Sam Matchett
is a partner in King & Spalding’s Atlanta Labor & Employment Practice Group and has over twenty-five years of experience. He concentrates on employment relationship matters, with an emphasis in labor and employment law litigation in both state and federal courts, governmental agencies (OFCCP), and arbitration tribunals. Mr. Matchett routinely defends employers in litigation involving the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1964 (Title VII), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and employment-related state law claims. Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business recognized Mr. Matchett for his “extensive expertise in civil rights, and discrimination litigation.” In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Matchett provides client advice on the avoidance of employee-related problems, and he presents seminars concerning all aspects of employment law. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and several appellate courts.
Mr. Matchett is listed as a leading Labor and Employment lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America, 2012 edition. Additionally, Mr. Matchett was recently selected by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in his practice area and named to Georgia Trend magazine’s “Legal Elite” — a list of Georgia attorneys chosen by their peers as the leading lawyers in their practice areas. Mr. Matchett is panel-approved for the handling of individual and class action employment cases. He is a recipient of the State Bar of Georgia’s 2010 Commitment to Equality Award and serves as chair of King & Spalding’s Diversity Committee.
Mr. Matchett co-authored [Juries], [in] Employment Litigation Handbook 184 (Jon W. Greene and John W. Robinson IV eds., 1998).
Mr. Matchett graduated from Morehouse College with a B.A. in 1981. He received his J.D. from the University of Georgia in 1984. Mr. Matchett has served as a faculty member for the Institute of Applied Management and Law (IAML), National Business Institute, and Federal Publications. He formally served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of Georgia Foundation and is a member of the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia.
Publications
“Supreme Court Endorses EEOC Manifest Intent Test,” L&E News, Labor and Employment Section of Atlanta Bar Association (co-author) (Fall 2008)
Client Alert: “Failure to Comply with Federal EEO Posting Requirements,” (June 29, 2005)
“Legal Affairs, Affirmative Action in the Balance,” Tips for walking the tightrope toward workplace diversity, Smart Business Atlanta, (April 2004)
Co-author: [Juries], [in] Employment Litigation Handbook 184 (Jon W. Green & John W. Robinson IV eds.), (1998)
Speaking Engagements
IAML, Employment Law Basics & Advanced Employment Law (Annually).
Atlanta Legal Diversity Consortium, September 13, 2006.
Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), “Diversity - Own It or Lose It,” September 20, 2006.
CYOC, Panel Member - 9th Annual Charting Your Own Course (CYOC) Career Development Conference. The theme of this year’s conference was “Performing with Impact: Your Personal Call to Action." How Associates Get Voted into Partnership, September 29-October 1, 2006.
Panelist, Southern Regional BLSA, Interviewing for Success, October 7, 2006.
The Seminar Group, Labor & Employment Law Seminar, Atlanta, GA, Ten Steps to Avoiding Litigation.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Sexual Harassment Presentations; various dates for clients such as Toppan Interamerica and Atlanta Public Schools.
