Luci L. Nelson

Luci actively litigates for private and public employers of all sizes. Her experience includes defending employers in single-plaintiff and multi-party cases involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation, breach of contract, and other violations of state and federal laws.

Luci has additional experience advising employers, including drafting, modifying, and revising employee policies and procedures. She also represents clients before administrative agencies such as the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Luci’s experience includes:

Employment Litigation

• Obtained arbitration award in favor of retailer against claimant asserting constructive discharge and sex discrimination claims.
• Represented multiple employers in defending against failure to accommodate claims brought under Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act related to COVID-19 vaccination policies.
• Obtained arbitration award for manufacturing client against claimant asserting sex discrimination and Equal Pay Act claims.
• Secured summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s claims against national retailer for wrongful termination in violation of public policy.
• Achieved summary judgment for tree care company and two managers against plaintiff asserting claims of age discrimination and violation of the state wage payment statute.
• Achieved summary judgment against plaintiff’s claims against a manufacturer for race discrimination and retaliation.
• Achieved partial dismissal of federal claims asserted against state agency involving allegations brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
• Represented and obtained a favorable settlement for a grocery chain sued for retaliatory discharge in violation of the state workers’ compensation law.
• Successfully defended numerous discrimination claims brought by pro se plaintiffs.
• Prepared numerous position statements in response to SHAC/EEOC complaints, resulting in dismissal and case closures.

Employment Counseling

• Prepared and revised numerous employee handbooks for both small and multi-state employers.
• Advised clients on a variety of issues, including termination and accommodation of disabilities.
• Created extensive multi-state surveys regarding key state employment laws (military leave, organ donation leave, jury duty, voting, etc.).

Education

• J.D., magna cum laude, Charleston School of Law, 2008
• B.A., cum laude, Washington and Lee University, 2001

Admission to Practice

• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

• American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
• Tennessee Bar Association
• Knox County (TN) Bar Association
• South Carolina State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)

• March 2009 – South Carolina Lawyer – “Just When You Thought You Understood the Family and Medical Leave Act”

• Articles Editor, Federal Courts Law Review
• CALI award for excellent achievement in the study of Employment Discrimination Law