Edward Young

Edward R. Young is a shareholder in the Memphis office of Baker Donelson, where he is engaged in a unique nationwide practice limited exclusively to the representation of management in all phases of labor relations and employment law.

Mr. Young began his practice with Newell Fowler, who was known as one of the first labor relations attorneys in the nation. For more than thirty years he has assisted clients in labor and employment litigation in state and federal courts in issues dealing with the EEOC and NLRB.

He has litigated in federal courts opposite the EEOC, tried cases before the NLRB, as well as handled union elections before that agency. He has also defended matters before the U.S. Department of Labor. He has assisted clients in conducting self audits, and audits of subcontractors to assure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, The Davis-Bacon Act and The Service Contract Act.

Mr. Young was previously appointed by both the City of Memphis Mayor and the Shelby County Mayor to serve as a special attorney for those bodies handling labor relations matters dealing with the Fire Department, Police and Sheriff’s Department and the Hospital Authority.

The cornerstone of his philosophy and practice is the belief that in labor relations matters, it is not sufficient merely to advise clients as to what they cannot do. What is essential is the ability to furnish clients with an affirmative “game plan,” and then to provide the methodical and detailed planning that will ensure its success. He believes that excellence can be achieved only through a combination of skill, innovation, and consistency.

EDUCATION:

• Vanderbilt University School of Law, J.D., 1966
• Memphis State University, B.S., 1963

ADMISSIONS:

• Tennessee:  all state courts including Tennessee Supreme Court
• United States District Court, Northern District of Mississippi
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
• United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit

Representative Matters:

• Won a $770,000 judgment against the EEOC in a class action that alleged our client, a staffing company, engaged in race discrimination by not hiring convicted felons. The case was brought in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Michigan, and affirmed by the 6th Circuit.
• Served as lead counsel for poultry processing company in a union campaign brought by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). The election involved the UFCW trying to organize over 500 workers at the client’s plant near Cincinnati, Ohio, which operates three shifts and employs over 600 workers. The parties campaigned intensively for weeks in the election, with the final vote tally 302 to 178 in favor of the client. The campaign also involved Baker Donelson successfully defending and resolving nine unfair labor practice charges on the client’s behalf.

Professional Honors & Activities:

• Member – Memphis, Tennessee and American (Member, Labor and Employment Law Section, Committees on Equal Employment Opportunity Law) Bar Associations
• Adjunct Professor of Labor Legislation – University of Memphis
• President – Memphis Jewish Federation (1987 – 1989)
• President – Economic Club of Memphis (2004)
• Former Board Member – Memphis Jewish Community Center