Fred W. Suggs, Jr.
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Recognized since 2003
Greenville, South Carolina
Practice Areas
Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
Employment Law - Management
Labor Law - Management
Litigation - ERISA
Litigation - Labor and Employment


Fred Suggs is a certified specialist in labor and employment law by the South Carolina Supreme Court. He is a founding lawyer of Ogletree Deakins, having been with the firm since its inception. Mr. Suggs helps companies avoid work-related legal exposure by giving preventive advice and providing training for managers at client locations. Mr. Suggs speaks regularly at employment law conferences, Bar Programs for other lawyers, Association of Corporate Council Meetings, SHRM Conferences for Human Resources Professionals, and at workshops and seminars sponsored by the firm.Mr. Suggs has wide experience in labor and employment law. He began defending across-the-board class actions in 1976, and has since handled a number of class complaints alleging discrimination based on race, color, sex, and age. Mr. Suggs has defended countless individual claims of discrimination before government agencies and state and federal courts. He has also litigated claims arising under restrictive covenants, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the FMLA, and common law torts and contracts.Mr. Suggs’ experience in union campaigns began with the ACTWU’s assault on J.P. Stevens in the late 1970s. He has advised many companies on the rights and responsibilities of management during card signing activity, and after petitions for elections have been filed. Mr. Suggs has served the South Carolina Bar in many positions, including President, from 2009 to 2010. He has been Chairman of the Labor and Employment Section, Chairman of the Professional Responsibility Committee, and Chairman of the House of Delegates.Mr. Suggs has served his community by Chairing the Board of the Metropolitan YMCA, being General Counsel of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, and Counsel to the Staff Parish Relations Committee at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church.
Contact & Links
- Direct Phone Number: 864-271-1300
- Phone Number: 864-271-1300
- Lawyer Page: https://ogletree.com/people/fred-w-suggs-jr/
Location
- The Ogletree Building
300 North Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601
Education
- The University of Alabama, J.D., graduated 1975
- Kansas State University, BS, graduated 1970
Bar Admissions
- Alabama, Alabama State Bar Association
- Florida, The Florida Bar
- South Carolina, South Carolina Bar
Affiliations
- Alabama Bar Association - Member
- American Bar Association - Member
- College of Labor and Employment Lawyers - Fellow
- Florida Bar Association - Member
- Greenville Chamber of Commerce - Member Manufacturer’s Council
- GSHRM - Member
- SHRM - Member
Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
293 The Best Lawyers in America® awards
94 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America awards


Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Litigation - Labor and Employment, Greenville (2020)
- Labor Law - Management, Greenville (2016)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for work in:
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Employment Law - Management
- Labor Law - Management
- Litigation - ERISA
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
Special Focus:
- Class Actions
- Defense
- Discrimination
- Harassment
- Management
- National Labor Relations Board
Awards:
- South Carolina Super Lawyer (2013)
- 2013 Distinguished Lawyer Award, South Carolina Bar Employment & Labor Law Section
- 2013 Client Service All-Star, BTI Consulting Group
- Chambers Band One (2005 to date)
Cases
Other Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Supreme Court of Alabama
- Supreme Court of Florida
- Supreme Court of South Carolina
- U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Alabama
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas
- U.S. District Court, District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth and Sixth Circuits
Experiecne
- Mr. Suggs helps companies avoid work-related legal exposure by giving preventive advice in his office, and by telephone, e-mail, and written correspondence, as well as on the Company’s premises. He regularly provides training for clients at their facilities. The training centers on the employer’s rights and responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act, and the discrimination laws, including Title VII, the Equal Pay Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Part 2
Mr. Suggs has defended countless individual employment claims in both state and federal courts. Although Mr. Suggs’ objective is to obtain summary judgment for the employer based on pre-trial discovery and motions, some of these matters have been settled (many favorably), and some have been tried to a verdict. Of those tried to a verdict or disposed of on summary judgment, there have been a number of appeals to various courts of appeal and state supreme courts.Mr. Suggs has had campaigns with fewer than ten employees in the Upper Midwest and with several thousand employees for a large manufacturer in the Lower Midwest. He has handled elections in the boroughs of New York City and in small rural communities. Mr. Suggs has experience in presenting Representation cases at the regional level and defending unfair labor practice cases before administrative law judges, the NLRB, and the Courts of Appeal.Mr. Suggs’ office work includes preparing employment contracts, including restrictive covenants, reviewing employee handbooks for legal sufficiency, and preparing collective bargaining proposals.Mr. Suggs works with clients in a number of industries, including apparel, automotive, banking, chemicals, communications, construction, education, finance, food service, grocery, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, retail, sales, technology, textiles, and transportation.Your browser is not fully compatible with our automatic printer friendly formatting.
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