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Cheryl L. Behymer

Senior Counsel


Columbia

t:803.255.0000

f:803.255.0202

m:803.730.3622

Email

Service Focus

  • Affirmative Action and Federal Contract Compliance
  • Employment Discrimination and Harassment
  • Pay Equity and Transparency
  • Counseling and Advice

Industry Focus

  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing

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Overview
Credentials
Recognitions
Affiliations
Insights

Overview

Cheryl Behymer is a Senior Counsel in the Columbia office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Pay Equity and Transparency 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.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., 1994, cum laude, Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law
  • B.A., 1976, California State University, Fullerton

Bar Admissions

  • Maryland
  • South Carolina

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • Maryland Court of Appeals
  • South Carolina Supreme Court
  • Virginia Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia

Recognitions

  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2015 – 2024)
  • Listed as a South Carolina Super Lawyer 

Affiliations

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

Insights

  • Insights

    12/28/23

    4 Answers for Federal Construction Contractors Facing New Collective Bargaining Rules

    Sheila M. Abron, Cheryl L. Behymer, Steven M. Bernstein, Patrick M. Dalin

    Read more 

  • Insights

    12/01/23

    FP’s Workplace Law Forecast 2024

    Cheryl L. Behymer, Steven M. Bernstein, Sheldon J. Blumling, Risa B. Boerner, Colin P. Calvert, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Jocelyn Campanaro, Jennifer B. Carroll, Collin D. Cook, Laurel K. Cornell, Germán de la Garza De Vecchi, Michael P. Elkon, Todd Alan Ewan, Todd A. Fredrickson, Christopher C. Hoffman, David S. Jones, Usama Kahf, Karl R. Lindegren, Todd B. Logsdon, Todd A. Lyon, Michael R. Marra, Suzanne Kelly Michael, Michael S. Mitchell, Joshua D. Nadreau, Kristen J. Nesbit, Alden J. Parker, Cheryl Pinarchick, John M. Polson, Andrea Brizio Rivas, Andria Lure Ryan, Nan Sato, Todd B. Scherwin, Matthew R. Simpson, Adam F. Sloustcher, Kristin L. Smith, Shanon R. Stevenson, Hannah Sweiss, J. Hagood Tighe, Travis Vance, David J. Walton, Sheila M. Abron, Erica G. Wilson, William D. Wright, Robert Yonowitz

    Read more 

  • Insights

    12/01/23

    Workplace Law Update: 10 Essential Items on Your December To-Do List

    Emily Alvarez, Cheryl L. Behymer, Amanda M. Blair, Jessica D. Causgrove, Deepa K. Desai , Melissa A. Dials, Brian J. Gershengorn, Jennifer S. Kiesewetter, Courtney Leyes, Richard R. Meneghello, Joshua D. Nadreau, Raymond W. Perez, Robert M. Robenalt, Shane Stover, Melanie L. Webber, Sarah Wieselthier

    Read more 

  • Insights

    10/02/23

    Workplace Law Update: 10 Essential Items on Your October To-Do List

    Cheryl L. Behymer, Steven M. Bernstein, Melissa Camire, Jeffrey M. Csercsevits, Benjamin M. Ebbink, Rick Grimaldi, Todd B. Logsdon, Todd A. Lyon, Richard R. Meneghello, Joshua D. Nadreau, Jennifer B. Sandberg, Shanon R. Stevenson, J. Hagood Tighe, Travis Vance, Spencer W. Waldron, Sheila M. Abron

    Read more 

  • Insights

    09/11/23

    It’s Time to Get Your EEO-1 Ducks (or Data) in a Row: A 5-Step Action Plan for Employers

    Cheryl L. Behymer

    Read more 

  • Insights

    08/29/23

    New OFCCP Scheduling Letter Creates Additional Burdens for Federal Contractors: Your 5-Step Plan

    Cheryl L. Behymer, Sheila M. Abron

    Read more 

  • News

    08/02/23

    Partners Discuss Final Rule Requiring Federal Contractors that use Persuaders to Publicly Identify Themselves on the LM-10 Form

    Cheryl L. Behymer, Steven M. Bernstein

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  • News

    07/06/23

    SHRM Looks to Columbia Partner for Reaction to Postponed Deadline for EEO-1 Reports

    Cheryl L. Behymer

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  • Insights

    05/01/23

    Top Workplace Law Stories You May Have Missed from April 2023

    Cheryl L. Behymer, Amanda M. Blair, Risa B. Boerner, Raeann Burgo, Melissa Camire, Micah Dawson, Stephen R. Gee, Usama Kahf, Matthew R. Korn, Karen L. Odash, Courtney Leyes, Richard R. Meneghello, Catharine Morisset, Lisa Nagele-Piazza, Raymond W. Perez, Justin Reiter, Drew Tate, J. Hagood Tighe, Brett M. Wendt, Alexander A. Wheatley, Jeremy F. Wood

    Read more 

  • Insights

    04/28/23

    Attention Federal Contractors: Revision of Disability Self-ID Form Required … 4 Steps to Take Ahead of the Effective Date

    Cheryl L. Behymer

    Read more 

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