John F. Emerson

John Emerson practices in Nexsen Pruet's Employment and Labor Law Group and in the firm's Business Litigation Group. Mr. Emerson has been certified as a specialist in Employment and Labor Law by the South Carolina Supreme Court. He advises clients on all employment matters. Mr. Emerson has appeared on behalf of management in state and federal courts throughout South Carolina.

He has also appeared before state and federal administrative bodies including the Employment Security Commission, the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mr. Emerson is a frequent speaker on employment issues including wage and hour law, discrimination claims, and at-will employment.

In 2005 the Alumni Association of the University of South Carolina School of Law presented Mr. Emerson with the Compleat Lawyer Award (Silver). The award recognizes alumni who have "made a significant contribution to the legal profession and who exemplify the highest standard of  professional competence, ethics and integrity." The Silver Award is given to attorneys in practice for 14 years or fewer.  

While continuing to practice law, Mr. Emerson served as Chairman of the South Carolina Educational Television Commission (2001-2004). He was appointed by Governor Jim Hodges to lead the Commission, which oversees South Carolina's public television and radio networks.

• Former Judicial Clerk to the Hon. Robert F. Chapman of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (1992-93)
• Former Chair, Public Relations Committee of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association
• While attending law school, Mr. Emerson was a member of the student editorial board of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal and the ABA Moot Court Team. He was admitted to Order of Wig and Robe and received the John Holland Scholarship Award.

• Americans with Disabilities Act UPDATE - Employment Law Briefing Covers Recent Developments
  Employers constantly struggle with how to apply important ADA requirements to day-to-day issues that arise in the workplace. Please join us for a free breakfast briefing for employers about recent developments under the ADA.
• Molly Hughes, John Emerson Certified As Specialists in Employment and Labor Law
  The South Carolina Supreme Court has certified Nexsen Pruet attorneys Mary ("Molly") L. Hughes and John F. Emerson as Specialists in Employment and Labor Law.
• Brad Waring, John Emerson Win Compleat Lawyer Awards From USC Law School
  Bradish J. Waring and John F. Emerson, who practice in Nexsen Pruet's Charleston and Columbia offices, respectively, have been honored with the prestigious Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

• Are We Worthy?
  As law firms become accustomed to handling more and more electronically stored information (ESI), many are discovering, if their clients have not already done so, that the security of their document husbandry is sometimes light years behind that of their clients.
• Employment Law Update - August 2007
  On July 3, 2007, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reinstated a decision it rendered in 2005, but later vacated, that employers cannot enforce a release of claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) unless the release has been approved by a court or the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
• Less Paper, More Danger?
  The U.S. Supreme Courtapproved amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure pertaining to discovery of electronically stored information (ESI) that took effect on December 1, 2006.
• Employment & Labor Law Desk Reference For The Carolinas
• Employment Law Update - January 2007
  Amendments to Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure pertaining to the exchange of electronic data during course of litigation went into effect on December 1, 2006.
• How to Deal With Identity Theft: A Creeping Threat to Employers
  It is no longer just a problem for financial institutions, credit entities and other companies whose business it is to store personal data about thousands or millions of people; employers, too, now face the risk of liability when the personal data of their employees falls into the wrong hands.
• Unemployment Compensation in South Carolina
  New for 2006! A detailed guide to one of the most complicated and confusing areas of employment law – unemployment compensation.
• Employment Law Update - June 2006
  Recent Decisions Highlight Importance Of Background Checks for Employers
• FMLA Regs Update
  John Emerson's article on Family and Medical Leave Act regulations appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of "Employment & Labor Law," a newsletter for the South Carolina Bar's Employment and Labor Law Section

• Sixth Annual CLE Ethics Seminar
• Quarterly Employment Law Breakfast Briefing - January 2006