Guest Speakers
Thomas M. Colclough
Director, Field Management Programs
Charlotte District Office of the U.S. Employment Opportunity Commission
Thomas currently serves as the Director of Field Management Programs for the EEOC Charlotte District. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient operations of Field Offices by providing operational oversight and monitoring of program implementation and coordination of administrative services. Thomas identifies problem areas and appropriate corrective actions. The above responsibilities, including direct supervision of the EEOC’s District Directors, are performed for 15 Districts and one Field Office.
A native of North Carolina, Thomas attended Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He earned his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Thomas is also a graduate of the military’s Command and General Staff College and the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Executive Institute. In 2005, Thomas retired from the North Carolina National Guard after 23 years of service (active, reserve, and guard) at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Shannon Meares
Regional Attorney, National Labor Relations Board, Region 10
Shannon is a transplant from the cornfields of the Midwest. She graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1997, with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. In 2000, she graduated from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. She began her career with the NLRB at the Winston-Salem office immediately following graduation. Shannon served as a Field Attorney for the first 13 years of her career; in 2013, the Region promoted her to Supervisory Attorney; and most recently, in February 2022, she was promoted to Regional Attorney, the position she holds today.
Ward and Smith Speakers
Amy Fitzhugh
Professional Licensing Attorney
Amy represents professionals faced with licensing issues in obtaining initial licensure, renewal or reinstating a license, and navigating allegations or complaints of practice violations reported to occupational licensing boards.
Amy appears before various regulatory boards, including but not limited to, the Medical Board, Board of Nursing, Psychology Board, Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists, Board of Dental Examiners, Board of Pharmacy, and the Board of CPA Examiners.
Additionally, Amy assists clients with credentialing, privileging, and National Practitioner Data Bank issues.
Ken Gray
Labor and Employment Attorney
Ken leads the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group. His practice experience encompasses various areas of employment-related litigation. He advises clients and litigates cases involving all forms of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and breach of employment contracts from small start-up companies to Fortune 500 corporations. Ken is a frequent lecturer on employment discrimination, workplace retaliation, workers' compensation, and wage and hour law issues.
Justin Hill
Labor and Employment Attorney
Justin focuses his practice on labor and employment matters. He works with businesses, employers, and human resources professionals across the state. Additionally, he is a member of the firm's Professional Licensing group and defends licensed professionals before North Carolina's many professional and occupational licensing boards.
Justin is also a member of the firm's Name, Image, and Likeness Practice Group. He is mindful of the changing laws and regulations regarding NIL agreements with college athletes, including issues related to the income provided by businesses to collegiate athletes and the employment status of collegiate athletes.
X. Lightfoot
Labor and Employment Attorney
X.'s practice primarily focuses on labor and employment law, serious personal injury and wrongful death, and civil litigation. As a member of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group, he regularly advises employers on a wide range of labor and employment law issues, including personnel policies and handbooks, employment discrimination and harassment, employee discipline and termination, drug and alcohol testing, and various wage and hour matters.
Avery Locklear
Labor and Employment Attorney
Avery is a versatile labor and employment attorney providing support to individuals, human resources professionals, and businesses of all sizes in diverse industries, including the hospitality and restaurant sectors. Her practice encompasses a broad range of employment matters, including providing guidance on non-compete and restrictive covenants, reviewing handbooks and policies, and handling matters related to Title VII and wage and hour laws.
Emily Massey
Labor and Employment Attorney
Emily's practice focuses on a wide range of labor and employment law issues, including personnel policies and handbooks, background checks, employment discrimination and harassment, employee discipline and termination, drug and alcohol testing, and various wage and hour matters. Prior to attending law school, Emily counseled clients in various public relations matters during a four-year career with Capstrat, a full-service communications agency.
Will Oden
Labor and Employment Attorney
Will's 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. He 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.
Grant Osborne
Labor and Employment Attorney
Grant's practice experience of more than 30 years encompasses a wide range of issues that arise in employment and labor law. He provides counsel to clients in the health care, financial, hospitality, construction, business services, employee staffing, and non-profit sectors. Grant represents clients in state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies. He regularly advises employers of all sizes and litigates civil cases regarding all forms of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, unlawful retaliation, contractual issues, personnel policies and practices, and wage and hour issues.
Erica Rogers
North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Trademark Law
Erica is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Trademark Law. She aids individuals, small businesses, and large corporations with various intellectual property matters, focusing on trademark selection, clearance, prosecution, registration, and portfolio management. Erica handles trademark disputes, including cease-and-desist letters, coexistence agreements, litigation in federal court, and cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB). She also advises on copyright ownership, acquisition, protection, and enforcement, and drafts software and IP license agreements.
As the leader of the firm's Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Practice Group, Erica supports businesses working with collegiate athletes for product promotion and assists NIL collectives, marketing agencies, software platforms, and financial advisors. She remains updated on evolving laws and regulations in this area.
Genesis Torres
Labor and Employment Attorney
Genesis is a labor and employment attorney devoted to assisting businesses, employers, and human resources professionals navigate the complex tapestry of employment law. She provides clients with comprehensive guidance on compliance with various local, state, and federal regulations, deploying practical and efficient methodologies to address the ongoing challenges of modern-day employment.
Hayley Wells
Labor and Employment Attorney
Hayley's practice primarily focuses on alcoholic beverage law, labor and employment law, and civil litigation. She regularly advises individual and corporate clients in matters of covenants not to compete, employment discrimination, discipline and termination, harassment, wrongful discharge, wage and hour matters, personnel policies and procedures, and preparation of employee handbooks and employment agreements.
Devon Williams
Labor and Employment Attorney
As one of the firm's Co-Managing Directors, Devon maintains a robust practice, handling complex labor and employment matters. This includes providing guidance on federal contractor compliance, particularly concerning the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, managing and defending contentious claims of employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, advising employers on disciplinary actions and terminations to limit potential legal risks, and negotiating, drafting, and litigating enforceable restrictive covenants to safeguard clients' interests.
Devon regularly counsels HR executives and C-suite officers, navigating them through the many state and federal requirements for employers with the aim of helping clients avoid costly litigation and improve workplace relations. In addition to offering clients proactive solutions to avoid costly litigation, Devon routinely dives in to handle complex employment litigation matters, including defending FLSA Collective Actions, wage and hour class actions, Medicare Secondary Payer Act claims, discrimination and harassment lawsuits, breach of contract, and other legal matters arising out of the employment or quasi-employment relationship. In matters relating to employee benefits, she concentrates on issues confronting health and welfare benefit plans (such as medical, dental, and other plans) and their sponsors, including the provisions and impact of the Affordable Care Act.