A Short Refresher On Discrete Legal Issues During Natural Disasters
April 26, 2019
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William A. Oden, III
Labor and Employment Attorney
Will leads the firm's Workplace Safety and Health practice. His practice experience encompasses various areas of employment and workplace-related counseling and civil litigation in both the federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels. Will also regularly represents employers and employees before the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC), the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security (DES), and federal and state wage and hour divisions. He is a frequent lecturer and advises clients on a wide range of personnel issues, including Title VII, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act and Fair Labor Standards Act.
Will has been certified by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) since that designation first was available, and by the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) since 2008. The American Staffing Association has certified him as a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP). Will also is certified by the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) as a Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC). The Safety and Health Council of North Carolina and North Carolina Department of Labor have certified him as the first North Carolina attorney to be a Manager of Environmental Safety and Health Programs (MESH). Will is OSHA 30 trained. He also serves as a mediator and is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. He is one of the first employment attorneys in North Carolina to receive Civil Collaborative Practice training, and employs this interest based negotiation model where appropriate.
Will has been rated by his peers as being "preeminent" in his fields of law.
What I admire most about our clients is their passion, work ethic, and tenacity for their businesses, and their people. The best thing about Ward and Smith is its culture, hands-down. Clients, Firm, Self – in that order. This keystone allows us to navigate this challenging and rewarding profession in a unique way.
One surprising thing people don't know about me is that my great-great grandfather, William Blount Rodman was the chief architect of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure during Reconstruction. I am a fourth (non-consecutive)-generation North Carolina attorney, and the 5th generation of my family to attend and earn a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Go Heels!
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" – Proverbs 27:17
* Please see the following websites for an explanation of the membership standards for the following recognitions: www.bestlawyers.com; businessnc.com/special-sections/legal-elite/; and www.superlawyers.com/north-carolina.
