William L. "Bill" Duda

William L. "Bill" Duda

Columbia, SC recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2013
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC

317 Best Lawyers awards

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management Litigation - Labor and Employment

Biography

William (Bill) Duda is certified as a specialist in Employment and Labor Law by the South Carolina Supreme Court and was included on the 2013 Best Lawyer list in both Employment Management and Litigation categories. Since 2000, Bill has been helping employers understand and comply with a broad range of employment laws, including Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA, the FLSA, trade secret law, restrictive covenants and workers’ compensation. He regularly represents management in employment-related litigation as well as in administrative matters before the EEOC and its state deferral agencies, the United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, and the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. Bill also handles Fair Housing Complaints before the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Before becoming a lawyer, Bill was employed in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, construction and retail. Immediately before returning to law school, Bill was employed for several years as a retail store manager. Bill's personal employment and management experience provides him a realistic and practical approach to the legal challenges employers face on a day to day basis.
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC

317 Best Lawyers awards

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC logo

Overview

  • The University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D., graduated 2000
  • Greenville Technical College, AS, graduated 1995

  • South Carolina, South Carolina Bar

  • Certified Employment & Labor Law Specialist, South Carolina Supreme Court - 2008-Present
  • Richland County Bar Association - Member
  • South Carolina Defense Trial Lawyers Association - Member
  • South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Education Association - Member
  • South Carolina, South Carolina Bar
  • Certified Employment & Labor Law Specialist, South Carolina Supreme Court - 2008-Present
  • Richland County Bar Association - Member
  • South Carolina Defense Trial Lawyers Association - Member
  • South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Education Association - Member
  • The University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D., graduated 2000
  • Greenville Technical College, AS, graduated 1995

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Employment Law - Management
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment
Special Focus:
  • COVID-19

Case History

Cases
  • Other Court Admissions
  • U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • Experience
Bill advises employers across many industries, including but not limited to national retailers and manufacturers, regional trucking firms, state and local banks, educational institutions, and more. Bill’s representation of employers in workers’ compensation cases is typically restricted to self-insured clients who understand the advantages of having a workers’ compensation lawyer who can also advise on the full complement of employment-related issues that are always intertwined in a workers’ compensation claim.
  • Bill’s work includes:
  • Litigating employment-related cases
  • Advising clients and training their employees in employment law
  • Representing employers in workers’ compensation claims
  • Drafting handbooks and policy manuals
  • Drafting, enforcing and challenging non-compete agreements and other restrictive covenants
  • Trade secret protection and litigation
  • Performing wage/hour audits
  • Representing property management companies in housing discrimination complaints

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