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Areas of Practice
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Representative Experience
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Professional Background
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Professional/Civic Activities
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Speaking Engagements
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Court Admissions
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Bar Admissions
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Education
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Achievements
Areas of Practice
Mr. Sizemore is an employment law litigation partner in the Firm's Charlotte Office. His employment law experience ranges from human resource advising and pre-litigation risk management to trial and appellate practice. He regularly advises on compliance and litigation avoidance measures and represents employers in state and federal court and arbitration venues and before administrative agencies on the complete spectrum of employment and employment-related matters.
Mr. Sizemore has defended employers in a wide range of employment discrimination actions, wrongful termination actions, work-related defamation cases, and wage and hour cases in both individual and collective action settings. He has successfully led multi-venue, team, and senior executive level litigation in non-competition disputes, trade secret and confidential information disputes, employee raiding cases, fiduciary duty actions, partnership dissolution cases, and other conflicts that arise in the human resources and employment areas. Mr. Sizemore has extensive experience in managing the electronic discovery and computer forensic examination issues that typically arise in employee raiding and trade secret cases.
Mr. Sizemore is experienced in handling employment-related and commercial litigation matters in a wide variety of industries, including health services and products, consumer product manufacturing and distribution, engineering, high technology and related staffing services, securities and financial advising services, construction services, insurance and insurance brokerage industries, and travel services. He is known for finding pragmatic, cost-effective solutions that stay focused on the client's business goals.
Mr. Sizemore also assists employers with drafting employment-related contracts, confidentiality and non-competition agreements, and workplace policies. He coordinates with the Firm’s employee benefits group on matters related to executive compensation, stock agreements and employee benefit plans. In working with corporate attorneys, he supports business transactions with due diligence on employment law issues raised in mergers, acquisitions, and outsourcing transactions.
Mr. Sizemore has been recognized by his peers as one of the "Best Lawyers in America" for Labor and Employment Law and Commercial Litigation.
Representative Experience
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Defended a national hotel chain in lawsuit with United States Department of Labor on Fair Labor Standards Act classifications of exempt employees.
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Defended regional medical practices in wrongful termination cases involving senior physicians.
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Defended national and regional clients in employment discrimination and retaliation cases.
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Represented employers in a wide variety of lawsuits, enforcing and opposing non-competition and non-disclosure covenants, resolving commission and severance disputes, and dealing with breaches of fiduciary duties and employee duties of loyalty.
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Enforced stock restriction agreements with departing employees.
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Defended an international insurance brokerage firm for alleged errors and omissions in the procurement of fidelity coverage.
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Represented regional electrical contracting company against claims of employee raiding.
- Represented an international insurance brokerage firm as a plaintiff alleging employee raiding, enforcing the N.C. Trade Secrets Act and the N.C. Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Professional Background
Prior to entering into legal practice, Mr. Sizemore taught at the New College of the University of South Florida, as an Assistant Professor, and as an Associate Professor of the Study of Religion, 1986-1993.
Professional/Civic Activities
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North Carolina Bar Association
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Mecklenburg County Bar Association, Law & Society Committee, Member and Co-chair, 1997-2000
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Council for Children's Rights, Board of Directors, 2006-2010; President and Board Chair, 2006-2007
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Children's Law Center, Board of Directors, 1998-2006; President and Board Chair, 2005-2006
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Community Link and Travelers' Aid Society, Board of Directors, 1999-2004
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North Carolina Medical Society, Bioethics Committee, Taskforce Member, 1998-1999
Speaking Engagements
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"Personality Testing and Employee Selection Procedures: Maximizing Your Benefit and Minimizing Litigation Risk," North Carolina Industrial- Organizational Psychology Group, 2009 Bi-Annual Meeting, September 11, 2009
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"Cobra Changes: Implementing the New Cobra Subsidy and How It Impacts Severance Packages," presented via webinar, with Mary Turk-Meena and Stacy Barrow, April 7, 2009
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"Employment Selection Procedures: Maximizing Your Benefit and Minimizing Litigation Risks," Center for Applied Cognitive Studies, 2009 Annual Conference, February 20, 2009
- "Employment Law Issues in Managing Modern Medical Practices," National Organization of Rheumatology Managers, 2006 Annual Conference
- "Employment Law Developments," presentation, Sterling Continuing Legal Education Seminar, December 2005
- "Sexual Harassment Basics in a Modern Medical Practice Setting," Lorman Educational Services Seminar, Charlotte, N.C., 1999
Court Admissions
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U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
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U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
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U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
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North Carolina State Courts
Bar Admissions
Education
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J.D.,
Yale Law School
(1996)
(Coker Fellow)
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Ph.D.,
Harvard University
(1987)
(with highest honors)
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M.A.,
Harvard University
(1983)
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Master of Arts in Religion,
Yale University
(1980)
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A.B.,
Amherst College
(1977)
(summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa)
Achievements
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Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment Law, Commercial Litigation, 2010, 2011
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Legal Elite, North Carolina Business Magazine, Employment Law, 2010
- Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment Law, 2009
- 1998 Pro-Bono Attorney of the Year Award, Mecklenburg County Bar and the Children's Law Center
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