Businesses choose Seth T. Ford for his consistent advice and strategic thinking. His wide-ranging experience in labor negotiations, arbitrations, restrictive covenants, and crucial trade secret and employee piracy concerns makes him sought–after for employers facing challenges by competing businesses and unions.
On behalf of clients ranging from startups to Fortune 100 Companies, in union and non-union settings, Seth litigates and advises on matters involving confidentiality and non-compete agreements, trade secret misappropriation, union activities and unfair labor practices, whistle-blowing, discrimination, and wage and hour laws.
He has successfully litigated labor and employment matters as lead counsel in over a dozen states and throughout the Southeast, including a variety of class and collective action claims.
Seth regularly provides counsel to clients engaged in IT and software based business consulting, heavy equipment manufacturing, construction, forest products manufacturing, federal security contracting and nuclear and electric utilities.
In addition to his experience before trial courts, Seth has extensive experience before appellate courts and has represented clients in more than sixty labor arbitrations.
Representative Matters :
- On behalf of steel products distributor and sales candidate, obtained hearing and consent injunction within 8 days of initiating action to invalidate non-compete on way to achieving favorable settlement.
- Following multiple hearings in pursuit of trade secrets misappropriation claim against former programmer and direct competitor of SAAS client, obtained permanent injunctive relief against both defendants prohibiting use of client trade secrets and mandatory purge of data from defendant’s systems.
- On behalf of heating and cooling system manufacturer, utilized forensic data recovery to demonstrate trade secrets misappropriation by defecting product engineer; prior to suit, achieved termination of engineer from employment by competitor and purge of data from competitor’s computer systems.
- Utilized forensic data recovery to successfully negotiate pre-suit resolution of trade secrets misappropriation dispute within printing industry.
- Within a six month period and without payment of any settlement money, obtained dismissal of four separate harassment and discrimination lawsuits on behalf of a regional life insurance provider.
- Obtained summary judgment as lead counsel in defending multiple claims of discriminatory discharge and violations of Family Medical Leave Act.
- National counsel and lead negotiator for federal security contractor in bargaining multiple labor agreements.
- Successfully managed Union avoidance campaign on behalf of southeastern paper manufacturer under NLRB quickie election rules.
- Lead counsel on behalf of forests products company in obtaining NLRB recommendation for union withdrawal of unfair labor practice charge alleging that over 200 sub-contracts were unlawful under the National Labor Relations Act.
Professional and Community Involvement :
- Board of Directors, Senior Connections. Inc.
- Arkansas Bar Association
- Texas Bar Association
- State Bar of Georgia (Trial Practice and Employment Law Sections)
- Atlanta Lawyer’s Club
Professional Experience : Senior Law Clerk, United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, 1997-2001.
EDUCATION :
- University of Arkansas School of Law, J.D., 1997, Member, Board of Advocates; Co-champion, William H. Sutton Trial Advocacy Competition; Member, National Trial Advocacy Team
- University of Arkansas, B.A., 1994
BAR ADMISSIONS : Arkansas, Georgia, Texas.
COURT ADMISSIONS :
- Supreme Court of the United States
- District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
- Arkansas Court of Appeals
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- Texas Supreme Court
Cost
Rate : $$$