Warren R. Hall, Jr.

Partner

Location:

Atlanta, GA

Wit Hall has practiced labor and employment law his entire legal career. His practice focuses in five areas: (a) employment civil rights litigation, (b) employment transition litigation (restrictive covenants, trade secrets, related tort and contract claims), (c) drafting and negotiating employment contracts, severance agreements and related transactional work, (d) client counseling, and (e) federal contractor affirmative action (OFCCP) compliance and litigation.

After fourteen years at an AmLaw100 law firm in Atlanta, he founded the solo practice firm W.R. Hall, LLC in 2008. Two years later in April 2010, two long-time friends joined him to start the firm of Hall, Arbery & Gilligan LLP. Since then, the firm has more than tripled in size and become Hall, Gilligan, Roberts & Shanlever LLP.

From 2007-2018, Wit has been one of the Georgia employment lawyers selected as America’s Leading Lawyers for Business by Chambers & Partners. He also has been named as Atlanta Magazine Georgia Superlawyers in 2010-2017. He has received a peer review rating of AV by Martindale-Hubble.

Prior to entering private practice, Wit served as a judicial law clerk in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, clerking for the Honorable G. Ernest Tidwell (1992-94). As a partner for over eight years in the Labor & Employment group at Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta, Wit has seen the spectrum of legal issues and cases at one of the largest employment practice groups in the southeastern U.S.

Admitted to Practice

Georgia
U.S. District Court (N.D. Ga.)
U.S. Court of Appeals (11th Circuit)

Education

University of Georgia, School of Law (J.D., 1992)
Princeton University (A.B., 1988)

Awards and Professional Recognition

Recognized by Chambers USA as a leading labor and employment lawyer in the state, selected by clients, 2007-2017
Selected for inclusion in ‘Georgia Super Lawyers’ (Employment and Labor), as published in Atlanta Magazine and Georgia Super Lawyers magazine®, 2010-2018
Selected for inclusion in ‘Georgia Rising Stars’ (Employment Law and Litigation), as published in Atlanta Magazine and Georgia Super Lawyers magazine®, 2005-2006

Representative Experience

Defended and prosecuted cases involving covenants restricting post-employment competitive activities (“non-competes” and “non-solicits”), misappropriation and unfair competition litigation (prosecution and defense) in federal and state courts and arbitration proceedings under FINRA and AAA.
Trade secret misappropriation under Uniform Trade Secrets Act; Georgia’s computer trespass statute; breach of confidentiality and proprietary information contracts; tortuous interference with contract and business relations; civil conspiracy, breach of fiduciary duty and duty of loyalty; fraud; conversion; unjust enrichment.
Drafted independent contractor and vendor services agreements, employment agreements, severance agreements, litigation settlement agreements, non-compete and non-solicitation covenants, confidential and proprietary information agreements, arbitration agreements.
Litigated and tried cases under virtually every type of civil rights employment opportunity statute: Title VII (race, national origin, sex, and retaliation); EEOC collective action under Title VII § 706; § 1981 (race and retaliation); ADEA (age and retaliation); ADA (disability and public accommodation); FMLA (unlawful termination and retaliation); FLSA (civil litigation and administrative proceedings); state non-discrimination laws; intentional infliction of emotional distress; defamation.
Proficient at complex statistical analysis (standard deviation and binomial tests, essential for evaluating class actions, RIF and adverse impact analyses, and federal contractor affirmative action claims.
Extensive experience working with computer forensic analysts to plan, execute, and analyze forensic data retrieved from computers, servers, systems, and other media.
Defended dozens of clients in Executive Order 11246 federal contractor affirmative action audits, corporate management reviews, and affected class proceedings.
Drafted scores of affirmative action programs for federal contractors.

Publications

Presenter of “So Long, Farewell . . . Severance Policies/Agreements and Restrictive Covenants,” SHRM (March 2015)
Co-Author of “Keeping Your Genies in the Bottle: 10 Steps to Protect Your Most Sensitive Secrets,” Georgia Bar Journal (December 2008).
Co-Author of “Proving Disability in the Performance of Manual Tasks: The Supreme Court’s Latest ADA Decision,” Georgia Bar Journal (August 2002).
“Preserving and Managing Your Electronic Records – Overview of New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,” BNA (2007).
“Who is an Internet Applicant? What OFFCP’s New Regulations Mean for Federal Contractors,” BNA (2006 & 2007).
“What HR Should Know About Waivers, Releases and Severance Agreements,” BNA (2005).