William D. Deveney - Partner
deveney@elarbeethompson.com
(404) 582-8414
Practice Areas
Labor & Employment Litigation
Employer Counseling, Training & Litigation Prevention
Complex Litigation
Directors & Officers Liability
Professional Liability
Errors & Omissions
Fiduciary Claims
Admitted to Practice
Georgia
Education
J.D., Emory University, 1989
B.A., University of Maryland, 1981
Profile
Will's practice focuses on defense of employment-related claims as well as general and complex litigation. In addition, he provides employment-related training and proactive counseling on effective employment policies and day-to-day employment matters to a variety of industrial, commercial and retail employers. Will provides advice and counseling to general counsel and corporate legal departments regarding best practices, as well as litigation avoidance, strategy and trial tactics. Will’s clients include communications companies, chemical companies, major restaurants and hospitality providers, and other service-related companies. Will also provides advice and counseling to public officials on constitutional matters and other issues unique to public employers. Will also works in the Complex Litigation Group, handling Directos and Officers Liability, professional liability, fraud, errors & omissions matters and other specialty lines of insurance claims.
Appointments and Honors
Member, Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity (Appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue, 2006)
Law Clerk to the Honorable Allen L. Chancey, Chief Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, 1989-1991
Participation in Cases with Significant Reported Decisions
Crawford v. City of Fairburn, 128 S. Ct. 495 (2007) (denying employee’s petition for writ of certiorari on retaliation claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964).
Turlington v. Atlanta Gas Light Co., 135 F.2d 1428 (11th Cir.) (rejecting Plaintiff’s use of continuing violation doctrine in termination/reduction-in-force case under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act), cert. denied, 525 U.S.962 (1998).
Dysert v. U.S. Secretary of Labor, 105 F.23d 607 (11th Cir. 1997) (upholding U.S. Department of Labor’s rejection of wrongful termination claim under the Energy Reorganization Act).
McKinney v. Pate, 20 F.3d 1550 (11th Cir. 1994) (holding that public employee could not bring substantive due process claim for wrongful termination) (amicus).
Onque v. Cox Communications Las Vegas, Inc., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67153 (D. Nev. 2006) (granting motion for summary judgment on applicable overtime formula under the Fair Labor Standards Act).
Matewski v. Orkin, Inc., 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11127 (D. Maine 2003) (granting summary judgment to employer on Americans With Disabilities Act discharge claim brought by company driver).
Reilly v. Alcan Aluminum Corp., 272 Ga. 279, 528 S.E.2d 238 (2000) (holding that plaintiff could not bring state law claims alleging age discrimination in employment) (amicus).
Hiers v. ChoicePoint Servs., 270 Ga. App. 128, 606 S.E.2d 29 (2004) (dismissing plaintiff’s claims for future commissions) / ChoicePoint Servs. v. Hiers, 284 Ga. App. 640, 644 S.E.2d 456 (2007) (dismissing plaintiff’s renewed action as barred by res judicata).
Publications and Media References
"Supreme Court Round up 2007" EmploymentLaw 360, July 18, 2008.
"Standards for Evidence, EEOC Charges Left to Lower Courts," Workforce Management, March 17, 2008.
"Employers Need to Know Reservist' Rights," Atlanta Business Chronicle, September 7-13, 2007.
"High Court Set to Take Up Pair of Age Bias Cases," Workforce Management Online, September 2007.
"Wrap-Up of Labor and Employment Decisions," EmploymentLaw 360, July 10, 2007.
"Democrats Seek to Overturn Labor Rulings," Workforce Management, June 25, 2007.
“‘You’ve Got Mail’ … and Trouble: Employee Misuse of the Internet, E-mail and Other Forms of Electronic Communications,” Municipal Lawyer, May/June 2002.
Professional Associations
American Bar Association (Labor and Employment, Litigation)
State Bar of Georgia (Labor and Employment, Litigation)
Atlanta Bar Association (Labor and Employment, Litigation)
