Charlotte C. Smith

Charlotte focuses her practice on defending employers in complex collective and class action employment disputes in courts and arbitrations nationwide. Charlotte litigates high‑stakes wage and hour matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act (NCWHA), and other states’ wage and contract laws. Charlotte regularly represents companies in multi‑plaintiff and class proceedings, including parallel and coordinated actions, and in private arbitrations before JAMS and the American Arbitration Association. In doing so, Charlotte has defended national collective actions and coordinated multi‑jurisdiction matters for national and global companies across the United States, aligning strategy across venues and forums.

Charlotte advises employers on a wide range of issues tied to large‑scale litigation, including the defense of independent‑contractor misclassification and wage‑and‑hour class and collective actions, contract disputes, internal wage audits, and administrative investigations, as well as drafting independent contractor and employment agreements and addressing other personnel matters under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). In addition to litigation, Charlotte helps clients reduce exposure by implementing legally defensible workplace policies and arbitration programs, assessing risk and compliance for multi‑state operations, and developing practical solutions tailored to business objectives.

Before joining Ogletree Deakins, Charlotte practiced at a boutique, plaintiff-side firm where she concentrated on large‑scale collective and class action employment litigation and wage and hour disputes. There, Charlotte also handled individual employment matters across administrative agencies and trial and appellate courts, an experience that enables her to anticipate plaintiffs’ strategies and efficiently manage litigation risk for her clients. Drawing on this background, Charlotte brings a pragmatic, results‑oriented approach to motion practice, class certification and decertification briefing, case management, and negotiated resolutions.