Ogletree Deakins’ Charleston Office Welcomes Michael Eckard as a Shareholder
November 20, 2014
CHARLESTON, SC – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, welcomed Michael Eckard as a shareholder in the firm’s Charleston office. Eckard, who has worked as a labor and employment attorney at Ogletree Deakins for nearly a decade, joins Ogletree Deakins’ Charleston office from the firm’s office in Atlanta.
Eckard focuses his employment law practice on human resources and employment-related litigation matters, including wrongful termination, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, employment contracts, wage and hour claims, trade secrets, and non-compete agreements. He also counsels employers on matters such as risk management, workforce planning (including workforce growth and reductions in force), employee recruiting and hiring practices, employee discipline and termination, wage and hour law compliance, and strategies for preventing and investigating harassment and discrimination claims. In his traditional labor relations practice, Eckard represents management in union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, and unfair labor practice and representation proceedings.
Eckard has experience representing employers in single-plaintiff, multiple-plaintiff, and collective action cases in federal and state courts throughout the United States, as well as labor and employment arbitrations and administrative proceedings. He works with companies in a range of industries, including health care, manufacturing, chemicals, hospitality, transportation and logistics, and retail. A former member of the United States Army, Eckard earned his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Earlier, he received a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston.
About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 700 lawyers located in 46 offices across the United States and in Europe and Mexico. Ogletree Deakins is the “Law Firm of the Year” in both the Employment Law – Management and Labor Law – Management categories in the 2014 edition of the U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law. Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies. www.ogletreedeakins.com
