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KAREN S. CLAY is an associate with Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A. Her areas of practice include commercial litigation, labor and employment compliance, labor and employment litigation, labor and employment OSHA, labor relations/union negotiations, FMLA, wage & hour law, non-compete agreements, labor negotiations, contract disputes and employment handbook review. Ms. Clay is admitted to the Mississippi and Arkansas bars. She received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude from Mississippi University For Women - Columbus, her M.S. degree from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville and her J.D. degree magna cum laude from the Mississippi College School of Law. HERBERT C. EHRHARDT is a shareholder in the Ridgeland, Mississippi firm of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC, where he focuses his practice on labor and employment law and class action defense. Mr. Ehrhardt has represented management in labor and employment relations for more than 30 years. His experience includes handling NLRB elections, contract negotiations and unfair labor practice proceedings. Mr. Ehrhardt has extensive litigation experience, and has served as lead counsel in cases throughout the country, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. In addition to discrimination cases, he has defended employers in numerous state law actions in Mississippi and elsewhere, alleging wrongful discharge, defamation, bad faith denial of workers' compensation claims, negligent hiring and supervision, conversion of trade secrets, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Mr. Ehrhardt has been named in Best Lawyers in America, as well as in Chambers U.S.A., Leading the Field of Labor and Employment Law. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Eta Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa. Mr. Ehrhardt earned his B.A. degree and his J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit and the U.S. District Court, northern and southern districts of Mississippi, eastern and western districts of Arkansas, northern district of Texas, district of Nevada, and eastern and western districts of Tennessee. Mr. Ehrhardt is a member of The Mississippi Bar (chair, labor and employment law section), the ABA Equal Employment Opportunity Law Committee, the ABA Committee on Practice and Procedure under the NLRA and the ABA Committee on Individual Rights and Responsibilities. He is the ABA-EEO committee liaison for Mississippi, as well as a mediator with the EEOC Mediation Program. PEYTON S. IRBY JR. is a shareholder with Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A. His practice areas include labor and employment compliance, labor and employment litigation, labor and employment OSHA and labor relations/union negotiations. Mr. Irby is admitted to Mississippi, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, the U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi and the U.S. District Court Southern District of Mississippi. He received his B.S. degree from Mississippi State University and his M.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of Mississippi School of Law. J. WILLIAM MANUEL is a partner in the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. Mr. Manuel focuses his practice primarily on commercial and employment litigation. He has handled various disputes for both large and small businesses in both Mississippi and other jurisdictions. Mr. Manuel's clients include numerous manufacturers and commercial interests as well as various insurance and financial services companies. He has worked to defend these clients in both MDL litigation and individual actions brought in Mississippi. Mr. Manuel also has experience in advising businesses on issues involving age discrimination, sexual harassment and wage/overtime disputes. His focus is on active litigation from the initial discovery process through trial. Mr. Manuel received his B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Mississippi State University and his J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. J. RANDALL PATTERSON is a shareholder with the Jackson office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, where he concentrates his practice in labor and employment law. Mr. Patterson's litigation experience includes a full range of employment related claims including sexual harassment, age, race and disability discrimination, FLSA collective actions, retaliatory discharge and employment related defamation claims. He also has litigation experience in ERISA matters involving the denial of employee benefits, breach of fiduciary duties and related claims, and in antitrust and white collar criminal defense. In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Patterson advises employers on many topics including policies and procedures, reductions in force, wage and hour issues, employee handbooks, drug testing and employment contracts. He earned his B.A. from The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, and his J.D. degree, with special distinction , from Mississippi College School of Law where he was articles editor of the Mississippi College Law Review. Mr. Patterson is an adjunct professor of law at Mississippi College of Law, and has published extensively, including : Litigating the Workplace Harassment Case, (contributing author) Chapter 19, "Religious Discrimination in the Workplace," ABA Publication (2010); Litigating the Workplace Harassment Case, (contributing author) Chapter 5, "Defense Perspective: Responding to a Charge or Complaint," ABA Publication (2010); Inside the Minds: Employment Dispute Resolution (contributing author), "The Role of the Mediator in Resolving Employment Disputes," Asptore Publications (2008); DRI Young Lawyers Forms Book, 2nd Ed. (contributing co-author), "Implied Contract Claims," DRI Publication (2008); DRI Young Lawyer Forms Book, (contributing co-author), "Implied Contract Claims," DRI Publication (2002); Litigating the Sexual Harassment Case, (contributing author) Chapter 5, "Defense Perspective: Responding to a Charge or Complaint," ABA Publication (2000); "On-Call Employees - Issues for Health Care Providers," Health Law Section News From the Mississippi Bar (June, 2000); "Litigating the Sexual Harassment Lawsuit," The Trial Lawyer, (1999); "Punitive Damages Awarded in Hospital Employment Case," Benders Health Care Law Monthly (1997). Mr. Patterson is admitted to practice in Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. He is AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbel, and has been listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers as a leading employment lawyer in Mississippi since 2007. DAVID M. THOMAS is a partner in the labor and employment group in the Jackson office of Balch & Bingham LLP. Mr. Thomas advises management in the development and implementation of personnel policies and employment practices. He is a contributing editor to The Developing Labor Law, and has given over 100 seminar presentations on labor relations and employment law topics. He received his B.A. degree from Rhodes College, his J.D. degree from Tulane University and his M.B.A. degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Mr. Thomas is a member of the Capital Area and American (member, Labor and Employment Law Section) bar associations, The Mississippi Bar (past chair, Labor and Employment Law Section) and the Capital Area Human Resources Association.
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