Cheryl Behymer is a Partner in the Columbia office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Pay Equity Practice Group, as well as the Affirmative Action and Federal Contract Compliance Practice Group. She assists clients by providing timely and practical counsel, training and audit defense in affirmative action, workplace harassment, employee leave issues involving the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other labor and employment issues.

Cheryl defends employers who are responding to administrative charges, actively involved in litigation, or are participating in compliance reviews conducted by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Cheryl prepares affirmative action plans for federal contractors and subcontractors and assists federal contractor and non-federal contractor clients with self-audits, including compensation audits. She also defends employers in multi-plaintiff lawsuits, including class and collective actions.

Cheryl is a frequent presenter on pay equity, compensation, affirmative action, and harassment legal issues. She is also past chair of the South Carolina Diversity Council, a committee of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and a diversity fellow of The Diversity Leadership Institute affiliated with the Riley Institute at Furman University. Cheryl is an Ambassador for the South Carolina Diversity Recruitment Consortium, and she is a former board member of the South Carolina ILG. Cheryl regularly presents on federal contract compliance at the ILG National Conferences, served as Co-Chair for the 2016 National Conference for the Industry Liaison Group, and regularly presents and publishes with national, state and local organizations and publications.  Cheryl is “AV” Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Honors & Awards

• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2015 – 2021)
• Listed as a South Carolina Super Lawyer 

Professional Activities

• Certified as a Labor and Employment Specialist by the South Carolina Supreme Court
• Frequently speaks at seminars on employment-related topics such as the FMLA, the ADA, internal workplace investigations, employee discipline, and affirmative action, including preparing for and defending an OFCCP compliance review
• Published in local, regional, and national business publications on these and other topics such as electronic issues in the workplace

Community Activities

• Member of the Executive Committee and Past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties
• Past Chair of the South Carolina Diversity Council, a committee within the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
• Member of the Charlotte Area Industry Liaison Group and the North Carolina/South Industry Liaison Group
• Member of the Board of Directors for the Palmetto Center for Women, an affiliate of the YMCA

News

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

• "They're Here!! -What to Do When the OFCCP Visits" - National Industry Liaison Group Conference - Waikoloa, HI
  2012
• "Planning for and Surviving an Audit in This New Regulatory Landscape" - The Inaugural 2012 Southeast Industry Liaison Group Regional Conference - Charlotte, NC
  2012
• "New Initiatives and New Policies in the New Year" - Society for Human Resource Management - Orangeburg, SC
  2012
• "A Roadmap for Affirmative Action Compliance" - The Employers Association - Charlotte, NC
  2012
• "OFCCP Update" - South Carolina Industry Liaison Group Winter Conference - Columbia, SC
  2012
• "The OFCCP: Changes in Attitude" - Charlotte Area Liaison Group – Charlotte, NC
  2011
• "Affirmative Action Works - Get The Company Buy-In and Make Your Plan Work" - 2011 National Industry Liaison Group Conference - New Orleans, LA
• "Using Electronics Effectively in Affirmative Action and Worksite Immigration Compliance" - 2010 National Industry Liaison Group Conference - Las Vegas, NV
  
  

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