Michael Pitts

Michael S. Pitts handles a wide variety of litigation ranging from the defense of management in labor and employment matters to complex commercial cases. While Mr. Pitts handles litigation, arbitration, and other adversarial claims, he also counsels management on ways to minimize or avoid disputes. 

A native of Charlotte, NC, Mr. Pitts graduated with distinction from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was made a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. Pitts received his Juris Doctor from The University of South Carolina School of Law where he was a member of the South Carolina Law Review and inducted into the Order of the Wig and Robe.

• Best Lawyers in America

• The Manual Woodworkers and Weavers, Inc. v. The Rug Barn, Inc., No. 1:00CV284-C, 146 Lab. Cas. (CCH) P 59,538, 2001 WL 1672253, 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21502 (W.D.N.C. 2001)
• Walker v. Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc., 400 F.3d 370 (6th Cir. 2005)
• Brown v. Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc., 113 Fed.Appx. 512, 2004 WL 2423688 (4th Cir. 2004)

• Fifty-eight Attorneys Selected for Best Lawyers in America®
  Fifty-eight Nexsen Pruet attorneys will be included in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®.
• Twenty-Five Nexsen Pruet Attorneys Named Among South Carolina’s Super Lawyers®
  Twenty-five Nexsen Pruet attorneys have been named to the 2009 list of South Carolina Super Lawyers®.
• "Nexsen Pruet new law firm for Anderson County"
  The Anderson Independent Mail reports "Nexsen Pruet new law firm for Anderson County."
• Nexsen Pruet Moves into New Office Space in Greenville
  Nexsen Pruet has moved into new office space in Greenville.
• "Please re-lease me: Upstate office glut looms"
  The October 27, 2008 edition of GSA Business features a story about Nexsen Pruet's upcoming move and the amount of vacant office space in the Greenville area.
• 45 Nexsen Pruet Attorneys Selected for Best Lawyers
  Columbia, SC – Forty-five Nexsen Pruet attorneys will be included in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. The publication also ranks Nexsen Pruet #1 in eleven practice areas in South Carolina and three in North Carolina.
• Mike Pitts Selected for Leadership Greenville
  Mike Pitts, a Member (Partner) in Nexsen Pruet’s Greenville office, has been selected for the 2006-2007 class of Leadership Greenville.

• Employment Law Update - January 2010
  As the new year gets underway, the January edition of the Update discusses four resolutions employers will want to consider.
• Employment Law Update - October 2009
  This edition focuses on the EEOC's recent publication that addresses waivers of discrimination claims in employee severance agreements; the EEOC reminds employers and employees about requirements for valid and enforceable releases, especially when the releases are for employees age 40 and older.
• Employment Law Update - August 2009
  This edition focuses on three Department of Labor opinion letters that address how cost-cutting strategies like mandatory furloughs and reduced workweeks may affect an employee's exempt status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. It also updates pending North Carolina legislation that, if passed, would require private sector employers to use E-Verify to check the legal status of new hires.
• Employment Law Update - July 2009
  This edition discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. decision, which recognized a more stringent standard of proof for employees bringing claims under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). According to the Court, a plaintiff asserting a disparate-treatment claim under the ADEA must prove that age was the “but-for” cause of an adverse employment action, as opposed to a mere “motivating factor.”
• Employment Law Update - June 2009 Supplemental
  Starting July 1, 2009, private employers in South Carolina with 100 or more employees must comply with the employment verification requirements of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act.
• Employment Law Update - June 2009
  This edition focuses on recent court decisions striking down restrictive covenants for being overly broad and highlights the need to narrowly tailor non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.
• Employment Law Update - May 2009
  This edition explains why many employers are seeking privileged legal compliance reviews of their compensation practices and documentation in the aftermath of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

  A brief video update on immigration compliance developments is available by clicking here. Then, click on the video entitled "Immigration."

• Employment Law Update - March 2009
  This edition describes the recently enacted Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which extends the time period in which employees can pursue pay discrimination claims.
• Employment Law Update - February 2009 - Special COBRA Edition
  The economic stimulus law signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009, contains significant changes to COBRA, providing for a premium subsidy for eligible employees and also giving eligible individuals another chance to elect COBRA.
• Employment Law Update - February 2009
  This edition summarizes laws and issues that can impact Carolinas employers when downsizing or otherwise reducing payroll or schedules.
• Employment Law Update - January 2009
  This edition summarizes key provisions of the new FMLA regulations, which will require substantial changes in employer policies and practices.
• Employment & Labor Law Desk Reference For The Carolinas
• Employment Law Update - October 2006
  On August 17, 2006, President Bush signed the 900-plus page Pension Protection Act of 2006 ("PPA"), putting in place many reforms to federal tax and employee benefit laws intended to strengthen the nation's private employer retirement system.
• Employment Law Update - June 2006
  Recent Decisions Highlight Importance Of Background Checks for Employers

• Employment Law Quarterly Breakfast Briefing
• Employment Law Quarterly Breakfast Briefings
• Webinar: Immigration Compliance & Enforcement Update
• Quarterly Employment Law Breakfast Briefing - ADA Update - May 2006
• Quarterly Employment Law Breakfast Briefing - January 2006