Kelly Hughes practices primarily in the areas of labor and employment law. She represents management in the full range of issues related to the employment relationship.

Ms. Hughes handles the following matters:

• Handling discrimination and retaliation charges before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and states' deferral agencies, including both individual discrimination charges and threatened systemic actions. This may involve conducting witness interviews, representing management during mediation, preparing position statements, handling any ensuing investigation, and/or negotiating conciliation agreements with the EEOC and states' deferral agencies
• Handling wage and hour, discrimination, and retaliation complaints before the North Carolina Department of Labor
• Litigating claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination In Employment Act, and other federal statutes and state laws
• Representing employers, fiduciaries, insurers, and third-party administrators in employee welfare benefit plan litigation in federal and state courts, including defending against plan participants’ and beneficiaries’ claims for benefits under ERISA
• Advising employers on all human resource issues, including hiring new employees and evaluating, disciplining, and terminating existing employees, managing difficult leaves of absence situations, executing reductions in force, and complying with disability accommodation and religious accommodation obligations
• Drafting and negotiating severance agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and non-competition agreements
• Drafting employee handbooks and employment policies
• Conducting management training, including EEO and anti-harassment/anti-discrimination training
• Directing employers on avoidance of employee claims

An experienced speaker, Ms. Hughes has lectured on a range of employment law subjects for organizations including The Employer's Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Diversity Forum, and North Carolina Society for Human Resource Management, among others