Member Firm Profile

Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson, P.C.

Firm Profile

Address:

Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson, P.C.
Forbes Building
1914 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 500
Birmingham, Alabama 35203

Phone: (205) 323-9278
Fax: (205) 326-3008

Firm Size:

7 Lawyers

Primary Contact:

Michael Thompson
mthompson@lehrmiddlebrooks.com

Attorneys Admitted to Practice In:

Alabama
Colorado
Georgia
Mississippi
Texas

Firm Description

Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson, P.C. practices labor and employment law on behalf of management, with a focus on management rights and actions that management can take, rather than on what they cannot do. We pride ourselves on providing prompt, quality and creative legal services. Our philosophy is that labor and employment counsel is a collaborative process with our clients, designed to meet their business objectives.

Our clients range from the world's largest companies, such as bp and Xerox to small closely-held businesses and cover every facet of the economy from manufacturing, energy and agriculture to banking, law and high technology.

At Lehr Middlebrooks Vreeland & Thompson, P.C., our attorneys represent employers in every aspect of the employment relationship including preventive counseling, internal training and audits, the defense of employment litigation, union representation campaigns, collective bargaining and contract administration, business restructuring, affirmative action planning and other government contractor requirements, safety and health, employee benefits, wage and hour requirements, and the protection of intellectual property. Our attorneys represent our clients throughout the United States in state and federal courts on the full range of employment issues including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract and state law torts. In addition, our attorneys have litigated cases throughout the country before the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state fair employment agencies.

In addition to our attorneys, Lehr Middlebrooks utilizes a staff of recognized experts on human resource issues, wage and hour compliance, and equal opportunity compliance to provide our clients with experienced counsel on every aspect of the employment relationship. 
 

To learn more, visit http://www.lehrmiddlebrooks.com.

Firm Representatives

Whitney represents businesses in employment-related disputes. She regularly speaks and writes on employment law, especially on medical leave and disability issues. Whitney is a presenter for her firm’s Effective Supervisor training program and also edits the firm’s monthly Employment Law Bulletin. She has been named a Rising Star by SuperLawyers, a Top Attorney for Employment by Birmingham Magazine, and a Top Woman Attorney by B-Metro Magazine. Whitney is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Alabama and Mississippi.

Practice Specialties

  • Employment Litigation Defense
  • Discrimination/Human rights
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wrongful discharge/Wrongful dismissal
  • Class, collective and representative actions (defense of)
  • EEOC/EEO investigations
  • FMLA
  • Retaliation/Whistleblower claims
  • Internal complaint investigations
  • Wage and hour/FLSA defense/Employment standards
  • Responses to administrative agency charges
  • Employment Counseling and Advice
  • Supervisor and harassment/violence training
  • Handbook Review
  • Leave laws
  • Personnel policies
  • Wage and hour audits
  • Labor Unions/Labor Relations
  • Union avoidance and elections
  • Supervisor training
  • Unfair labor practices
  • NLRB/Labor Relations Board Proceedings
  • Mediation
  • Arbitration
  • Employment Contracts and Litigation
  • Trade secrets and non-compete agreements
  • Confidentiality and trade secret agreements
  • Non-compete/non-solicit agreements
  • Workplace Privacy

My colleagues and I have received the highest accolades possible from the Chambers Guide to America's Leading Lawyers for Business, SuperLawyers, Best Lawyers and other lawyer rating services you can't buy or shmooze your way into. Our Firm's staff includes a former EEOC investigator/mediator, former NLRB senior litigator, former EEOC regional attorney, former Wage and Hour District Director and former OSHA Area Administrator. My note-worthy non-practice experiences include running three marathons in seven weeks and finishing second in a competitive eating contest.

Practice Specialties

  • Employment Litigation Defense
  • Discrimination/Human rights
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wrongful discharge/Wrongful dismissal
  • EEOC/EEO investigations
  • FMLA
  • Retaliation/Whistleblower claims
  • Internal complaint investigations
  • Wage and hour/FLSA defense/Employment standards
  • Responses to administrative agency charges
  • Employment Counseling and Advice
  • Supervisor and harassment/violence training
  • Handbook Review
  • Compliance/Compliance audits
  • Leave laws
  • Personnel policies
  • Wage and hour audits
  • WARN Act/Plant closings/RIF Planning
  • Labor Unions/Labor Relations
  • Union avoidance and elections
  • Collective bargaining
  • Supervisor training
  • Arbitration
  • Mediation
  • NLRB/Labor Relations Board Proceedings
  • Unfair labor practices
  • Construction labor relations
  • Strikes and lockouts (planning and related court and board litigation)
  • Employment Contracts and Litigation
  • Non-compete/non-solicit agreements
  • Termination provisions (statutory requirements and reasonable notice)
  • Defamation
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • OSHA inspection and compliance (US)
  • Employee Benefits and Compensation
  • Employee benefits
  • ERISA
  • Pay equity
  • Workplace Privacy
  • Human Rights
  • Workers Compensation

Graduate of Alabama business school and law school. Masters of labor relation from Cornell. Worked in labor relations in unionized chemical and metals plants for about 8 years before law school. Litigated labor and employment matters for 34 years.

Practice Specialties

  • Employment Litigation Defense
  • Discrimination/Human rights
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wrongful discharge/Wrongful dismissal
  • Class, collective and representative actions (defense of)
  • EEOC/EEO investigations
  • FMLA
  • Retaliation/Whistleblower claims
  • Internal complaint investigations
  • Class actions
  • Wage and hour/FLSA defense/Employment standards
  • Responses to administrative agency charges
  • Employment Counseling and Advice
  • Supervisor and harassment/violence training
  • Handbook Review
  • Compliance/Compliance audits
  • Leave laws
  • Personnel policies
  • Wage and hour audits
  • WARN Act/Plant closings/RIF Planning
  • Employment Contracts and Litigation
  • Non-compete/non-solicit agreements
  • Confidentiality and trade secret agreements
  • Trade secrets and non-compete agreements
  • Executive employment agreements (including change of control)
  • Termination provisions (statutory requirements and reasonable notice)
  • Defamation
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • OSHA inspection and compliance (US)
  • Workplace Privacy

Mike Thompson is the firm’s Managing Shareholder. He practices labor and employment and employee benefits law throughout Alabama and the United States. Mike also advises businesses regarding strategic concerns and compliance with immigration regulations and assists businesses with obtaining employer sponsored visas for foreign workers. Mike devotes a significant portion of his time to counseling employers regarding best practices to creatively mitigate risk while remaining focused on accomplishing underlying business objectives. Mike takes pride in being described by clients as resourceful, proactive, creative and responsive. Prior to returning home to Alabama in 2000, Mike was associated with the Houston, Texas office of Haynes and Boone, LLP where his practice encompassed a broad range of commercial litigation matters, including the trial and defense of class actions, in federal and state court. Mike received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law.

Practice Specialties

  • Employment Litigation Defense
  • Discrimination/Human rights
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wrongful discharge/Wrongful dismissal
  • Class, collective and representative actions (defense of)
  • EEOC/EEO investigations
  • FMLA
  • Retaliation/Whistleblower claims
  • Internal complaint investigations
  • Class actions
  • Wage and hour/FLSA defense/Employment standards
  • Responses to administrative agency charges
  • Employment Counseling and Advice
  • Supervisor and harassment/violence training
  • Handbook Review
  • Compliance/Compliance audits
  • WARN Act/Plant closings/RIF Planning
  • Wage and hour audits
  • Personnel policies
  • Employment Contracts and Litigation
  • Non-compete/non-solicit agreements
  • Confidentiality and trade secret agreements
  • Trade secrets and non-compete agreements
  • Executive employment agreements (including change of control)
  • Pension, benefit and bonus provisions
  • Termination provisions (statutory requirements and reasonable notice)
  • Defamation
  • Employee Benefits and Compensation
  • Employee benefits
  • ERISA
  • Executive compensation
  • Immigration

Al defends the entire range of employment litigation and is a frequent speaker and writer on issues of employment law. He is the editor of the Alabama Employment Law Letter and a contributing editor of the Alabama Employer's Desk Manual. His published works include "How to Conduct Internal Investigations," the Investigations Chapter in HR Guide to Employment Law: A Practical Compliance Reference; the Alabama Chapter in 50 Employment Laws in 50 States.  Al received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, where he was a teaching assistant in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He received his law degree with honors from the University of Michigan Law School.

Practice Specialties

  • Employment Litigation Defense
  • Discrimination/Human rights
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Wrongful discharge/Wrongful dismissal
  • Class, collective and representative actions (defense of)
  • EEOC/EEO investigations
  • FMLA
  • Retaliation/Whistleblower claims
  • Internal complaint investigations
  • Class actions
  • Wage and hour/FLSA defense/Employment standards
  • Responses to administrative agency charges
  • Employment Counseling and Advice
  • Handbook Review
  • Compliance/Compliance audits
  • Leave laws
  • Personnel policies
  • Wage and hour audits
  • WARN Act/Plant closings/RIF Planning
  • Employment Contracts and Litigation
  • Non-compete/non-solicit agreements
  • Confidentiality and trade secret agreements
  • Trade secrets and non-compete agreements
  • Executive employment agreements (including change of control)
  • Termination provisions (statutory requirements and reasonable notice)
  • Defamation
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • OSHA inspection and compliance (US)
  • Workplace Privacy
  • Human Rights