Mr. Lemley has practiced exclusively in the area of labor and employment law and related commercial litigation since 1995. He concentrates his practice primarily in litigation of employment and employment related commercial disputes and employer counseling. He has represented employers in a wide range of litigation matters in both state and federal court, and before arbitrators, administrative law judges and other tribunals in disputes involving alleged discrimination based on race, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin and the FMLA, sexual and racial harassment, retaliation (including workers’ compensation and whistleblower retaliation), tortious interference with contract, ERISA violations, LMRA claims, employment contract disputes and other employment related claims and commercial disputes, including numerous non-compete and non-solicitation disputes. He also has extensive experience representing clients in class and collective action wage and hour claims brought under the FLSA and state wage laws. He also has practiced before numerous state administrative hearing tribunals and has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and early neutral evaluation.
Mr. Lemley also is a certified mediator for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri and for the State of Missouri. Additionally, he assists both private and public employers in the development, implementation and application of harassment, drug testing, family medical leave and a wide range of other personnel policies and in drafting and revising employee handbooks, and has counseled clients in developing overarching HR compliance plans, conducting HR compliance audits, engaging in mass layoffs and in evaluating employment and labor issues related to business combinations. Mr. Lemley has presented client seminars on topics ranging from harassment to employee evaluation, discipline and termination in light of state and federal employment laws, to proper hiring protocol, navigating employee leave laws, blogging and other workplace technologies and a broad range of other topics. Mr. Lemley also frequently addresses the television, radio and print media on a variety of employment related topics.
Mr. Lemley has been designated a 2009 Missouri Super Lawyer based on peer surveys by Law & Politics recognizing him as among the top 5% of attorneys in Missouri. In the 2010 Chambers USA Ranking, Mr. Lemley was singled out as one of the top labor and employment lawyers in the country and for “delivering easily understandable advice and taking time to understand client interests fully,” and highlighted for his work in wrongful termination and discrimination matters.
Experience
Missouri
Illinois
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh and Eighth Circuits
Education and Honors
- Order of the Coif
- Missouri Super Lawyer (2009, 2010, 2011)
- Chambers USA (2010, 2011)
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
- The Missouri Bar
- Illinois State Bar Association
In The News
- December 11, 2011 - Business Insurance - "Sexual Harassment Remains Major Workplace Problem"
- December 11, 2011 - Business Insurance - "Best Practices for Confronting Employee Sexual Harassment"
- July 18, 2011 - Business Insurance Magazine - "Most Companies Work to Protect Gay Employees"
- April 18, 2011 - Business Insurance Magazine - "Psychiatric Disabilities Challenge Employers"
- February 21, 2011 - Business Insurance Magazine - "How Employers Can Avoid Gender Discrimination Charges"
- July 26, 2010 - Business Insurance Magazine - "English-Only Policies For Workplaces Have Pitfalls"
- May 27, 2010 - St. Louis Business Journal - "HIRE Act Provides Push for Businesses to Grow Again"
- November 1, 2009 - Inside Counsel - "Obsolete Skills Beat Discrimination Claims in ADEA Case"
- September 1, 2009 - Inside Counsel - "Motivation Action - ADEA Plaintiffs Must Prove Age was the Sole Reason for an Adverse Employment Decision"
- August 24, 2009 - Business Insurance Magazine - "Age Bias Charges Surge as Firms Shed Workers"
- June 18, 2009 - Missouri Lawyers Weekly - "U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Instruction in Age Discrimination Suits"
- March 31, 2008 - Missouri Lawyers Weekly - "Making Your Case: Arbitration Falling Out of Vogue in Some Areas"
- February 18, 2008 - Missouri Lawyers Weekly - "Lawsuits Against Kirkwood Would Face High Hurdles"
- January 7, 2008 - Personnel Legal Alert - "Should Employees' Private Lives Affect Their Professional Lives?"
