Six Fisher & Phillips Partners Listed in South Carolina Super Lawyers; Two Associates Selected as Rising Stars

COLUMBIA, SC – April 26, 2013 – Fisher & Phillips LLP, a national labor and employment law firm with its South Carolina office located in Columbia, announced that six of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion in this year’s South Carolina Super Lawyers® and two attorneys have been selected for Rising Stars®.

Fisher & Phillips partners Cheryl L. Behymer, Michael D. Carrouth, G. Daniel Ellzey, Stephen C. Mitchell, Jonathan P. Pearson and J. Hagood Tighe will be included in the 2013 edition of South Carolina Super Lawyers, a record of outstanding lawyers representing more than 70 practice areas who have attained peer recognition and a high level of professional achievement. The magazine is published in all 50 states, and the South Carolina issue is distributed to all attorneys in the state.

Fisher & Phillips associates Karen L. Luchka and Edward Rawl are listed in Rising Stars®, a record of the best attorneys who are 40 or under, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less.

Cheryl Behymer is a partner in the Columbia office and the co-chair of the firm’s Affirmative Action and Federal Contracts Practice Group. She assists clients by providing timely and practical counsel and training in affirmative action, workplace harassment, immigration compliance, employee leave issues involving the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other labor and employment issues. Cheryl defends employers who are responding to administrative charges, actively involved in litigation, or are participating in compliance reviews conducted by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Cheryl is Past Chair of the South Carolina Diversity Council, a partner of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce devoted to encouraging, supporting and educating employers as they seek to increase diversity in the workplace. She is also a Board Member and Past Chair of the Cultural Council and Richland and Lexington Counties and a Board Member with the Palmetto Center for Women, an affiliate of the YMCA.  Cheryl is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mike Carrouth is a partner in the Columbia office. He is certified as a Specialist in Labor Law by the South Carolina Supreme Court. Mike has represented clients in successfully responding to union organizing efforts in 27 states. This work includes successfully defending against multi-site and multi-state national organizing blitzes and card-check/neutrality campaigns. Mike also has represented clients in numerous litigation matters, including jury trials, involving FMLA, Title VII, breach of employment contract, and non-compete enforcement. He practices before state and federal courts, the National Labor Relations Board, and state and federal administrative agencies in the areas of union related matters, employment litigation, discrimination cases, non-compete agreements, and wrongful discharge cases. Mike has been selected for inclusion in South Carolina Super Lawyers since 2008. He has been listed in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers since 2005 and in The Best Lawyers in America since 2007. In 2011 he was selected by his peers to be one ofGreater Columbia Business Monthly’s Legal Elite.

Dan Ellzey is a partner in the Columbia office. He practices both labor and employment law. In the employment area, Dan counsels clients on all state and federal employment laws (Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, etc.), major staff reductions and facility closures, labor law implications of mergers and acquisitions, OSHA compliance, and wage and hour matters. Dan has been involved in some of the highest profile union campaigns and elections in the United States. Dan is certified as a Specialist in Employment and Labor Law by the Supreme Court of South Carolina. He is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized in South Carolina Super Lawyers since 2008. Dan has also been listed in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers since 2004 and in The Best Lawyers in America since 2006.  He was selected by his peers to be one of Greater Columbia Business Monthly’s 2010 Legal Elite.

Stephen Mitchell is a partner in the Columbia office. His practice emphasizes employment litigation as well as traditional labor law. He has handled administrative charges and lawsuits in state and federal courts involving wrongful discharge, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, ERISA, FMLA, FLSA, employment testing, as well as other types of employment based claims. Steve has also assisted employers in handling class action litigation. In the traditional labor law arena, Steve has represented employers throughout the United States in a broad variety of union related matters. Steve is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a Specialist in Employment and Labor Law. He is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized in South Carolina Super Lawyers since 2009. He has also been listed in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers since 2007 and in The Best Lawyers in America since 2010.

Jon Pearson is managing partner of the Columbia office. His practice emphasizes employment litigation of all types before state and federal courts, as well as traditional labor law. Jon has represented numerous employers before the National Labor Relations Board in union representation elections and unfair labor practice charges. He has been particularly active in assisting employers in union contract negotiations and in dealing with strike-related issues, such as contingency planning and injunction proceedings. Jon is experienced in representing hospitality employers and is responsible for the South Carolina information at HospitalityLawyer.com. Jon is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a Specialist in Employment and Labor Law and as a Certified Mediator. He has also served as Chairman of the Employment and Labor Section of the South Carolina Bar. Jon is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been included in the South Carolina Super Lawyers list since 2008. He has been listed in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers since 2003 and in The Best Lawyers in America since 2006.

Hagood Tighe is a partner in the Columbia office. He practices exclusively in the area of labor and employment law, representing management in union matters and employment litigation. Hagood also has successfully handled and argued cases before the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. While he maintains an active litigation practice, he also focuses on providing practical and proactive advice designed to minimize the risk of litigation. He also provides training for supervisors and managers on harassment, EEO compliance, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and many other areas. Hagood was a 2004 recipient of the Silver Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association. This award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and who exemplify the highest standard of professional competence, ethics, and integrity. Hagood is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He has been listed in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers since 2007 and in The Best Lawyers in A
merica since 2008.  Hagood was selected by his peers to be one of Greater Columbia Business Monthly’s Legal Elite every year since 2010. The same publication named him one of the 50 Most Influential People for 2011.  He is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a Specialist in Employment and Labor Law.

Karen Luchka is an associate in the Columbia office and a member of the firm’s Healthcare Practice Group. She represents management and employers in cases pending in both state and federal court, as well as in agency proceedings. Karen also focuses her practice on providing practical and proactive advice to clients aimed at minimizing the risk of litigation and improving employee relations. She provides training to human resources professionals, managers and supervisors on the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, harassment and discrimination, social networking and electronic workforce issues, and many other employment and labor related subjects. Karen has been selected as a recipient of the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s 2013 Leadership in the Law award and by The State newspaper for its annual 20 Under 40.

Edward Rawl is an associate in the Columbia office. His practice includes litigating employment related disputes involving wrongful discharge, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, as well as other types of employment based claims. In addition, Edward represents developers and property managers of conventional and government-financed and assisted multifamily housing projects in the defense of fair housing and public accommodation claims. Edward was selected as one of the Midlands’ Legal Elite by Greater Columbia Business Monthly Magazine in 2011. Edward was the recipient of the 2011-2012 South Carolina Bar Young Lawyer’s Division President’s Medal, which recognizes young lawyers who have gone above and beyond in their dedication and service to the Young Lawyer’s Division.  He currently serves as the ABA Young Lawyers Division District 10 Representative for South Carolina and U.S. Virgin Islands and serves on its five member Finance Board.

About Fisher & Phillips LLP (www.laborlawyers.com)

Fisher & Phillips LLP represents employers nationally in labor, employment, civil rights, employee benefits and immigration matters. The firm has more than 275 attorneys in 30 offices. Founded in 1943, it is one of the largest U.S. law firms to concentrate its practice exclusively upon representation of employers in labor and employment matters. In addition to the Columbia office, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Irvine, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, New England, New Jersey, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.