A New Year, A New President and a Whole Bunch of New Trends in Employment Law for 2021

Brett Adair is a shareholder in Carr Allison’s Birmingham, Alabama office and serves as Chair of the firm’s Employment Litigation Practice Group.  He represents employers throughout the United States in matters such as: discrimination and sexual harassment allegations, whistle-blower claims, employee benefit issues, employment tort and contract claims, wage and hour issues, OSHA investigations and contests, workers’ compensation retaliation claims, non-compete agreement disputes, misappropriation of trade secrets claims and unfair competition claims.

Brett counsels clients on numerous federal employment matters, including issues that arise under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, as well as other employment issues that may arise from business mergers and acquisitions.  Brett also counsels clients regarding executive employment contracts, drafting and enforce ability of non-compete and confidentiality agreements, preparing and reviewing employee handbooks and corporate employee discipline, drug and alcohol testing and wage and hour matters.

Focusing on our clients’ ever-changing business climate, Brett conducts training sessions for managers and supervisors to develop in them strong management fundamentals to improve employee morale and productivity, accomplish management objectives and ensure legal compliance. Brett has also served as a neutral third-party investigator following harassment and discrimination claims.

Brett has represented employers in litigation and administrative proceedings in numerous states, including:  Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

Frank Shuler went to law school with the express purpose of becoming a labor and employment lawyer.

He became fascinated with the law of the workplace as a student at Georgia Tech. Those classes in “personnel” and “collective bargaining,” among others, stimulated an interest that has led to a long and successful legal career. He has handled literally thousands of different employment related issues over his 35-year career.    

Frank started as an insurance defense attorney in a day that cases where routinely tried.  It was during this first year that he tried numerous non-jury cases (under $5000), successfully tried his first jury case and was fortunate enough to “second chair” three federal court jury trials. After his wife decided to attend law school, he returned to Birmingham, where Frank began his career in labor and employment law. It was at a boutique firm devoted to labor and employment law that Frank learned the intricacies of many of the laws he works with on a daily basis now. He was thrust into the roll of lead counsel for a firm that routinely practiced in 11 states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico when the firm split during the two weeks between him accepting the job and starting.  He was blessed to be able to learn at the feet of some very experienced employment lawyers who had been the in the 1930s and 1940s when employment and labor law was in its infancy.

In 1993, Turner Padget hired Frank to develop its employment practice. Today, he has a statewide practice and the firm’s practice includes two certified specialists and seven other attorneys who routinely handle employment law matters. Over the years, he has served the firm as employment counsel, employment law team leader and as a member of the management committee.