Mr. Lemley has practiced exclusively in the area of labor and employment law and related litigation since 1995. He concentrates his practice primarily in litigation of employment and employment related commercial disputes and employer counseling. He has represented employers in a wide range of litigation matters in both state and federal court, and before arbitrators, administrative law judges and other tribunals in disputes involving alleged discrimination based on race, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin and the FMLA, sexual and racial harassment, retaliation (including workers’ compensation and whistleblower retaliation), tortious interference with contract, ERISA violations, LMRA claims, employment contract disputes and other employment related claims and commercial disputes, including numerous non-compete and non-solicitation disputes. He also has extensive experience representing clients in class and collective action wage and hour claims brought under the FLSA and state wage laws. He also has practiced before numerous state administrative hearing tribunals and has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and early neutral evaluation.
Mr. Lemley also is a certified mediator for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri and for the State of Missouri. Additionally, he assists both private and public employers in the development, implementation and application of harassment, drug testing, family medical leave and a wide range of other personnel policies and in drafting and revising employee handbooks, and has counseled clients in developing overarching HR compliance plans, conducting HR compliance audits, engaging in mass layoffs and in evaluating employment and labor issues related to business combinations. Mr. Lemley has presented client seminars on topics ranging from harassment to employee evaluation, discipline and termination in light of state and federal employment laws, to proper hiring protocol, navigating employee leave laws, social media, workplace technologies and a broad range of other topics. Mr. Lemley also frequently addresses the television, radio and print media on a variety of employment related topics.
Mr. Lemley has been designated a 2009-present Missouri Super Lawyer based on peer surveys by Law & Politics recognizing him as among the top 5% of attorneys in Missouri. Mr. Lemley has been listed in Chambers USA since 2010, where he has been singled out as one of the top labor and employment lawyers in the country and for “delivering easily understandable advice and taking time to understand client interests fully,” and highlighted for his work in wrongful termination and discrimination matters. Mr. Lemley has been listed in Best Lawyers since 2013, and is a 2017 and 2018 BTI Client Service MVP.
Mr. Lemley founded the St. Louis office of Ogletree Deakins in 2007.
