with practical solutions to employment challenges. Dan holds the firm's conviction that no two clients or cases are the same. He serves clients with approaches that best align with each client's culture, values, and long-term goals.
Dan is a frequent speaker and blogger on trade secrets and noncompete issues. He advises employers on developing strategies to protect their trade secrets, confidential information, and customer goodwill through the use of restrictive covenants and other practical measures. As part of this advice, Dan assists companies in implementing multistate restrictive covenant agreements and employee retention agreements for use with their employees throughout the US, where significant differences in the law from state to state create substantial hurdles to administering such agreements on a national basis.
Dan leverages Seyfarth's technology platform to help clients implement and manage their employment agreements. For example, Dan has partnered with the firm's internal IT developers to create multistate restrictive covenant templates that clients can easily adapt for use across jurisdictions and for use with a variety of employees, while ensuring compliance with ever-evolving state restrictive covenant laws.
Consistent with his people-focused practice, Dan is proud to work with his Seyfarth clients in a variety of industries and in all sizes of companies—from family-owned businesses that employ a handful of employees, to multinational corporations that employ hundreds of thousands of people throughout the globe. In addition, combining his passion for international business with his years of experience as an employment litigator and counselor, Dan advises foreign-based companies on the intricacies of US employment, trade secrets, and noncompete law.
- JD, University of Georgia School of Law
Magna cum laude
Georgia Law Review, Senior Managing Editor - BA, Presbyterian College
Summa cum laude
- Georgia
- US Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- US District Court, Northern District of Florida
- US District Court, Middle District of Georgia
- US District Court, Northern District of Georgia
- US District Court, Southern District of Georgia
- US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- US District Court, District of New Mexico
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- Georgia Superior Courts
Related Services
Related Key Industries
Blogs
Trade Secret and Restrictive Covenant Cases
- Obtained preliminary injunction on behalf of a drug testing laboratory in litigation against a competitor and departing sales employees in the US District Court for the District of Oregon, affirmed on appeal by the Ninth Circuit.
- Obtained temporary restraining order, finding of contempt and permanent injunction and entered into subsequent global settlement in litigation in the US District Court for the District of Arizona on behalf of sustainable technologies company against former executive.
- Obtained consent judgment on behalf of a restoration/disaster mitigation company in restrictive covenants/trade secrets litigation in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia against former employees/competitors.
- Obtained temporary restraining order and consent judgment on behalf of a financial services company in restrictive covenants/trade secret litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against former sales employees.
- Obtained preliminary injunction and consent judgment on behalf of a security services company in restrictive covenants litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama against former employee/competitor.
- Obtained temporary injunction and consent judgment on behalf of an e-learning company in restrictive covenant litigation in the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, Florida against a competitor and former sales employee.
- Obtained TRO and consent judgment on behalf of a staffing company in restrictive covenant litigation in the Superior Court of Cobb County, Georgia against a competitor and former company president.
- Obtained consent preliminary injunction and final judgment on behalf of a staffing company in restrictive covenant litigation in the US District Court for the District of New Mexico against a start-up competitor and former employees.
- Obtained consent permanent injunctive relief on behalf of a real estate management company in restrictive covenant litigation in Salt Lake City, Utah against a minority-interest owner/former executive.
- Obtained a reported opinion by the Georgia Court of Appeals upholding a client’s non-recruit covenant, reversing an adverse trial court decision, and settling an unresolved issue of Georgia law in restrictive covenant litigation on behalf of a marketing company.
Employment Discrimination Cases
- Obtained summary judgment for retailer in litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama involving claims of sex discrimination and retaliation under Title VII.
- Obtained summary judgment for an eye care company in litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama involving claims of race discrimination, sex discrimination and retaliation under Title VII and Section 1981, FMLA claims, and numerous state law tort claims; summary judgment affirmed on appeal by US Court of Appeals for Eleventh Circuit.
- Obtained summary judgment for a poultry processing company in litigation in the US District Court for the Middle District of Georgia involving claim of “reverse” race discrimination under Title VII and Section 1981.
- Obtained summary judgment for a defense contractor in litigation in the US District Court for the District of South Carolina involving claims of sex, age, and disability discrimination under Title VII, ADEA, and ADA.
- Obtained summary judgment for the operator of a senior care home in litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida involving claims of gender identity discrimination and harassment under Title VII.
- Represented a large brewing company in an appeal brought by a former employee who alleged Title VII race discrimination; the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the employer.
- Represented a Fortune 500 insurance company in an appeal brought by a former employee who alleged retaliation under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981; the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment to the employer.
- Obtained summary judgment for a railroad company in a lawsuit brought in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida by an applicant for employment who alleged disability discrimination and breach of contract.
- Obtained summary judgment for a railroad company in a lawsuit brought in US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama by a demoted manager who alleged age discrimination and retaliation.
- Obtained summary judgment for a municipality in a lawsuit brought in the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia by a former police office who alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent retention and supervision arising from alleged co-worker harassment.
- Obtained arbitration award enforced by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in multi-day arbitration proceedings in Nashville, Tennessee on discrimination, retaliation, and state law tort claims brought against technology company by former employee.
Wage-and-Hour Cases
- Obtained denial of conditional certification in FLSA litigation in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin against a defense contractor.
- Represented a Fortune 100 telecommunications company in three Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions throughout the US brought by call center employees, obtaining favorable settlements in two cases and a denial of conditional collective action certification in a third case.
Related News & Insights
-
Blog Post
Mar 1, 2024
Webinar Recap! Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility
-
Webinar Recording
Feb 20, 2024
Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility
-
Blog Post
Jan 22, 2024
Upcoming Webinar! Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility
-
Legal Update
Dec 19, 2023
2023 Trade Secrets Webinar Series Recap: Key Takeaways and Access to Recordings
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2020-2024)
- Recognized by The Legal 500 (Legalese Ltd.) as a Recommended Attorney for Intellectual Property - Trade Secrets (2017-2019, 2023)
- Listed in Georgia Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) "Rising Stars" for Employment Litigation (2012-2017)
- State Bar of Georgia
- Atlanta Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section board of directors, 2012-2016
- International Technology Law Association
- Co-Author, "2022 Trade Secrets Webinar Series: Takeaways & Recordings," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 29, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Is It Time to Reconsider Your Non-Compete Policy? It Might Be If You Employ Low-Wage Workers," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (October 17, 2019)
- Co-Author, "Supreme Court Issues Decision Significantly Expanding the Scope of FOIA’s Confidentiality Exemption," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (July 2, 2019)
- Co-Author, "Top 10 Developments/Headlines in Trade Secret, Computer Fraud, and Non-Compete Law in 2014," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 15, 2015)
- Co-Author, "2014 Trade Secrets Webinar Series Year in Review," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 17, 2014)
- Contributor, “Employee Mobility, Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets,” ABA Committee on Business and Corporate Litigation Annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation (2014)
- “Defending FLSA Collective Actions – The Motion for Conditional Certification,” Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation (Law Journal Press 2012) (with Barry J. Miller and Brian Murphy)
- “Protecting Trade Secrets and Confidential Information In Georgia,” Mercer Law Review (June 17, 2009)
- Co-Presenter, "Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 20, 2024)
- Co-Presenter, "2023 Trade Secrets Webinar Series Recap: Key Takeaways and Access to Recordings," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 19, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "What Employers Need to Know Regarding Non-Compete Changes in 2023," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 29, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "What Keeps You Up At Night In Employment Law?," Vistage International, Atlanta, GA (June 8, 2023)
- Panelist, "Retaining and Caring for Tech Lawyer Talent," ITech Law 2023 World Technology Law Conference, Toronto, ON Canada, (May 25, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "Policy Matters Podcast - Episode 33: FTC’s Crackdown on Non-Competes Through Agency Rulemaking Part 2," Podcast, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 10, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "Policy Matters Podcast - Episode 33: FTC’s Crackdown on Non-Competes Through Agency Rulemaking Part 1," Podcast, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 7, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "FTC Proposes Rule Banning Use of Non-Competes. Now What?," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 12, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "Overview of Non-Compete Legislation and Enforcement Issues from 2022," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 21, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "Protecting Trade Secrets and Enforcing Restrictive Covenants Internationally," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (March 17, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "The Connection Between Wage and Hour & Restrictive Covenant Law," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 25, 2021)
- Guest Lecturer, "Employment Law," Webinar, Florida State University College of Law (March 1, 2020)
- Panelist, "Cybersecurity," 2019 ITechLaw European Conference, Dublin, Ireland (October 31, 2019)
- “Best Practices for Drafting Employment and Confidentiality Agreements in Multiple Jurisdictions,” AIPLA Annual Meeting (Washington, DC October 24, 2019)
- "Protecting Trade Secrets Abroad and Enforcing Rights Abroad and in the U.S.," Webinar, presented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP (September 24, 2018)
- "Trade Secret Audits: You can’t protect what you don’t know you have," Webinar, presented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 16, 2016)
- "New Year, New Progress: 2016 Update on Defend Trade Secrets Act & EU Directive," Webinar, presented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP (March 29, 2016)
- "Trade Secrets Protection in the US, EU, and Other Countries," 2015 ITech European Conference, London, UK (November 5, 2015)
- “Legal Challenges for UK Companies with US Employees,” British-American Business Council of Georgia Knowledge Share Forum in Atlanta, GA (October 6, 2015)
- “Employment Law Hot Topics in 2015 and Beyond,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Georgia Chapter in Atlanta, GA (September 8, 2015) (with Stuart Newman, Bob Stevens, and Louisa Johnson)
- “International Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Law Update,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP (webinar April 14, 2015) (with Ming Henderson and Wan Li)
- “2014 National Year in Review: What You Need to Know About the Recent Cases/Developments in Trade Secrets, Non-Compete and Computer Fraud Law,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP (webinar January 27, 2015) (with Michael D. Wexler and Robert B. Milligan)
- “The Ethics of In-House Lawyer and Outside Lawyer Mobility: How Lawyers, Law Firms and Companies Should Manage the Trade Secrets Minefield,” 2014 AIPLA Trade Secrets Law Summit (Santa Clara, CA December 4, 2014) (with Erik Weibust and Eva Almirantearena)
- “Protecting Trade Secrets: The Current Landscape, Top Threats, Best Practices for Assessing and Protecting Trade Secrets, Proposed Legislation and Future Scenarios,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Atlanta, GA October 7, 2014) (with Robert B. Milligan, Pamela Passman and George W. Prokop)
- “International Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Law Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA July 31, 2014) (with Ming Henderson, Wan Li and Justine Turnbull)
- ““Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Legislative Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA June 17, 2014) (with Katherine E. Perrelli and Dawn Mertineit)
- “Highlights of Proposed European Commission Directive for Trade Secrets Protection,” ITechLaw 2014 World Technology Law Conference & Annual Meeting, Intellectual Property Committee Meeting (New York, NY May 14, 2014)
- “Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Legislative Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA June 25, 2013) (with Bob Stevens and Erik Weibust)
- “Protecting Trade Secrets and Confidential Information in the Digital Age, Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA Oct. 18, 2012) (with Benjamin D. Briggs)
- “How to Keep Secrets: Non-Disclosure Agreements,” Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA April 17, 2013)
- “Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Legislative Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA Sept. 20, 2012) (with Bob Stevens and Erik Weibust)
- Georgia Council for International Visitors, board of directors, 2014-2020
- St. Thomas More Society (board of trustees, 2014-present; immediate past president)
- Catholic Charities of Atlanta Leadership Class, 2018-2019
Whether prosecuting a trade secrets lawsuit against a competitor or defending against a harassment lawsuit brought by a former employee, Dan is passionate about helping clients obtain long-term success by protecting their investment in people.
More About Dan
In the knowledge-based economy, people relationships are the lifeblood of any business. Dan advises clients on attracting and retaining top talent, prevents poaching by competitors, and represents clients in contentious employment litigation. He helps companies of all sizes navigate the challenges and opportunities that arise from their most important asset—their people.
Dan's practice spans employment and commercial litigation disputes involving employee trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and employee mobility and single-plaintiff or multiplaintiff lawsuits alleging workplace discrimination, harassment or other employment-related claims. With nearly 20 years of litigation experience, he has represented clients in numerous lawsuits and investigative matters alleging violations of state and federal employment laws—from individual EEOC charges and single-plaintiff lawsuits to class and collective actions brought by thousands of employees. In addition, Dan represents employers in restrictive covenant, trade secret misappropriation, and employee raiding cases throughout the US, including obtaining permanent injunctive relief on behalf of his clients against former employees and competitors.
Outside the courtroom, Dan provides day-to-day counseling and advice to employers about the laws affecting the employment relationship. He combines his experiences as a litigator and counselor to provide clients with practical solutions to employment challenges. Dan holds the firm's conviction that no two clients or cases are the same. He serves clients with approaches that best align with each client's culture, values, and long-term goals.
Dan is a frequent speaker and blogger on trade secrets and noncompete issues. He advises employers on developing strategies to protect their trade secrets, confidential information, and customer goodwill through the use of restrictive covenants and other practical measures. As part of this advice, Dan assists companies in implementing multistate restrictive covenant agreements and employee retention agreements for use with their employees throughout the US, where significant differences in the law from state to state create substantial hurdles to administering such agreements on a national basis.
Dan leverages Seyfarth's technology platform to help clients implement and manage their employment agreements. For example, Dan has partnered with the firm's internal IT developers to create multistate restrictive covenant templates that clients can easily adapt for use across jurisdictions and for use with a variety of employees, while ensuring compliance with ever-evolving state restrictive covenant laws.
Consistent with his people-focused practice, Dan is proud to work with his Seyfarth clients in a variety of industries and in all sizes of companies—from family-owned businesses that employ a handful of employees, to multinational corporations that employ hundreds of thousands of people throughout the globe. In addition, combining his passion for international business with his years of experience as an employment litigator and counselor, Dan advises foreign-based companies on the intricacies of US employment, trade secrets, and noncompete law.
Dan's practice spans employment and commercial litigation disputes involving employee trade secrets, restrictive covenants, and employee mobility and single-plaintiff or multiplaintiff lawsuits alleging workplace discrimination, harassment or other employment-related claims. With nearly 20 years of litigation experience, he has represented clients in numerous lawsuits and investigative matters alleging violations of state and federal employment laws—from individual EEOC charges and single-plaintiff lawsuits to class and collective actions brought by thousands of employees. In addition, Dan represents employers in restrictive covenant, trade secret misappropriation, and employee raiding cases throughout the US, including obtaining permanent injunctive relief on behalf of his clients against former employees and competitors.
Outside the courtroom, Dan provides day-to-day counseling and advice to employers about the laws affecting the employment relationship. He combines his experiences as a litigator and counselor to provide clients with practical solutions to employment challenges. Dan holds the firm's conviction that no two clients or cases are the same. He serves clients with approaches that best align with each client's culture, values, and long-term goals.
Dan is a frequent speaker and blogger on trade secrets and noncompete issues. He advises employers on developing strategies to protect their trade secrets, confidential information, and customer goodwill through the use of restrictive covenants and other practical measures. As part of this advice, Dan assists companies in implementing multistate restrictive covenant agreements and employee retention agreements for use with their employees throughout the US, where significant differences in the law from state to state create substantial hurdles to administering such agreements on a national basis.
Dan leverages Seyfarth's technology platform to help clients implement and manage their employment agreements. For example, Dan has partnered with the firm's internal IT developers to create multistate restrictive covenant templates that clients can easily adapt for use across jurisdictions and for use with a variety of employees, while ensuring compliance with ever-evolving state restrictive covenant laws.
Consistent with his people-focused practice, Dan is proud to work with his Seyfarth clients in a variety of industries and in all sizes of companies—from family-owned businesses that employ a handful of employees, to multinational corporations that employ hundreds of thousands of people throughout the globe. In addition, combining his passion for international business with his years of experience as an employment litigator and counselor, Dan advises foreign-based companies on the intricacies of US employment, trade secrets, and noncompete law.
- JD, University of Georgia School of Law
Magna cum laude
Georgia Law Review, Senior Managing Editor - BA, Presbyterian College
Summa cum laude
- Georgia
- US Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- US District Court, Northern District of Florida
- US District Court, Middle District of Georgia
- US District Court, Northern District of Georgia
- US District Court, Southern District of Georgia
- US District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- US District Court, District of New Mexico
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- Georgia Superior Courts
Related Services
Related Key Industries
Blogs
Trade Secret and Restrictive Covenant Cases
- Obtained preliminary injunction on behalf of a drug testing laboratory in litigation against a competitor and departing sales employees in the US District Court for the District of Oregon, affirmed on appeal by the Ninth Circuit.
- Obtained temporary restraining order, finding of contempt and permanent injunction and entered into subsequent global settlement in litigation in the US District Court for the District of Arizona on behalf of sustainable technologies company against former executive.
- Obtained consent judgment on behalf of a restoration/disaster mitigation company in restrictive covenants/trade secrets litigation in the Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia against former employees/competitors.
- Obtained temporary restraining order and consent judgment on behalf of a financial services company in restrictive covenants/trade secret litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia against former sales employees.
- Obtained preliminary injunction and consent judgment on behalf of a security services company in restrictive covenants litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama against former employee/competitor.
- Obtained temporary injunction and consent judgment on behalf of an e-learning company in restrictive covenant litigation in the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, Florida against a competitor and former sales employee.
- Obtained TRO and consent judgment on behalf of a staffing company in restrictive covenant litigation in the Superior Court of Cobb County, Georgia against a competitor and former company president.
- Obtained consent preliminary injunction and final judgment on behalf of a staffing company in restrictive covenant litigation in the US District Court for the District of New Mexico against a start-up competitor and former employees.
- Obtained consent permanent injunctive relief on behalf of a real estate management company in restrictive covenant litigation in Salt Lake City, Utah against a minority-interest owner/former executive.
- Obtained a reported opinion by the Georgia Court of Appeals upholding a client’s non-recruit covenant, reversing an adverse trial court decision, and settling an unresolved issue of Georgia law in restrictive covenant litigation on behalf of a marketing company.
Employment Discrimination Cases
- Obtained summary judgment for retailer in litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama involving claims of sex discrimination and retaliation under Title VII.
- Obtained summary judgment for an eye care company in litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama involving claims of race discrimination, sex discrimination and retaliation under Title VII and Section 1981, FMLA claims, and numerous state law tort claims; summary judgment affirmed on appeal by US Court of Appeals for Eleventh Circuit.
- Obtained summary judgment for a poultry processing company in litigation in the US District Court for the Middle District of Georgia involving claim of “reverse” race discrimination under Title VII and Section 1981.
- Obtained summary judgment for a defense contractor in litigation in the US District Court for the District of South Carolina involving claims of sex, age, and disability discrimination under Title VII, ADEA, and ADA.
- Obtained summary judgment for the operator of a senior care home in litigation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida involving claims of gender identity discrimination and harassment under Title VII.
- Represented a large brewing company in an appeal brought by a former employee who alleged Title VII race discrimination; the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for the employer.
- Represented a Fortune 500 insurance company in an appeal brought by a former employee who alleged retaliation under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981; the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment to the employer.
- Obtained summary judgment for a railroad company in a lawsuit brought in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida by an applicant for employment who alleged disability discrimination and breach of contract.
- Obtained summary judgment for a railroad company in a lawsuit brought in US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama by a demoted manager who alleged age discrimination and retaliation.
- Obtained summary judgment for a municipality in a lawsuit brought in the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia by a former police office who alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent retention and supervision arising from alleged co-worker harassment.
- Obtained arbitration award enforced by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in multi-day arbitration proceedings in Nashville, Tennessee on discrimination, retaliation, and state law tort claims brought against technology company by former employee.
Wage-and-Hour Cases
- Obtained denial of conditional certification in FLSA litigation in the US District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin against a defense contractor.
- Represented a Fortune 100 telecommunications company in three Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions throughout the US brought by call center employees, obtaining favorable settlements in two cases and a denial of conditional collective action certification in a third case.
Related News & Insights
-
Blog Post
Mar 1, 2024
Webinar Recap! Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility
-
Webinar Recording
Feb 20, 2024
Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility
-
Blog Post
Jan 22, 2024
Upcoming Webinar! Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility
-
Legal Update
Dec 19, 2023
2023 Trade Secrets Webinar Series Recap: Key Takeaways and Access to Recordings
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2020-2024)
- Recognized by The Legal 500 (Legalese Ltd.) as a Recommended Attorney for Intellectual Property - Trade Secrets (2017-2019, 2023)
- Listed in Georgia Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) "Rising Stars" for Employment Litigation (2012-2017)
- State Bar of Georgia
- Atlanta Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section board of directors, 2012-2016
- International Technology Law Association
- Co-Author, "2022 Trade Secrets Webinar Series: Takeaways & Recordings," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 29, 2022)
- Co-Author, "Is It Time to Reconsider Your Non-Compete Policy? It Might Be If You Employ Low-Wage Workers," Legal Update, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (October 17, 2019)
- Co-Author, "Supreme Court Issues Decision Significantly Expanding the Scope of FOIA’s Confidentiality Exemption," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (July 2, 2019)
- Co-Author, "Top 10 Developments/Headlines in Trade Secret, Computer Fraud, and Non-Compete Law in 2014," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 15, 2015)
- Co-Author, "2014 Trade Secrets Webinar Series Year in Review," Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 17, 2014)
- Contributor, “Employee Mobility, Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets,” ABA Committee on Business and Corporate Litigation Annual Review of Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation (2014)
- “Defending FLSA Collective Actions – The Motion for Conditional Certification,” Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation (Law Journal Press 2012) (with Barry J. Miller and Brian Murphy)
- “Protecting Trade Secrets and Confidential Information In Georgia,” Mercer Law Review (June 17, 2009)
- Co-Presenter, "Navigating the Intersection of Non-Compete Agreements and Employee Mobility," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 20, 2024)
- Co-Presenter, "2023 Trade Secrets Webinar Series Recap: Key Takeaways and Access to Recordings," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 19, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "What Employers Need to Know Regarding Non-Compete Changes in 2023," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 29, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "What Keeps You Up At Night In Employment Law?," Vistage International, Atlanta, GA (June 8, 2023)
- Panelist, "Retaining and Caring for Tech Lawyer Talent," ITech Law 2023 World Technology Law Conference, Toronto, ON Canada, (May 25, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "Policy Matters Podcast - Episode 33: FTC’s Crackdown on Non-Competes Through Agency Rulemaking Part 2," Podcast, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 10, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "Policy Matters Podcast - Episode 33: FTC’s Crackdown on Non-Competes Through Agency Rulemaking Part 1," Podcast, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (February 7, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "FTC Proposes Rule Banning Use of Non-Competes. Now What?," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 12, 2023)
- Co-Presenter, "Overview of Non-Compete Legislation and Enforcement Issues from 2022," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 21, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "Protecting Trade Secrets and Enforcing Restrictive Covenants Internationally," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (March 17, 2022)
- Co-Presenter, "The Connection Between Wage and Hour & Restrictive Covenant Law," Webinar, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (May 25, 2021)
- Guest Lecturer, "Employment Law," Webinar, Florida State University College of Law (March 1, 2020)
- Panelist, "Cybersecurity," 2019 ITechLaw European Conference, Dublin, Ireland (October 31, 2019)
- “Best Practices for Drafting Employment and Confidentiality Agreements in Multiple Jurisdictions,” AIPLA Annual Meeting (Washington, DC October 24, 2019)
- "Protecting Trade Secrets Abroad and Enforcing Rights Abroad and in the U.S.," Webinar, presented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP (September 24, 2018)
- "Trade Secret Audits: You can’t protect what you don’t know you have," Webinar, presented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP (November 16, 2016)
- "New Year, New Progress: 2016 Update on Defend Trade Secrets Act & EU Directive," Webinar, presented by Seyfarth Shaw LLP (March 29, 2016)
- "Trade Secrets Protection in the US, EU, and Other Countries," 2015 ITech European Conference, London, UK (November 5, 2015)
- “Legal Challenges for UK Companies with US Employees,” British-American Business Council of Georgia Knowledge Share Forum in Atlanta, GA (October 6, 2015)
- “Employment Law Hot Topics in 2015 and Beyond,” Association of Corporate Counsel, Georgia Chapter in Atlanta, GA (September 8, 2015) (with Stuart Newman, Bob Stevens, and Louisa Johnson)
- “International Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Law Update,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP (webinar April 14, 2015) (with Ming Henderson and Wan Li)
- “2014 National Year in Review: What You Need to Know About the Recent Cases/Developments in Trade Secrets, Non-Compete and Computer Fraud Law,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP (webinar January 27, 2015) (with Michael D. Wexler and Robert B. Milligan)
- “The Ethics of In-House Lawyer and Outside Lawyer Mobility: How Lawyers, Law Firms and Companies Should Manage the Trade Secrets Minefield,” 2014 AIPLA Trade Secrets Law Summit (Santa Clara, CA December 4, 2014) (with Erik Weibust and Eva Almirantearena)
- “Protecting Trade Secrets: The Current Landscape, Top Threats, Best Practices for Assessing and Protecting Trade Secrets, Proposed Legislation and Future Scenarios,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Atlanta, GA October 7, 2014) (with Robert B. Milligan, Pamela Passman and George W. Prokop)
- “International Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Law Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA July 31, 2014) (with Ming Henderson, Wan Li and Justine Turnbull)
- ““Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Legislative Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA June 17, 2014) (with Katherine E. Perrelli and Dawn Mertineit)
- “Highlights of Proposed European Commission Directive for Trade Secrets Protection,” ITechLaw 2014 World Technology Law Conference & Annual Meeting, Intellectual Property Committee Meeting (New York, NY May 14, 2014)
- “Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Legislative Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA June 25, 2013) (with Bob Stevens and Erik Weibust)
- “Protecting Trade Secrets and Confidential Information in the Digital Age, Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA Oct. 18, 2012) (with Benjamin D. Briggs)
- “How to Keep Secrets: Non-Disclosure Agreements,” Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (Atlanta, GA April 17, 2013)
- “Trade Secrets and Non-Compete Legislative Update,” Seyfarth Shaw, LLP (Atlanta, GA Sept. 20, 2012) (with Bob Stevens and Erik Weibust)
- Georgia Council for International Visitors, board of directors, 2014-2020
- St. Thomas More Society (board of trustees, 2014-present; immediate past president)
- Catholic Charities of Atlanta Leadership Class, 2018-2019