CLEMENT RIVERS, LLP | 25 CALHOUN ST, SUITE 400 CHARLESTON, SC 29401 | 843-577-4000

Employment & Labor

The multifaceted Employment and Labor Law Group counsels private, public, and quasi-governmental clients in the complex issues of the employment process from hiring to termination. By encouraging and facilitating preventive practices, the group assists clients in creating and maintaining effective employment policies and employee handbooks.

EXPERIENCE

The Employment and Labor Law Group provides comprehensive representation to public and private employers across South Carolina in all aspects of employment law. The group combines sophisticated litigation strategy with practical counseling focused on client goals.  The group represents municipalities, governmental entities, non-profit corporations, educational institutions, and companies across a range of industries, including hospitality, retail, manufacturing, and professional services.

The group defends employers in complex, high-stakes matters in both state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies, and in arbitration. The team regularly handles matters involving:

  • Employment discrimination
  • Representation before federal and state administrative agencies (including EEOC, NLRB, DOL, OSHA, and state agencies)
  • Wrongful discharge
  • Retaliation
  • Harassment
  • ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act)
  • Title VII
  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  • Other federal and state employment claims involving private and public employers
  • Civil rights cases involving state action under Section 1983

 

In addition to litigation, the group provides proactive, strategic counsel to help employers manage risk, maintain compliance, and address workplace issues before they escalate. Attorneys regularly advise on day-to-day employment decisions, the development and enforcement of workplace policies, and compliance with an evolving regulatory landscape, including complex issues impacting public sector employers, educational institutions, and multi-location businesses.

The group works collaboratively to address the varied and often overlapping challenges employers face, including:

  • Employment and labor litigation in state and federal courts
  • Alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation and arbitration
  • Representation in administrative investigations and proceedings
  • Employee discipline, performance management, and disability accommodation
  • Compliance counseling, including wage and hour, leave laws, and anti-discrimination statutes
  • In-house training for management and human resources professionals, as well as employees
  • Drafting and negotiating employment, separation, and restrictive covenant agreements
  • Policy preparation, drafting, review, and implementation
  • Developing, auditing, and updating of employee handbooks

 

With a practical, responsive approach, the Employment and Labor Law Group partners with clients to navigate complex legal issues while advancing operational and strategic objectives.

IN-HOUSE AUDITS

The group’s attorneys assist clients in creative ways to establish client-specific policies, including the in-house audit. Members of the group conduct an on-premises review of the employer’s operations to assure practical implementation of policies and procedures.

RECOGNITIONS

The group’s range and depth of experience is exemplified by the various accomplishments of its members, including

  • Certification in Employment and Labor Law by the South Carolina Supreme Court
  • Membership in the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL)
  • Members in the American Board of Trial Advocates,
  • Super Lawyers
  • Best Lawyers
  • Editorship of a national newsletter on employment and labor law
  • Certification as mediators for alternative dispute resolution
  • Members of the Steering Committee of the Employment and Labor Law Section of ALFA International, an association of law firms that provides a network to enhance the group’s ability to provide advice, litigation support, and coordination in states outside of South Carolina.

ALFA

Clement Rivers, LLP is a member of the nationally recognized ALFA International, Global Legal Network, Inc.

ALFA International is a global network of independent business focused law firms. Founded in 1980, ALFA International is the oldest legal network and remains one of the largest and strongest. The ALFA organization is comprised of 145 member firms with 85 members in the United States and 60 members in South and Latin America, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, Australia/New Zealand and throughout Asia. The ALFA reach is a broad one. In the United States, ALFA member firms maintain offices in 95 of the 100 largest metropolitan areas.

Our Attorneys

• Wilbur E. Johnson
• Zachary M. Kern
• Brian L. Quisenberry
• Stephanie Ramia Sandifer