Ogletree Deakins Shareholders Named BTI Client Service All-Stars

ATLANTA – February 11, 2015 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that Ted Speth, Gray Geddie, and Mike Cramer have been named to the BTI Client Service All-Stars 2015 list. The BTI Client Service All-Stars is the definitive list—identified solely through client feedback—of lawyers delivering the highest levels of client service. Those named to the list are earning recognition from leading General Counsel and legal decision makers for outperforming all other attorneys.

Speth, a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and shareholder based in the firm’s Columbia office, is named to the list for a third time. He has more than 30 years of experience with employment-related litigation in state and federal courts throughout the United States and devotes a significant amount of time to the representation of clients in class action litigation. Speth also provides training and preventive advice to employers in an effort to resolve potential employment-related legal issues before the matters escalate into legal actions. Throughout his career, Speth has been highly praised for his accomplishments. He was named by Best Lawyers^® as the 2014 Columbia-SC Employment Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year,” as well as the 2013 Columbia-SC Litigation – Labor & Employment “Lawyer of the Year.” Speth has earned a Band 1 ranking from Chambers USA, been named among the “South Carolina Midlands Legal Elite,” and is included among the South Carolina Super Lawyers.

Gray Geddie is one of the founding members of Ogletree Deakins and served as the firm’s Managing Shareholder for a decade. Under his leadership, the firm experienced unprecedented growth in terms of geography, professionalism, and client service. Geddie is also a decorated and nationally acclaimed attorney. He is a Fellow in the College of a Labor and Employment Lawyers and was honored by Best Lawyers^® as the 2014 Greenville Litigation – Environmental “Lawyer of the Year.” Geddie is recognized by Best Lawyers^® in six categories, including Bet The Company Litigation. Geddie is also listed in Band 1 in the Labor and Employment Law category by Chambers USA, named to Super Lawyers, and a Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment Law under standards approved by the South Carolina Supreme Court. An experienced trial lawyer who has handled cases of various types for more than 30 years, Geddie’s jury trial experience has included labor and employment, products liability, patent and trade secret, environmental law, and commercial litigation. He has represented clients in a wide variety of industries including chemicals, textiles, metal working, retail stores, food service, hospitality, communications, media services, and educational institutions.

Mike Cramer, a shareholder based in the firm’s Chicago office, counsels and represents employers on a wide variety of employment-related legal matters. He has advised clients ranging from small non-profits to Fortune 500 companies on difficult employment decisions, negotiated cost-effective resolutions to troubling disputes, and litigated to victory. Cramer’s litigation practice includes discrimination and harassment cases, wage and hour collective actions, and restrictive covenant litigation. Specifically, he has defended employers including retail chains, restaurant chains, manufacturers, and staffing companies in numerous class and collective actions involving alleged wage and hour violations. Cramer is highly regarded among clients and colleagues alike. He is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, has achieved Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer review rating (AV-Preeminent), has been named to Best Lawyers^®, and is an Illinois Super Lawyer. Cramer serves on Ogletree Deakins’ Class Action Steering Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee. He often conducts training for corporate management and HR professionals, and is a frequent public speaker and writer on employment law topics. Outside of his legal practice, Cramer is an award-winning independent filmmaker.

About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 700 lawyers located in 47 offices across the United States, in Europe, and in Mexico. Ogletree Deakins has been named a Law Firm of the Year four consecutive years by U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms.” In 2015, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Labor Law – Management category. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law. Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies.