John B. Holmes, III

USA: Alabama

Maynard Cooper & Gale
1901 Sixth Avenue North
Regions Harbert Plaza, Suite 2400
Birmingham, AL 35203

Tel: 205.254.1107

Email: jholmes@maynardcooper.com
Web: www.maynardcooper.com

John Holmes is the leader of Maynard Cooper & Gale’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. He represents management and advises clients in a wide variety of EEO and labor and employment matters, including cases arising under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Section 1981, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act and other analogous state discrimination and tort laws. He represents clients engaged in OFCCP audits and Department of Labor investigations. John has extensive experience in litigating and providing advice relating to the enforceability of employment agreements and non-compete agreements.

He also represents companies in a variety of administrative matters, including Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) enforcement actions, miner discrimination and temporary reinstatement claims, MSHA special investigations and MSHA and OSHA investigations of workplace accidents, and resulting third-party litigation. He offers consultation services to employers who are drafting or updating employment handbooks and policies, and he provides training to employers on a variety of topics, most notably on administering the FMLA and requests for reasonable accommodations under the ADA. He routinely conducts investigations into workplace issues ranging from harassment to employee theft.

John has successful jury trial experience in both state and federal courts throughout the United States, as well as experience in obtaining summary judgment on behalf of clients. In addition, he has successfully litigated numerous MSHA and OSHA enforcement actions and labor and employment arbitrations.

His skills and accomplishments as an employment lawyer and litigator are recognized nationally, including his recognition by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Labor & Employment. He was named to the Benchmark Litigation 2016 and 2017 “Under 40 Hot List”, an elite accolade honoring the achievements of the nation’s most accomplished legal partners who are 40 years old or younger. John is also listed in The Best Lawyers In America© for Litigation: Labor and Employment, as well as Employment Law: Management, and he is included in Super Lawyers in the areas of Employment & Labor Law and Energy and Natural Resources.

  • Chambers USA: Leading Individual in the area of Labor & Employment (2019)
  • Chambers USA, Up-and-Coming Practitioner in Labor & Employment (2017 and 2018)
  • The Best Lawyers in America© for Litigation: Labor and Employment (2015-present); Employment Law: Management (2016 – present); Workers’ Compensation Law: Employers (2018)
  • Benchmark Litigation “Under 40 Hot List” (2016, 2017)
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers for Employment and Labor Law (2016-present)
  • Alabama Super Lawyers “Rising Star” Employment & Labor (2011-2012); Labor & Employment (2015); Energy & Natural Resources (2015)
  • Birmingham Business Journal’s “Rising Star Lawyers” (2016)
The firm’s Labor and Employment Law Practice group is among the largest and most experienced in the Southeast and has earned the distinction for well over ten years as a leading Labor & Employment Practice by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Devoted exclusively to the representation of management in all aspects of labor and employment law, Maynard Cooper’s Labor and Employment group currently consists of 20 lawyers who focus exclusively in this area, many of whom have been recognized as among the best in their profession by rankings including The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, Mid-South and Alabama Super Lawyers and Benchmark Litigation.

In addition to the team of lawyers who concentrate their practice in this area of law, the firm has many other skilled lawyers who are experienced in handling employment related matters involving Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Immigration, and Healthcare issues, just to name a few. Last year, our Labor and Employment Practice received a top-tier ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Law Firms” and The Best Lawyers in America®. The practice was also nominated as a “Go-To Law Firm” for Fortune 500 Companies by American Lawyer Media. In a recent survey of the Fortune 250 legal departments by The National Law Journal, Maynard Cooper was listed in “Who Represents Corporate America” in the area of Labor and Employment. Maynard Cooper was also chosen as a “Go-To” Law Firm® in the area of Labor and Employment in a recent survey of the Top 500 U.S. Companies by Corporate Counsel magazine.

Maynard Cooper represents employers of all sizes throughout the U.S. The firm has defended cases in over twenty-six different states in the last two years. Where appropriate and in the client’s best interest, our attorneys work in concert with the Employment Law Alliance, Lex Mundi and/or the Southern Law Network of firms to provide our clients with the best possible representation in the most efficient manner.

Maynard Cooper & Gale is a nationally recognized law firm with more than 275 lawyers. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, the firm has offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as well as three additional offices throughout Alabama located in Huntsville, Mobile and Montgomery. Our record and reputation confirm that we deliver desired results for our clients. We solve tough, complex legal problems for many of the world’s leading companies, including over 60 listed on the Fortune 500 with 32 of those in the top 100. We make it our priority to fully understand each client’s business and the climate in which it operates so that we can help them navigate challenges and prepare for what lies ahead. Our keen knowledge of the vast industries and dynamic legal environment equips us to provide paramount service with seamless attention to detail.

Maynard Cooper is a full-service business law firm. The depth and breadth of the firm’s legal services include litigation, corporate law, banking and commercial law, real estate law, securities law, labor and employment, antitrust, public finance, trusts and estates, government contracts and bid protests, governmental affairs and relations, international trade regulation, admiralty and maritime, state and federal tax, intellectual property, health care, environmental law and bankruptcy law.

Maynard Cooper represents a broad and diverse client base, including international, national, state and local business entities. We also represent new business ventures, non-profit organizations, and mid-sized companies in emerging and established industries. In response to today’s global economy, the firm represents numerous clients who are based outside of the United States and clients who are actively engaged in various business capacities in jurisdictions outside the United States.

Maynard Cooper is the exclusive member firm in Alabama for Lex Mundi – the world’s leading network of independent law firms with in-depth experience in 100+ countries worldwide. As part of the Lex Mundi global network, we provide our clients with global access and connectivity to more than 160 firms and 21,000 attorneys in 600 offices around the world. Working with other Lex Mundi firms, we are able to seamlessly handle our clients’ most challenging cross-border transactions and disputes.

 
“Labor and employment practice leader John Holmes “is smart, knowledgeable and very perceptive,” remark clients, and another adds: “He is thoughtful, responsive, and most of all extremely effective at providing practical, useful advice.” He is well regarded for his expertise in representing employers in a range of employment disputes including breach of contracts, Title VII matters and discrimination litigation.”
Chambers & Partners