Stephen Woods represents and counsels companies on a wide range of labor and employment law issues—though a significant focus of his practice is on background checks (counseling and litigation), reductions in force (including the ADEA/OWBPA, WARN, and state mini-WARNs), and multi-state compliance. He assists national, regional, and local clients on preventive analysis and advice, class and single-plaintiff employment litigation, and EEOC and state agency charges. He is the chair of both the firm’s OD Comply compliance solutions group and the Background Checks Practice Group and the shareholder-author of the OD Comply: Background Checks subscription and the OD Comply: E-Signatures materials. He is a founding member and past co-chair of the firm’s national RIF/WARN Practice Group. He is a member of the firm’s small COVID-19 leadership team responsible for providing client advice and colleague assistance during the pandemic.
Stephen lives by a client-centric mantra that combines prevention and practicality to create innovative, business-centered, legally-compliant solutions. Making national clients happy takes a unique skill set, which Stephen has developed and honed during his 25+ years with the firm.
Before becoming a lawyer, Stephen served as the Manager of Administrative Services at The Greenville News (Greenville, SC), where he managed the HR function of this 500-employee newspaper publishing company.