Overview
Courtney Leyes is a partner in the firm's Memphis and Gulfport offices. She represents employers throughout Mississippi and the greater Memphis-metropolitan area, with particular focus on the burgeoning industrial areas in the northern part of the state.
Courtney has experience representing employers in litigation related to discrimination and harassment in the workplace, in particular, federal jury trial experience. She also has experience representing employers on wage and hour issues in both the court system and before the Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD). Specifically, Courtney has represented employers in several Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective actions over the past couple of years.
Courtney has experience handling traditional labor matters, including labor arbitrations, unfair labor practices charges, and elections.
Courtney also advises her clients regarding a variety of employment matters, including employee handbooks and policies, severance agreements, and other employee contracts. While in law school, Courtney clerked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) Office of Legal Counsel.
Courtney is a frequent speaker on LGBT issues in the workplace.
Courtney is AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers – Rising Stars since 2014. She is also the recipient of the Memphis Business Journal's 2017 Best of the Bar awards for Ace Associate.
Experience
Reported Cases
- Beverly Crabb v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc./Sherry Pharr v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 2012 WL 4092427 (N.D. Miss. Sept.17, 2012) (granting summary judgment in favor of employer as to both plaintiffs’ Section 1981 race and retaliation claims and state law claims).
Honors & Leadership
Honors & Awards
- Winner of the Memphis Business Journal's 2017 Best of the Bar awards for Ace Associate
- Named, Super Lawyer - Mid-South since 2014
Professional Activities
- Legislative Director, Society for Human Resource Management, Northwest Mississippi Chapter
Community Activities
- Advisory Team Chairman and Honor Board Adviser for Delta Zeta chapter, Delta Gamma Fraternity (2015-present)
- Mock Trial Facilitator for Delta Gamma Fraternity’s Living Carefully Program (2015-present)
- Mewtopia, Volunteer (2013-present)
Insights
News
- 1.2.19
- 11.7.17
- 10.14.17
- 3.8.17
- 3.1.17
- 11.8.16
- 9.26.16
- 8.26.16
- 6.8.16
- 11.9.15
- 8.8.15
- 6.26.15
- 6.26.15
- 6.26.15
- 11.5.14
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
- Memphis Annual Seminar12.13.18
- A Fisher Phillips Memphis Breakfast Series Seminar11.7.17
- Dine & Discover with Fisher Phillips & SouthGroup Insurance Services8.10.17
- Memphis Annual Labor & Employment Law Seminar5.11.17
- Presented by HR Professionals Magazine in Partnership with Fisher Phillips and Judy Bell Consulting4.11.17
- 9.27.16
- A Fisher Phillips Memphis Breakfast Series Seminar8.25.16
- 10.16.15
- 6.17.14
- Webinar5.15.14
- 5.7.14
- 11.7.13
- 9.17.13
Articles
- 5.3.17
- 12.22.16
- 11.2.16
- 9.7.16
- 8.1.16
- 7.8.16
- 1.5.16
- 6.30.15
- 5.5.15
- 3.4.15
- 6.18.14
- 8.2.13
Practices
- Employee Defection and Trade Secrets
- Employment Discrimination and Related Litigation
- Employment Law Training
- Jury Trials
- Employment Policies and Procedures
- Labor Arbitration
- Family and Medical Leave Act
- Labor Relations
- Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Class and Collective Actions
- Retail Industry
Education
- University of Mississippi School of LawJ.D. 2008, magna cum laude
- University of MissouriB.A. 2005, cum laude
Bar Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Tennessee
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee