Paul Lancaster Adams is the Managing Shareholder of Ogletree Deakins' Philadelphia office. With a strong in-house and outside counsel background, Paul brings a unique perspective and focus to his national clients. He has skillfully addressed a broad range of key employment issues critical to the modern workplace through counseling, negotiation and litigation. Paul has particular experience with employment single/multiple plaintiff and class action matters as well as wage and hour, non-compete and trade secret litigation. He has successfully tried to verdict over 25 matters in federal and state courts and handled numerous arbitrations and mediations. Among many honors, Paul is listed in the Best Lawyers in America. He has been further singled out, nationally, as one of "The Legal 500" and the National Law Journal rates him as one of the "Top Lawyers in Pennsylvania." He has been recognized regionally as a "Top Pennsylvania Lateral Hire" and named "Pennsylvania Diverse Attorney of the Year" by The Legal Intelligencer (oldest law journal in the United States). The Philadelphia Business Journal distinguished Paul as one of the "Noteworthy Philadelphia-Area Lateral Attorney" hires of the year and most recently, selected him to receive the "Minority Business Leader Executive Award" which recognizes top level Corporate Executives and Advocates who play a strong role in their respective industries and communities. Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Paul served as Associate General Counsel and Chief Employment Litigator to Microsoft Corporation. He also led the strategic and tactical handling of class actions and high-level domestic and non-United States corporate investigations. As part of the company's Legal and Corporate Affairs External Leadership, he also served as Sr. Director of Government Affairs where he supported and advised the company's largest customer base. During his career with Microsoft, he was honored with the National Bar Association's "Clyde E. Bailey Award for Corporate Leadership." Preceding Microsoft, Paul was a partner at one of the premier law firms in Philadelphia. Paul is involved in numerous civic and charitable activities. He currently serves on the Governing Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Eastern Pennsylvania and re-elected to the Board of Directors for Philadelphia Young Playwrights (term starting in September 2013).
Lawyer Profile
Paul Lancaster Adams
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Recognized Since:2014
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Recognized in:Litigation - Labor and Employment
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Law School:Wake Forest University
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Website:
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E-mail:
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Location:1735 Market Street, Suite 3000Philadelphia, PA 19103
Paul Lancaster Adams is the Managing Shareholder of Ogletree Deakins' Philadelphia office. With a strong in-house and outside counsel background, Paul brings a unique perspective and focus to his national clients. He has skillfully addressed a broad range of key employment issues critical to the modern workplace through counseling, negotiation and litigation. Paul has particular experience with employment single/multiple plaintiff and class action matters as well as wage and hour, non-compete and trade secret litigation. He has successfully tried to verdict over 25 matters in federal and state courts and handled numerous arbitrations and mediations. Among many honors, Paul is listed in the Best Lawyers in America. He has been further singled out, nationally, as one of "The Legal 500" and the National Law Journal rates him as one of the "Top Lawyers in Pennsylvania." He has been recognized regionally as a "Top Pennsylvania Lateral Hire" and named "Pennsylvania Diverse Attorney of the Year" by The Legal Intelligencer (oldest law journal in the United States). The Philadelphia Business Journal distinguished Paul as one of the "Noteworthy Philadelphia-Area Lateral Attorney" hires of the year and most recently, selected him to receive the "Minority Business Leader Executive Award" which recognizes top level Corporate Executives and Advocates who play a strong role in their respective industries and communities. Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Paul served as Associate General Counsel and Chief Employment Litigator to Microsoft Corporation. He also led the strategic and tactical handling of class actions and high-level domestic and non-United States corporate investigations. As part of the company's Legal and Corporate Affairs External Leadership, he also served as Sr. Director of Government Affairs where he supported and advised the company's largest customer base. During his career with Microsoft, he was honored with the National Bar Association's "Clyde E. Bailey Award for Corporate Leadership." Preceding Microsoft, Paul was a partner at one of the premier law firms in Philadelphia. Paul is involved in numerous civic and charitable activities. He currently serves on the Governing Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Eastern Pennsylvania and re-elected to the Board of Directors for Philadelphia Young Playwrights (term starting in September 2013).
Lawyer Bio
Education:
- Wake Forest University, J.D., graduated 1993
- Virginia Commonwealth University, BS, graduated 1990
Bar Admissions:
- Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Bar Association
- New York, New York State Bar Association
Affiliations:
- American Bar Association - Member
- Barristers Association of Philadelphia - Member
- Big Brothers Big Sisters SEPA Governing Board of Directors - Member
- Defense Research Institute - Member
- Jenkins Law Library Board - Past Member
- National Bar Association - Member
- National Employment Law Council - Member
- Philadelphia Bar Association - Member
- Philadelphia Prison Board - Past Member
- Philadelphia Young Playwrights Board - Member
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:
- Litigation - Labor and Employment
Awards:
- AV "Preeminent" Peer Rating by Martindale-Hubbell
- Pennsylvania Diverse Attorney of the Year by The Legal Intelligencer (2013)
- Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award (2002)
- “On the Verge” by American Law Media (2007)
- National Bar Association Clyde E. Bailey Award for Corporate Leadership (2009)
- Top Pennsylvania Lateral Hire of 2012 by The Legal Intelligencer
- Philadelphia Business Journal's Minority Business Leader Executive Award (2013)
- National Law Journal, Top Lawyer for Pennsylvania
- Legal 500: Labor and Employment - Labor & Employment Litigation
Firm Details
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
http://www.ogletree.com
Headquarters
One Ninety One Peachtree Tower, Suite 4800
191 Peachtree Street, NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 881.1300
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Lawyer Case History
Success in Labor Matters
- Successfully tried to verdict (with $20M demand) matter, involving multiple entertainment-industry personnel, surrounding a dangerous fire stunt that went awry during a professional wrestling event severely burning fans. (Facts of incident were portrayed in a New York Times #1 best-selling autobiography which was used by plaintiffs during trial.) The clients, a world-renown entertainment group and sports entertainers, were all exonerated of any wrongdoing
- Favorably resolved Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) misclassification case involving one of the largest food manufacturers in the world.
- Successful defense of Fair Labor Standards Act matter, with national implications, involving a private corporation contracted to provide health services to a major municipality.
- Successfully tried to verdict multiple plaintiff gender discrimination, 14th Amendment Substantive and Procedural Due Process rights matter against client municipality, its agency and numerous directors and management personnel surrounding a fifteen year history between the parties.
- Favorable results in wrongful termination, malicious prosecution and defamation mater involving intertwined facts of fraud and theft by employees of one of the largest luxury hotel groups in the United States.
- Successfully tried to verdict case involving the Family and Medical Leave Act and Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law by former facility department head against client healthcare entity.
Business Matters
- Investigated whistleblower matter involving a major medical device company and its production of significant product with annual sales of $68M.
- Investigated cross-continental whistleblower matter involving questionable business practices, associated with one of the largest data centers in the world, by industry leading vendor with annual contract of $1.2B. Findings resulted in significant operational changes and multi-million dollar reimbursements.
- Successfully settled (with no damages allocation) misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition matter related to specular LED technology absolving client’s damage exposure of $292M yearly.
- Editorial contributor in “Leading Companies” amicus brief in Dukes v. Wal-mart (nation’s largest discrimination class action involving more than 1.5M members and $1B).
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