Overview
Having spoken on three continents (including Europe and Africa) on workplace safety issues, and defended employers in over 50 trials and appellate oral arguments in 16 states, Travis Vance is a go to lawyer when defending an OSHA inspection or responding to a catastrophic event. His active workplace safety practice includes defending over 500 OSHA and MSHA inspections in 48 states, as well as arguing appellate matters in the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeals.
Having gained a reputation as a professional and aggressive advocate for his clients, Travis has emerged as a thought leader in the field of workplace safety. His writing and interviews are followed closely by experts in the safety arena and have been featured in premier publications such as Inc., Bloomberg Law, San Francisco Chronicle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, McClatchy DC Bureau, The Washington Post, EHS Today, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal.
Travis is a regional managing partner in the firm’s Charlotte office and co-chair of the firm's Workplace Safety and Catastrophe Management Practice Group. He has tried matters across several industries and various subject matters, including employment litigation, business disputes and matters prosecuted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He uses unique or outside-the-box approaches to counsel employers and owners on all aspects of employment law and the development of preventive policies and procedures to avoid employment and workplace safety-related claims. Travis handles litigation in both federal and state courts as well as claims pending with state and federal agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), MSHA, OSHA, and the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL).
Travis has also assisted clients in safety and OSHA/MSHA matters pending in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Known for his dynamic and engaging speaking style, Travis receives several requests each year to speak on safety related topics throughout the country. His popular interactive presentation entitled “What to Do When OSHA Knocks,” which walks attendees through an OSHA inspection, with the audience steering the direction of the presentation as it responds to several questions presented throughout the talk, is frequently requested and has received numerous exceptional reviews.
Travis is "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and was selected as one of the Legal Elite by Virginia Business Magazine in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He is also a frequent contributor to the firm's Workplace Safety and Health Law Blog. In 2014, Travis was honored as one of the "10 Under 40" by The Daily News Record in Harrisonburg, VA. Each year the publication honors 10 rising business stars under the age of 40 in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia area. This honor was bestowed largely due to Travis’ development of the Valley Business Keynote, the Shenandoah Valley’s largest and premiere leadership development event.
He is a member of the Rotary Club of Charlotte and speaks frequently at Rotary International events concerning the growth of membership within that civic organization. His passion for making a difference in the lives of others has led to requests to share his message as far away as Canada and The Cayman Islands. He also serves on the board of directors for the Blue Ridge Safety Association, a trade group for safety professionals.