Cherie Blackburn

Cherie W. Blackburn has more than 20 years of experience advising clients regarding employment issues and litigating employment related lawsuits.  She assists clients and litigates in a variety of areas including:

• wrongful termination
• Title VII harrassment and discrimination
• retaliatory discharge 
• Family and Medical Leave Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act 

In addition, Ms. Blackburn advises clients on situations involving discipline, policies, investigations, and terminations.  She has provided extensive sexual harassment  and discrimanation training to managers and employees.

Ms. Blackburn also represents clients in protecting their intellectual property rights and has been lead counsel in jury trials involving trademark infringement, copyright infringement and trade secret claims. 

Ms. Blackburn is a certified mediator and has argued cases in federal and state courts and has been appointed as an arbitrator in the Court of Common Pleas for Charleston County.

In 2008 South Carolina’s Chief Federal Judge appointed Ms. Blackburn to chair the Merit Selection Panel for the Appointment of the Federal Magistrate in 2008.

Additionally, Ms. Blackburn writes and litigates covenants not to compete and lectures about employment law.  She wrote "Covenants Not to Compete and Other Restrictive Covenants" a chapter in Labor and Employment Law for South Carolina Lawyers which was published by the South Carolina Bar.  She also wrote a law review article titled “Post-Employment Covenants Not to Compete in South Carolina: Wizards and Dragons in the Kingdom”, 42 S.C. L. REV., 1991; as well as “Covenants Not to Compete in Employment Agreements: Would Yours Survive?” which was published in South Carolina Lawyer Magazine.

• Wachovia Advisory Board Member, Charleston
• "Best Lawyers in America" - Employment & Labor Law
• Chair of the Merit Selection Panel for the Appointment of the Federal Magistrate in 2008
• Board of Directors of the S.C. Women Lawyers Association

• Client Alert: Act Now To Protect Trademarks On Facebook
  The popular social networking site Facebook recently announced that starting at 12:01 a.m. EDT on June 13, users could create personalized URLs for their pages. This poses a potential threat to trademark owners, who should act immediately to protect their rights.
• Freestyle Music Park clear for today's opening
  Nexsen Pruet attorney Cherie Blackburn is quoted in a Myrtle Beach TheSunNews.com article entitled "Freestyle Music Park clear for today's opening."
• 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®.
• "Myrtle Beach chamber hit with lawsuit"
  The March 26th edition of The Sun News features "Myrtle Beach chamber hit with lawsuit." Nexsen Pruet attorney Cherie Blackburn is representing the chamber in the case.
• "Seminar explores how new FMLA, ADA changes will affect employers"
  The January 26th edition of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly features an article about Nexsen Pruet seminars in which employers learned about changes to the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Nexsen Pruet Video Featured on Website
  The Employment Law Information Network features Nexsen Pruet on its website.
• Video - "Employment Law: How Will the 2008 Election Impact You and Your Business?"
  Employers can expect that efforts will be made to significantly change employment and labor laws and regulations over the next several months. Nexsen Pruet Employment and Labor Law attorneys David Dubberly, William Floyd, Cherie Blackburn and Mike Brittingham provide a briefing to help clients prepare for the changes.
• Cherie Blackburn Joins Nexsen Pruet's Employment and Labor Group in Charleston
  Charleston, SC — Nexsen Pruet announced that Cherie W. Blackburn has joined the firm as a Partner in its Charleston office, where she will practice with the employment and labor law group.

• LightSwitch - Intellectual Property Law Bulletin
  This edition contains articles related to:
  
  1. Trademark Protection in NC Under State Statutes
  2. Using a Trademark in Commerce
  3. Damages in Patent Cases, Part 2 of 3
  
• 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."
• LightSwitch - Intellectual Property Law Bulletin
  This edition contains articles related to:
  
  1) The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (a.k.a. PRO-IP Act)
  2) Damages in Patent Cases, Part 1 of 3
  3) Non-traditional Trademarks and Servicemarks
• 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.
• Video - "Employment Law: How Will the 2008 Election Impact You and Your Business?"
  Employers can expect that efforts will be made to significantly change employment and labor laws and regulations over the next several months. Nexsen Pruet Employment and Labor Law attorneys David Dubberly, William Floyd, Cherie Blackburn and Mike Brittingham provide a briefing to help clients prepare for the changes.
• Employment Law Update - December 2008
  2009 promises to bring many changes and challenges for employers and their human resources departments. This edition identifies employment and labor law compliance issues that can be addressed through audits and employee surveys, as well as policy reviews and training.