The Employment Practices Group at Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP provides training, counseling, investigative and a full range of litigation/trial services to a large number of private and public employers. Our clients include many of North Carolina's towns, cities, counties, housing authorities, public and private schools, as well as a wide range of private employers from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

Training, counseling, investigative and related services. The members of our Employment Practices Group have extensive experience conducting seminars and training sessions for employers on how to prevent and handle employment claims before a lawsuit or formal complaint is filed, as well as regarding a wide range of employment topics including harassment (sexual and other); workplace violence; abuse; retaliation claims; disability matters; and other employment-related topics. We assist clients during the investigative stage of employment claims, both with internal investigations and investigations from administrative agencies. In addition, our group has extensive experience in reviewing and drafting personnel manuals and other employment policies and procedures, including employment contracts and severance agreements.  Several members of our group are Superior Court DRC certified mediators and regularly serve as mediators in employment-related matters.

Litigation and Related Services

Our Employment Practices Group regularly handles employment-related actions in both federal and state courts related to:

• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Wage and hour violations
• Employee benefits (ERISA litigation)
• Covenants not to compete
• Other employment-related sex-abuse actions

We also handle administrative hearings before various agencies including:

• The EEOC
• The U.S. and North Carolina Departments of Labor
• Local Human Relations Commissions
• The Office of Administrative Hearings
• The State Personnel Commission
• School Boards

Our group handles constitutional claims such as:

• Free speech
• Due process
• Equal protection
• Public accommodation
• Other discrimination issues

Our Employment Practices Group also handles workplace violence claims and abuse claims; defending employers: who have fired violent employees, who are faced with exposure for an employee's violent behavior, or who are faced with exposure for an employee's abuse (sex or otherwise) of others.

Appellate Law
Architects & Engineers Professional Liability
Business Disputes & Litigation
Construction Law
Education Law
Employment Law
Environmental & Toxic Torts
Fire & Arson
Food Liability Law
Insurance Law
Land Condemnation & Eminent Domain Law
Medical Malpractice & Professional Negligence
Municipal & Police Law
Premises Liability
Products Liability
Trucking & Transportation
Workers' Compensation