Labor and Employment

Employment and labor laws have become extremely complicated, with many provisions overlapping to create a legal minefield for businesses and employees alike. It is critical for all concerned to know their legal rights, as management strives to grow their companies and to attract and maintain the best and brightest workforce possible.

Preventative Advice and Counsel

We advise both organizations and individuals in understanding their rights under evolving federal, state and local employment laws. We conduct employee and management training and counseling programs and perform equal employment opportunity and wage and hour compliance audits to ensure that our employer clients are following best practices with their workforce. We help clients who are involved in internal investigations of workplace harassment and other complaints of workplace misconduct. We assist in the creation and interpretation of employee benefit plans, severance programs and related agreements, employee manuals and policies, substance abuse plans and policies, leaves of absence programs, and alternative dispute resolution programs. We also provide updates on important developments in employment law and related topics.

Litigation

Evans | Petree PC has extensive experience in representing clients in all types of employment-related disputes before alternative dispute resolution panels, administrative agencies, and state and federal courts, including breach of contract claims, workplace discrimination or harassment claims, labor and employment issues arising in business transactions, claims involving unfair competition, non-compete and other restrictive covenants, and matters involving fiduciary duties, to name just a few. Evans | Petree PC is prepared to vigorously defend and enforce the rights of our clients. Evans | Petree PC stands ready to represent our clients in court, arbitration and mediation proceedings, or before administrative agencies when the need arises.

Practice Areas

• Management Training
• Employee Training
• Employee Benefits
• Executive Compensation and Benefits
• Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
• Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)
• Pension and Profit Sharing Plans
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Workplace Discrimination (Title VII)
      o Sex Harassment
      o Gender Discrimination
      o Race or Color Discrimination
      o Religious Harassment or Discrimination
      o Pregnancy Discrimination
• Tennessee Human Rights Act
• Wage and Hour laws
• Employee Handbooks and Policies
• Employment Agreements and Releases
• Employee Non-Compete Agreements
• Unfair Competition
• Trade Secrets and Other Confidential and Proprietary Information
• Workplace Investigations
• Drug and Alcohol Screening Programs and Tests
• Privacy Issues
• Phone and Computer Protocols
• Leaves of Absence
• Employment Termination
• Retaliatory Discharge
• Whistleblower Actions
• Workers Compensation
• Unemployment Insurance

Attorneys

Michael R. Marshall, Practice Group Co-Chair
W. Kerby Bowling, Practice Group Co-Chair
Frank N. Stockdale Carney
Charles W. Cavagnaro, Jr.
Prince C. Chambliss, Jr.
R. Mark Field
Ernest G. Kelly, Jr.
Katy C. Laster