Michael Eckard has been an employment lawyer at Ogletree Deakins his entire legal career. He assists companies with human resources and employment-related litigation matters, including wrongful termination claims, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, employment contracts, wage and hour claims, trade secrets, and non-compete agreements. He also represents management in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, union organizing campaigns, and unfair labor practice and representation proceedings.
He has litigated labor and employment-related matters in federal and state courts throughout the United States, including appeals before the Georgia Court of Appeals, Georgia Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Mr. Eckard regularly handles individual and collective claims under Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, ERISA, USERRA, the FMLA, and the FLSA, and he has represented employers in labor and employment arbitrations and administrative proceedings.
Mr. Eckard has particular expertise in representing clients in non-compete and trade secret litigation in federal and state courts, including claims for breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, computer fraud and abuse, and violation of the Stored Electronic Communications Act. He has helped clients enforce restrictive covenants and helped clients navigate the hiring of employees subject to restrictive covenants, including handling injunction and temporary restraining order proceedings.
Prior to his legal career, Mr. Eckard served in the United States Army, specializing in Military Intelligence. Mr. Eckard served in multiple duty stations, including operational tours in Kuwait. Mr. Eckard is also a licensed pilot and enjoys flying airplanes for recreation.
Mr. Eckard is a former Law Clerk for the United States Department of Justice – Civil Division, Washington D.C. Mr. Eckard is also the 2005 recipient of the University of South Carolina Law School’s coveted Knox L. Haynsworth Labor Law Scholarship Award.
Experience
Mr. Eckard focuses on all aspects of labor and employment law. He has experience in wage and hour collective actions, multi-party discrimination claims, and administrative actions. He also represents management in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, union organizing campaigns, and unfair labor practice and representation proceedings.
Georgia
District of Columbia
Supreme Court of Georgia
U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Georgia
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas
U.S. District Court, Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma
U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh, Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits
U.S. Court of Appeals, Veteran Claims
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Accredited Attorney
Education and Honors
- Editor, South Carolina Law Review
- Rising Star, Georgia Super Lawyers, 2011
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
- District of Columbia Bar
- Georgia Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section; Young Lawyers Division)
- Atlanta Bar Association (Member of the Board of Directors, Atlanta Council of Younger Lawyers, 2006-07)
- Military Intelligence Corps Association
- Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3142 (Life Member)
- Care and Counseling Centers of Georgia (Member of the Board of Directors, 2010-Present)
In The News
- 2004 - S.C. L. Rev. 489 - "The United States Supreme Court's Indecision in Greentree Financial Corp. v. Bazzle: A Class Act"