William P. Steinhaus

William “Bill” Steinhaus recently completed a nine-year term in the role of Managing Shareholder of Ogletree’s Atlanta office. For over 30 years, he has focused his practice solely on representing employers in the full spectrum of employment and labor matters.

His in depth knowledge of the law and network within the legal community have resulted in requests for consultation from his peers and others to assist in identifying lawyers outside of his area of expertise and subject matter experts in various cases.

Bill administers the firm’s EPLI program, and is the primary contact with the firm’s insurance carriers. Before joining Ogletree, he was a human resources director first at Federated Department Stores and later at Lockheed. As a result, Bill brings a strong business perspective to his client relationships.

His primary defense activities include employment litigation in state and federal courts including employment discrimination, wage and hour actions, and restrictive covenants/trade secrets enforcement.

Bill has deep experience resolving disputes arising with agencies including the EEOC, OFCCP, Wage and Hour Division, and Georgia’s Department of Labor. In addition, he counsels employers engaged in union avoidance as well as representing them before the NLRB and in collective bargaining.

Bill is also certified as both an arbitrator and mediator by the Georgia Supreme Court. His focus in dispute resolution is primarily in the areas of employment and labor matters. Outside of his practice, Bill is past Chair and continues as a Board Member of Nobis Works, Inc. a not-for-profit, whose mission is to assist individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

Education:

• J.D., cum laude, University of Georgia, 1985
• M.B.A., Georgia State University, 1980
• B.B.A., Georgia State University, 1976

Admitted to Practice:

• Georgia
• South Carolina
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth, Sixth and Eleventh Circuits

Experience: Bill litigates primarily in the federal courts and state courts in Georgia and South Carolina where he is admitted. His employment litigation experience includes:

• Defending the largest domestic textile and chemical manufacturer in all employment litigation
• Representing a national furniture retailer in age-related collective actions
• Prosecuting the enforcement of restrictive covenants against former employers of several major R&D organizations throughout the United States
• Representing regional commercial property management companies in wage and hour collective actions

Bill has developed sophisticated management education programs in the areas of litigation avoidance, utilizing a programmed approach to evaluating and fine-tuning human resource systems. Bill is also co-chair of Ogletree Deakins’ EPLI practice and has a primary relationship with many insurance carriers.

Professional Activities:

• Certified Arbitrator, Georgia Supreme Court (2017)
• Certified Mediator, Georgia Supreme Court (2016)
• American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
• Georgia Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
• South Carolina Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
• Atlanta Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)