Edward G. Phillips ("Ward") heads the Kramer Rayson firm's Employment Law Group, and is a former managing partner of the firm. He represents management exclusively in all areas of employment law and labor relations, including federal and state employment litigation and in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, United States Department of Labor (including the 'OFCCP'), the National Labor Relations Board, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, and the Tennessee Department of Labor.
Mr. Phillips recently headed a defense team that successfully defended a putative class action with 17 named plaintiffs alleging race discrimination in termination, racial harassment, racial failure to promote or transfer, and retaliation for complaining about race discrimination. All 17 plaintiffs were either dismissed on summary judgment, or voluntarily dismissed claims with prejudice in exchange for waiver of court costs after summary judgment was filed. One of these summary judgment dismissals was recently affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Mr. Phillips was also lead counsel in defense of a putative class action alleging race discrimination in failure to hire with a putative class of over 300 members in which the motion to certify the class was denied and individual plaintiffs' claims were dismissed on summary judgment. Mr. Phillips has recent reported Sixth Circuit affirmations of summary judgments in age discrimination, race discrimination, racial harassment, and age, gender, and race discrimination claims involving reductions in force. He obtained summary judgment defending a president of a major university in a reverse race and gender discrimination case which was affirmed by the Sixth Circuit. Many of Mr. Phillips' cases have involved multiple plaintiffs. He recently defended a municipality in a Fair Labor Standards Act case involving over 70 plaintiffs in addition to the putative class action cases described above.
Mr. Phillips has been instrumental in developing training programs in many areas of employment relations. He has presented the Knoxville Bar Association's annual employment law update for over a decade and has made multiple presentations at the annual seminar of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association, most recently in 2008. He has spoken at numerous seminars on employment law and litigation nationally for the Management Labor and Employment Roundtable. Mr. Phillips is a regular editorialist for the Tennessee Bar Journal on labor and employment law issues, and has written a feature article in the Tennessee Bar Journal on the rights of returning Gulf War veterans under the Uniform Services Employee Reinstatement Rights Act ("USERRA").
Mr. Phillips holds a B.A. degree from East Tennessee State University and a J.D. Degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville where he graduated with honors and was named to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Mr. Phillips served as law clerk for Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Houston Goddard. Mr. Phillips is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, various federal district courts and the Tennessee Supreme Court. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has appointed Mr. Phillips to its committee which screens applicants for admission to the court's bar. A native Knoxvillian, Mr. Phillips is active in the Knoxville community. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Helen Ross McNabb Center, a major not-for-profit provider of adult and child mental health and drug and alcohol addiction services for East Tennessee.
Mr. Phillips has been recognized by his peers in the 2003-2007 editions of The Best Lawyers in America; as a leading employment lawyer in Tennessee in the 2004-2007 editions of Chambers USA; America's Leading Business Lawyers; and as a top employment law attorney in Tennessee in the 2005--2007 editions of Mid-South Super Lawyers.
Published Decisions:
Mynatt v. Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., 2008 U.S. App.
LEXIS 6002, 2008 Fed. App. 153N (6th Cir. Tenn. 2008) (Summary judgment affirmed dismissing race discrimination, termination in reduction in force, racial harassment and racial failure to promote claims.)
Leadbetter v. Gilley, 385 F.3d 683 (6th Cir. 2004) (Summary judgment affirmed in reverse race and reverse gender discrimination failure to promote claims.)
Rowan v. Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., 360 F. 3d 544
(6th Cir. 2004) (Summary judgment affirmed in age discrimination reduction in force case with multiple plaintiffs.)
Wade v. Knoxville Utilities Board, 259 F.3d 452 (6th Cir. 2001) (Summary judgment affirmed in race discrimination and retaliation termination claim.)
Copeland v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 221 F.3d 1334, 2000 U.S. App.
LEXIS 24132 (6th Cir. June 30, 2000) (Summary judgment affirmed in age discrimination reduction in force case.)
Shapira v. Lockheed Martin Corp., 201 F.3d 441 (6th Cir. 1999) (Summary judgment affirmed in sex discrimination in reduction in force and sex discrimination in assignment case.)
Davidson v. Lockheed Martin Energy Sys. and Wackenhut Services, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30757 (E.D. Tenn. April 26, 2007) (Summary judgment granted on race discrimination in termination and racial harassment claims.)
Clark v. Lockheed Martin Energy Sys. and Wackenhut Services, Inc., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50692 (E.D. Tenn. July 12, 2007) (Summary judgment granted on multiple plaintiffs race discrimination in promotion, racial harassment and retaliation claims.)
Campbell v. Lockheed Martin Energy Sys. and Wackenhut Services, Inc.,
2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57871 (E.D. Tenn. Aug. 7, 2007) (Summary judgment granted on multiple plaintiffs racial harassment claims and claims of race discrimination in promotions, job assignments and other conditions of employment.)
O’Neal v. Wackenhut Services, Inc., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34634
(E.D. Tenn. May 25, 2006) (Order denying motion to certify class in race discrimination failure to hire claim.)
Messner v. Lockheed Martin Energy Sys., Inc., 126 F.Supp 2d 502
(E.D. Tenn. 2000) (Summary judgment granted on age discrimination reduction in force claim.)
Recent Presentations:
2008
“The Effect of Bankruptcy on Employment Law,” Tennessee Bar Association Employment Law Section, Nashville, Tennessee. (April 2008).
“Employment Law and Regulatory Administration Update,” Management Labor Employer Roundtable, San Diego, California (February 2008).
2007
“Ten Tips on Conducting Reductions in Force,” DOECAA 2007 Fall Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio (October 2007).
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2007).
“Developments in Employment Law,” Kramer Rayson Employment Law Conference (September 2007).
“Managing the Employee Who is Absent” Kramer Rayson Employment Law Conference (September 2007).
2006
“Employment Law Update,” Kramer Rayson Employment Law Conference (October 2006).
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2006).
2005
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act – HR Protection From Ankle Bracelets,” 2005 Labor and Employment Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, Napa, California (November 2005).
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2005).
“Employment Law Update,” Kramer Rayson Employment Law Conference (September 2005).
2004
“Evaluating Employee Performance Without Creating Legal Liabilities,” 2004 Labor and Employment Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, San Diego, California (November 2004).
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2004).
“Employment Law Update,” Kramer Rayson Employment Law Conference (September 2004).
2003
“The Family and Medical Leave Act at 10 – Learning From the Mistakes of Others,” Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, New Orleans, Louisiana (October 2003).
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2003).
2002
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2002).
2001
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2001).
2000
“E-Litigation – Employer’s Exposure for Electronic Communications,” Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, New Orleans, Louisiana (October 2000).
“Employment Law Update,” Knoxville Bar Association, Lunch and Learn (September 2000).
