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Paul D. Satterwhite
Partner
Labor and Employment Practice Group Leader
Overview
Paul Satterwhite helps employers interpret and understand the constantly changing landscape of employment laws to help the employers he works with manage their employment law risks. He focuses his practice on risk management so that the employers he works with can focus their efforts more on the operation of their businesses and less on the management of employment disputes and legal claims.
As part of this risk management approach to employment law, Paul provides clients with practical human resources counseling and he develops and delivers supervisory training programs to employers of all sizes. He works closely with clients to determine the appropriate risk management approach for each particular situation.
In addition to human resources counseling and risk management, Paul regularly works with employers to defend employment-related lawsuits, labor arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). He works with unionized employers to develop strategies for union negotiations and handles collective bargaining negotiations for clients.
Paul has defended wage and hour class actions and collective actions and he regularly works with clients on wage and hour risk prevention. He defends and prosecutes restrictive covenant disputes, and has significant experience providing labor and employment-related counsel in corporate transactions.
Credentials
Education
- University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D.), with honors, Order of Barristers, Craven National Moot Court Competition (co-chair), Holderness Moot Court
- Furman University (B.A.)
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 2002
- U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, 2003
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 2007
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, 2012
- Managed a team that developed a supervisor training program and wage and hour audit program and tailored those programs to the specific needs of multiple clients.
- Obtained a U.S. District Court’s Order granting a Motion to Dismiss in a discrimination and retaliation case filed against a not-for-profit entity in federal court, a decision that was subsequently affirmed by the Eighth Circuit.
- Successfully prosecuted a non-compete case for an employer where two key employees took trade secrets and attempted to move the company’s customer base to their competing entity by obtaining a substantial monetary judgment and injunctive relief against the competing employees and their new business.
- Defended multiple hospitals and hospital systems in wrongful discharge public policy claims involving nursing standard of care, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), utilization review issues, emergency services, ambulance districts, physician conduct issues, and medical record fraud issues.
- Defended a national religious denomination in a multi-plaintiff boarding school abuse case.
- Defended a durable medical equipment (DME) company with favorable results, in a high-profile sexual harassment claim made against the company and a key employee of the company.
- Defended multiple dental practices in employment and contract litigation.
- Assisted hospital systems and medical practices with physician departures and resolution of withdrawals from partnerships.
- Revised employee handbooks and drafted human resources policies for hospital systems, individual hospitals and medical and dental practices.
- Participated on a team representing a hospital system in a union organizing campaign and related NLRB hearings.
- Assisted a hospital system in defusing a potential class action case involving automatic meal period deductions.
- Previously defended and currently defending pregnancy discrimination, age discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and FMLA claims for large national and local clients.
- Regularly provide human resources counseling to human resources departments, in house counsel, and small business owners.
- Developed human resources training for supervisors and management.
- Defended multiple dental practices in employment and contract litigation.
- Handled negotiation and drafting of physician and executive contracts.
- Obtained summary judgment on employment cases in state and federal court.
- Performed traditional labor corporate due diligence on multiple national and international transactions.
- Handled defense of judgments on appeal, including before federal court and state courts of appeal.
- Served as member of team that obtained dismissal of 200-plus unfair labor practice “salting” charges.
- Springfield Business Journal, Men of the Year Award, 2023
- Springfield Business Journal, Trusted Advisor Award, 2015
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Rising Star, Employment & Labor, 2009-2011
- Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Up & Coming Lawyer, 2011
- Springfield Business Journal, 40 Under 40, 2010
- American Employment Law Council, 2015
- American Health Law Association, 2013-present
- Discovery Center of Springfield, Board of Directors, 2010-present; President 2014-2015
- Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, Advisory Board, 2011-2014
- Harmony House/Family Violence Center, Board of Directors, 2007-2014; Chair, 2011; Capital Campaign Chair, 2013-present
- King’s Way United Methodist Church, 4th-5th grade teacher
- Leadership Springfield, Class XXVI, 2010-2011
- Missouri State University, Greater Ozarks Leadership Development, 2009-2010
- Springfield Chamber of Commerce, The Network, 2008-2013
- “Marijuana in the Workplace,” Holmes Murphy Seminar, April 2023
- “Regulation of Handbilling and Picketing,” Missouri Employer-Employee Law, 2008
- “Minimizing the Administrative Headaches that Accompany Intermittent and Reduced Schedule Leave,” Council on Education, December 2003