EDUCATION
J.D., cum laude, Mercer University,1989
B.A., University of the South, 1986
PRACTICE AREAS
Class & Collective Action
Complex Litigation
Employment Law
Immigration
Labor Relations
Unfair Competition
Wage and Hour
ASSOCIATIONS
American Bar Association
State Bar of Georgia
American Immigration Lawyers Association
AWARDS
Georgia Trend Magazine's Legal Elite
Super Lawyer
Best Lawyers® in America
ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
Georgia
CIVIC & COMMUNITY SERVICE
Atlanta Rowing Club, Inc
Friends of Goethe, Inc.
Representative Matters
Wage and Hour
With over 25 years of hands-on experience defending collective actions, Douglas has a long history of defending employers in the manufacturing, retail, and hospitality industries against claims of misclassification, as well as claims for failure to pay minimum wage. Due to his expertise, he is frequently asked to speak on wage and hour compliance and regularly advises employers on issues, such as overtime, minimum wage and exempt status. Douglas is a Contributor to the treatise Kearns, Fair Labor Standards Act (1rst ed. 1999) and has served for many years as a Chapter Editor for the annual updates with a strong focus on dealing with litigation. Douglas is able to use his extensive experience effectively in defending employers against collective actions by focusing on the quick resolution of class membership issues, fundamental wage hour issues and complex litigation strategies.
Trade Secrets and Restrictive Covenants
Douglas has extensive, nationwide experience in helping companies prepare restrictive covenants and develop protections for trade secrets in many states including California, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Texas. In addition to such preventive steps, Douglas helps clients protect against unfair competition by former employees and prevent the misappropriation of trade secrets and confidential information.
Occupational Safety and Health
Within the first several years of private practice, Douglas was asked to represent an employer responding to the legal ramifications of a workplace fatality. Over the decades that have followed, he has assisted other employers respond to such tragedies as well as provided representation in connection with workplace inspections by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), similar state agencies, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). His experience covers a number of different work environments, including construction sites, manufacturing plants, customer’s homes, mines, and film production. While the focus is, and should be, on providing a safe place to work, Douglas seeks to find practical solutions that address safety concerns at the lowest administrative level while developing a defense strategy should an investigation or workplace injury/fatality result in an administrative or court trial.
Hospitality and Service Industries
Douglas has worked with a number of restaurant chains on “front of the house” and “back of the house” issues. He has defended numerous hospitality employers in a variety of states in connection with alleged wage and hour and wage payment claims.
Legal Assistant/Paralegal:
Connie Bush-Adu
404-582-8405 - Phone-Number - Direct
connie@elarbeethompson.com
