Address:
Lehr Middlebrooks & Vreeland, P.C.
2021 Third Avenue North (35203)
P.O. Box 11945
Birmingham, Alabama 35202-1945
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Phone: (205) 323-9262
Fax: (205) 326-3008
Web site: lehrmiddlebrooks.com
Firm Size: 9 Lawyers |
Primary Contact:
David Middlebrooks
dmiddlebrooks@lehrmiddlebrooks.com
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Firm Description
Lehr Middlebrooks & Vreeland, P.C. practices labor and employment law on behalf of management, with a focus on management rights and actions that management can take, rather than on what they cannot do. We pride ourselves on providing prompt, quality and creative legal services. Our philosophy is that labor and employment counsel is a collaborative process with our clients, designed to meet their business objectives.
Our clients range from the world's largest companies, such as bp and Xerox to small closely-held businesses and cover every facet of the economy from manufacturing, energy and agriculture to banking, law and high technology.
At LMV, our attorneys represent employers in every aspect of the employment relationship including preventive counseling, internal training and audits, the defense of employment litigation, union representation campaigns, collective bargaining and contract administration, business restructuring, affirmative action planning and other government contractor requirements, safety and health, employee benefits, wage and hour requirements, and the protection of intellectual property. Our attorneys represent our clients throughout the United States in state and federal courts on the full range of employment issues including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract and state law torts. In addition, our attorneys have litigated cases throughout the country before the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state fair employment agencies.
In addition to our attorneys, Lehr Middlebrooks utilizes a staff of recognized experts on human resource issues, wage and hour compliance, and equal opportunity compliance to provide our clients with experienced counsel on every aspect of the employment relationship. LMV has a strategic gulf coast alliance with Lyons Pipes & Cook, P.C., a leading corporate and litigation firm based in Mobile and with an office in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The alliance covers labor and employment matters from southern Mississippi to the Florida panhandle.
Attorney Biographies
Richard I. Lehr
Richard is a founding shareholder of the firm, and has practiced employment law for more than twenty-eight years. Upon graduation from law school, Richard joined a large general practice firm that had not yet established a labor and employment law practice. He spent fourteen years with that firm, and was instrumental in developing a labor and employment law practice, which ultimately represented clients on a national scale before founding LMV. Richard's practice ranges geographically from the north slope of Alaska to south Florida, covering the full range of American industries and employment relations issues. His practice model is premised on a creative and aggressive approach to assisting his clients to fulfill their business objectives, with an emphasis on what the employer can do, not what the employer cannot do. In addition to representing clients in matters involving representation campaigns and collective bargaining, Richard's traditional labor practice has included the largest union decertification in one region of the NLRB, as well as planning the integration of the union and non-union work forces for two multi-national merger partners. He counsels with employers regarding developing and implementing workforce change strategies, without provoking litigation or union organizing. Richard is the author, editor and co-editor of several books and articles regarding labor and employment relations issues. He is the past management co-chair of the American Bar Association's Regional Liaison to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and past management chair of the ERISA Litigation subcommittee of the American Bar Association Individual Employment Rights Section. Richard is the Vice Chair of the Manufacture Alabama Workforce Development Committee and is Chair of the Workforce Development Subcommittee of the Governor’s Commission on Manufacturing Economic STIMULUS and Free & Fair Trade. Richard has been a featured speaker to business groups and trade associations throughout the country. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Industrial Health Council and provides pro bono assistance to several charitable and religious organizations.
David J. Middlebrooks
David is a founding shareholder of the firm. He worked for seven years in industrial and employee relations prior to attending law school. He received his Masters Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, and his undergraduate and law degrees with honors from the University of Alabama. David heads the firm's litigation practice, and, as lead counsel, has tried to verdict numerous cases alleging discrimination based upon age, gender, race, disability; claims of retaliation; claims of injuries due to multiple chemical sensitivity; and claims of fraud, breach of contract and wage and hour violations
. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits and several federal district courts. He is a co-editor of the Alabama Employment Law Letter, and a contributor to several other employment publications, covering issues such as union avoidance, effective hiring and termination. He provides volunteer counsel to community non-profit organizations regarding labor and employee relations issues.
Albert L. Vreeland, II
Al is the firm's Managing Shareholder and one of the founding members. He is an honors graduate of the University of Michigan School of Law and Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. His practice focuses on the defense of employment litigation, with an emphasis on appellate practice. His work includes the defense of the public sector businesses and public officials on issues of constitutional concern. Al also counsels employers on the employment implications of corporate restructuring including sales, acquisitions, and reductions in force. He is a former editor of the Michigan Law Review and is currently the editor of the Alabama Employment Law Letter and a contributor to the Alabama Employer's Desk Manual. Al is admitted to practice before the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals and various federal district courts. n; Labor and Employment Law Sections).
Practice Areas: Labor; Employment Law; Litigation.
Michael L. Thompson
Mike is a shareholder of the firm and practices labor and employment and employee benefits law throughout Alabama and the United States. Mike also advises businesses regarding strategic concerns and compliance with immigration regulations and assists businesses with obtaining employer sponsored visas for foreign workers. He attended Samford University on a Presidential Scholarship and graduated, magna cum laude, with a degree in Public Administration. Mike received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law and is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts of Alabama and Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Seventh and Eleventh Circuits.
Sally Broatch Waudby
Sally is a shareholder of the firm. She represents employers in a variety of employment cases, including discrimination and harassment litigation, wrongful termination, and the full range of other state law claims that arise in the workplace. She has defended litigation and administrative matters involving claims of sexual harassment, racial harassment, age, race, sex, disability and pregnancy discrimination, defamation and unfair labor practices. These cases have ranged from single-plaintiff administrative proceedings to multi-plaintiff, complex litigation. She performs internal investigations for corporate clients on a wide variety of employment issues, from discrimination and harassment to breaches of fiduciary duty; she also trains clients to perform their own investigations, and counsels clients though major employment decisions in an effort to avoid litigation. Sally attended the University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland, where she received her master's degree in psychology. She received her law degree from the Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1993, where she was a member of the National Mock Trial Team. During the 1993-94 term, Sally served as a law clerk for the Honorable Janie L. Shores, Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Sally is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Alabama, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Donna Eich Brooks
Donna is a shareholder of the firm and has represented management in employment litigation matters since 1999. Donna's practice is concentrated in litigating Title VII cases and other employment disputes. Donna assists employers with affirmative action compliance, OFCCP audits, and questions about HIPAA and COBRA obligations. She attended Huntingdon College and graduated, cum laude, with a degree in English. Donna received her law degree from the University of Alabama, where she served as Lead Articles Editor of the Alabama Law Review, received the Reuben H. Wright award as Outstanding Oral Advocate in the Campbell Moot Court competition, and served on the John A. Campbell Moot Court Board.
Matthew W. Stiles
Matt is a shareholder of the firm. He represents employers from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies in all facets of labor and employment law, with emphasis in litigation, labor relations, affirmative action, executive compensation and benefits, employment tax, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate compliance. Prior to rejoining the firm in 2007, Matt was the Associate General Counsel for Labor & Employment for Regions Financial Corporation, a top ten bank holding company and a member of the Fortune 500. Matt earned his B.A. from the University of the South and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law. While in law school, he was an editor of the Alabama Law Review, a member of the John A. Campbell Moot Court Board, a member of the Phillip C. Jessup International Moot Court Team, and law clerk to the University of Alabama Office of the General Counsel. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Alabama, as well as the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. Matt is an adjunct professor of law at The University of Alabama School of Law and a frequent presenter and published writer on employment-related business issues.
Jennifer L. Howard
Jen represents employers in a range of employment litigation, including harassment and discrimination cases, workers compensation, and cases involving state law claims. She also counsels clients in an effort to avoid litigation. She graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University, where she received a B.A. in Philosophy. She then earned her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, graduating cum laude. While at the University of Georgia, Jen served as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law. Jen has published a number of articles in such publications as the Cumberland Law Review and the Alabama Lawyer. She is admitted to practice in all Alabama state and federal Courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Whitney R. Brown
Whitney represents employers in a range of employment litigation, including harassment and discrimination cases, workers compensation, and cases involving state law claims. She also counsels clients in an effort to avoid litigation. Whitney earned her law degree in Nashville, Tennessee, at Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was the recipient of a Dean’s Scholarship. Prior to that, she attended college on a National Merit scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College. She graduated cum laude from BSC, where she received a B.A. in English. Whitney is admitted to practice in all Alabama state courts, as well as the Southern, Middle, and Northern District courts of Alabama in the federal system.
Lyndel L. Erwin (Wage & Hour Consultant),
With more than 35 years experience with the Department of Labor, including as District Director, Lyndel Erwin (a non-attorney) assists our attorneys in providing clients with analysis and consultation concerning all of the laws and regulations enforced by the Wage & Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. As a consultant for our clients, Lyndel conducts mock audits of our clients' personnel records to ensure compliance with the various wage and hour and public contract laws. His services include analysis of compliance with record keeping requirements, determination of exempt status under the FLSA, and review of payroll practices. Lyndel also works with our attorneys to provide clients with assistance in complying with the FMLA and Employee Polygraph Protection Act requirements. Lyndel also works with our attorneys in the defense of audits and investigations by the Wage & Hour Division of the Department of Labor.
John E. Hall (OSHA Consultant),
A twenty-nine year veteran of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, John Hall was involved in training and compliance programs, investigations, and enforcement actions. Mr. Hall received his B.A. from the University of Alabama and prior to joining the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1968 taught math, science and special education.
Jerome C. Rose (EEOC Consultant),
With almost 30 years experience with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, including a lengthy tenure as Regional Attorney, Jerry Rose assists our clients on compliance with equal employment opportunity laws and in responding to government investigations and enforcement proceedings. Jerry counsels clients on preventive measures, conducts mock audits, provides training for managers, supervisors and human resources staff, and offers strategic input on handling government probes. Jerry earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Denver, is a member of the Colorado State Bar, and a former member of the Colorado State House of Representatives.
