The Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office

The Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office is responsible for most civil trial litigation and legal support for the U.S. Department of Labor for matters arising in the following states:

• Alabama
• Georgia
• Florida
• Kentucky
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee

The Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office and its branch office employ approximately 41 attorneys and 12 legal support staff.

BRANCH OFFICE:

• Nashville, Tennessee

WHAT WE DO:

The Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office:

• recommends and prosecutes litigation at the administrative and U.S. District Court trial levels;
• prepares legal interpretations and opinions;
• defends the Department in labor relations matters before the EEOC and the MSPB; and
• assists the United States Attorney in the prosecution of criminal cases.

While the attorneys employed by the Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office may be called upon to handle cases arising out of any of the Department of Labor's program areas, the majority of work performed in this region arises out of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Wage and Hour Division, the Employee Benefits and Security Administration, the Office of Worker's Compensation Programs (primarily related to Black Lung Benefits), and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Some industries we deal with frequently include agriculture, restaurants, construction, and light manufacturing.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Obtained a favorable decision in a novel OSHA matter involving the death of a SeaWorld trainer at Seaworld's Orlando park. The trainer died as a result of close interaction with SeaWorld's infamous killer whale Tilikum. After a two week bench trial in Sanford, Florida, oral arguments, and post hearing briefs, an Administrative Judge determined, among other things, that SeaWorld violated the OSH Act by allowing close interaction with its killer whales. The proceedings were covered almost daily by news organizations worldwide and were the subject of the award-winning documentary, Blackfish.
• Obtained a preliminary injunction against a car seat manufacturer in Selma, Alabama from further retaliating against an employee who reported unsafe chemical exposures at the company. The company suspended the employee without pay after she appeared in a YouTube video and on a local news program and reported concerns to the company's main client-Hyundai-about chemical exposure at the facility. Read More.
• Obtained a District Court order against fiduciaries that caused an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to purchase 100% of its stock at an inflated price, making the purchases prohibited under ERISA. After a 19-day bench trial a U.S. District Court Judge in Jackson, Mississippi ordered the defendants to pay the plan $6.5 million in restitution and interest as well as attorney's fees.
• OSHA cited a privately-run prison in Mississippi for alleged workplace violence suffered by its guards. After filing an administrative complaint with the OSHRC, the parties entered a Corporate-wide settlement requiring abatement at 42 facilities nationwide and the company's agreement to have an expert audit each facility. Read More.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AGENCIES SUPPORTED:

• Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Office of Labor-Management and Standards (OLMS)
• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management (OASAM)
• Veterans' Employment and Training (VETS)
• Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)

ANNUAL LAW DAY

Since 2013, the Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office has hosted an annual law day with Metro Atlanta high schools who are invited to visit the Sam Nunn Federal Center for an interactive law education program. In 2016, the office partnered with the State Bar of Georgia's law education division which provided the students a moot court experience in addition to the legal education component. Participating high schools as well as our staff attorneys look forward to this yearly outreach program which aims to expose high risk youth to the legal profession.

CONTACT THE ATLANTA REGIONAL SOLICITOR'S OFFICE