Mr. Smith is a labor and employment litigator, and his primary practice area is in representing the employer and management in employment cases. Mr. Smith has twenty-nine years of labor and employment experience and is an original member of the firm’s labor group that now has twenty lawyers. Mr. Smith has handled major cases against both private plaintiff lawyers and the United States Department of Labor in cases alleging employment discrimination, breach of contract, wage and hour violations, mine safety violations and many other types as well. In 2004-2005, Mr. Smith served as lead trial counsel in the longest trial ever held under the Federal Mine Safety Law in a fatal mine disaster and his client succeeded in having all the major citations vacated and the penalties reduced by more than 99%. Mr. Smith served as lead trial counsel in the longest trial and largest FLSA claim ever tried by the United States Department of Labor claiming $8 million in overtime for poultry workers. The jury awarded less than 3% of the damages sought by the government and found no record-keeping violation. Mr. Smith and his clients have successfully defended and tried to verdict numerous other jury and non-jury cases. Mr. Smith has presented several oral arguments in the Alabama Supreme Court and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the D.C. Circuit. Mr. Smith has an active non-litigation practice in advising clients on discipline, contracts, policies, arbitrations, RIF’s and benefits in all types of employment and labor relations matters. Mr. Smith has provided training to numerous clients’ human resources personnel and workforces at large. Mr. Smith has also conducted employment law compliance audits for businesses all over the country. Mr. Smith has presented papers and lectures at state and national CLE meetings on Labor and Employment Law topics; locations have included Alabama, Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Georgia and Florida.