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Chris Near is a shareholder in the Columbia, South Carolina, office of Ogletree. For over 20 years, he has practiced throughout the United States as a strategic advisor and advocate for companies of all sizes.
Chris routinely works with all levels of management, offering straightforward, realistic, and pragmatic advice and solutions to issues that companies face on a daily basis. His practice is dedicated to counseling and defending private companies, as well as contractors and subcontractors considering and/or doing business with federal and state governments, with respect to:
- Statutory and regulatory compliance matters.
- Navigating the complexities of new and changing political priorities and focuses, including specifics related to administrative actions and Executive Orders, and changes to regulations, statutes, and other federal and state laws.
- Developing and delivering tailored training programs for employees and management officials.
- Navigating compliance issues and defending compliance reviews specific to contractors and subcontractors who do business with federal or state governments.
- Evaluating, responding to, and defending against occupational health and safety citations.
- Statutory, regulatory, and practical considerations related to EEO, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Act of 1974, and other federal and state enforcement matters (such as outreach and recruitment efforts, assessments and evaluations, policies, website postings and taglines, recordkeeping, accommodations, and internal company processes related to applicants, hires, promotions, terminations, compensation, or any other area of employment).
- Conducting privileged company investigations, along with advising on post-investigation steps.
- Guidance on coverage and preparation of annual Affirmative Action Programs (AAPs).
- Reviewing and updating workplace safety policies and procedures.
- Designing and implementing voluntary, proactive, and privileged plans for gathering and analyzing company workforce data.
- Offering detail-oriented, practical advice and solutions to complex applicant-hire processes, including best practices for the dispositioning of candidates and those involving large amounts of data.
Chris actively shares his knowledge and insights through webinars, speeches, podcasts, blogs, and articles. His public engagements reflect his commitment to educating and empowering companies to navigate the ever-evolving legal landscape.
As a member of several skilled Ogletree practice groups, Chris provides comprehensive counsel and defense on jurisdictional, compliance, safety, and enforcement issues, including those involving the U.S. Department of Labor. He also leverages his years of experience to partner with companies to offer strategic guidance and representation in a variety of specific areas, such as:
- Contracts and jurisdiction – evaluating state and federal contract coverage and obligations, jurisdictional issues, and single entity status considerations.
- Proactive guidance – strategically working side-by-side with company officials in advance of and in response to government reviews or claims of non-compliance with regulations or statutes.
- Interview and onsite preparation and defense – prepare company officials for and defend management interviews, as well as provide legal guidance and representation for virtual and in-person governmental agency on-sites.
- Responding to complaints or citations – working closely with companies to establish and carry out strategic plans for responding to alleged statutory or regulatory violations.
- Settlements – negotiating conciliation agreements and guiding companies through post-settlement obligations.
Chris previously spent more than a decade of his career defending lawsuits and administrative complaints in federal and state courts, as well as various federal and state administrative agencies. He has experience partnering with statisticians and outside vendors on data-specific workforce-related issues, which can further assist companies with their legal needs. Chris also regularly collaborates with attorneys in Ogletree’s other skilled practice and industry groups to offer companies additional support in addressing the varying legal issues that can arise under federal, state, and local labor and employment laws.
Chris is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University.
