John W, Stapleton

Jack Stapleton is a partner in the firm's Atlanta office and a member of the Employee Defection and Trade Secrets Practice Group and Manufacturing Industry Team. He represents management in all areas of labor and employment law in state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies.

Jack’s practice focuses on litigation relating to covenants not to compete, non-solicitation and non-disclosure provisions, employee raiding, trade secrets, the duty of loyalty, federal and state computer protection statutes, and similar issues arising from the movement of employees between competitor firms. Jack has successfully litigated dozens of employee defection matters in numerous state and federal courts, both on the plaintiff and defense side.

Jack also defends employers against single and multi-plaintiff claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour violations brought under various federal and state laws.

In addition to his litigation practice, Jack provides practical advice to employers designed to minimize the risk of litigation. Jack works with national and local clients of all sizes, across a range of industries, to provide practical solutions to day-to-day employment issues. This includes counseling employers on all aspects of state and federal employment laws. Jack also drafts and reviews employment agreements, restrictive covenants, severance agreements, and other employment forms, and he conducts training on topics such as employment law compliance and avoidance of harassment claims.

Jack regularly writes articles and speaks on a variety of labor and employment law topics, and he provides pro bono legal assistance to Georgia non-profit organizations through the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta.