Paul Chappell is a partner with McGuireWoods, and a member of both the firm’s labor and employment and higher education groups. Paul’s national employment practice involves high-stakes litigation, counseling on a variety of employment matters, and reviewing and negotiating executive level employment contracts. Paul’s employment practice has a specific focus on retail clients, and he acts as editor in chief of the firm’s Consumer Products & Retail industry team’s blog, One-Stop Shop, which provides insights and updates to retailers on a multitude of legal issues impacting the retail industry. Paul’s higher education practice includes representing high-level employees in their contract negotiations with universities, as well as representing student-athletes in eligibility disputes with the NCAA.
Paul’s employment litigation experience includes the defense of clients in federal and state courts and arbitration proceedings against employment-related claims, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Paul has also represented clients in both the prosecution and defense of unfair competition claims, including claims related to non-compete agreements and the misappropriation of trade secrets.
Paul also has extensive experience in defending clients across a range of industries against class, collective, and representative actions. Paul has also been on the cutting edge of defending mass arbitration disputes, including defending several entities against mass arbitration attacks and drafting numerous articles and presentations on best practices in defending against this relatively new vehicle of attack.
Paul’s employment practice also includes providing advice and counsel to clients on employment matters, drafting employment, separation, and restrictive covenant agreements, providing due diligence for employment matters in corporate deals, and reviewing employee handbooks and other workplace policies.
Paul also has experience working in-house for a high-profile retailer in the exercise equipment space. Paul’s time in-house included overseeing and partnering with outside counsel on claims related to product safety and consumer recalls. Paul’s in-house experience gives him a unique perspective, allows him to better understand what clients are looking for in their outside counsel, and helps him meet and exceed clients’ expectations.