“My dad said, ‘I am a hard dog to keep in the yard.’ He was right!”

--Mel Haas, Labor Lawyer

• Named one of the "Top 10 Most Powerful Labor Attorneys" by Human Resources Executive Magazine for 2009, 2010
• Named one of the "Most Powerful Employment Attorneys" by Human Resources Executive Magazine, 2010   
• Vice Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Labor Relations Committee 
• Recognized in the publication, Best Lawyers in America
• Named one of the Top One Hundred Labor Attorneys in the United States by Labor Relations Institute, Inc.
• Recognized in Chambers USA Guide
• Head of Constangy's Macon Office
• Handled over 100 union elections, including several of over 1000 employees in voting unit
• Assisted companies in due diligence, mergers, acquisitions and decertifications
• Represented in case hearings, objections case hearings, as well as arguments before the Courts of Appeals
• Successfully defended a company in 10(j) proceedings and obtained injunctions in strikes
• Acted as the collective bargaining spokesman in numerous collective bargaining proceedings and arbitrations
• Represented management in claims involving sexual harassment, retaliatory discharge, disability, age, race, religion, and sex discrimination
• Successfully represented companies in numerous wage and hour claims
• Provided companies with preventative training in all areas of employment law and conducted numerous mock union campaigns as a training exercise
• Speaks regularly for the state Chamber of Commerce, the Developing Labor Law Section Midwinter meetings for the American Bar Association, the Georgia Employers' Association, the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and SHRM chapters
• Contributes regularly to the Mercer University Law Review and has authored several BNA articles
• Former attorney with the NLRB
• Successfully represented management in the largest elections in Georgia and North Carolina in the last ten years
• Fellow of the American Bar Association
• AV® Peer Review Rated By Martindale-Hubbell

See what Mel's clients say about him...

Publications/Presentations

• Contributing Editor to the Developing Labor Law, BNA, 1979-Present, and Chapter Editor, 2002 to present
• Co-Author, Wrongful Termination Under Georgia Law, 1988
• Co-Author, Section 7 Update, The Labor Lawyer, Spring 1988
• Co-Author, Injuries in the Workplace, Georgia Labor and Employment Law, 1993
• Co-Author, The Elusive Law of Intermittent Strikes, The Labor Lawyer, Summer 1998 and in the Dec. 19, 1998, edition of the Daily Labor Report
• Co-Author, Labor & Employment Law, Annual Survey of Georgia Law, 2001, 53 Mercer Law Review 349, 2002-2004
• Annual Mercer University School of Law Survey
• Panelist with Robert J. Battista; Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, "Recent Developments and Critical Issues Before the NLRB, High Stakes Employment Litigation Seminar, Spring 2005.
• American Bar Association presentation, Elusive Law of Intermittent Strikes
• Editor of the 2007 Georgia's Defense Lawyers' Association Law Journal
• Oakwood - The Strategic and Tactical Implications  
• Speaker, ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law Program "National Labor Relations Act Basic Law and Procedures." Summer 2008
• U. S. Chamber of Commerce, "Employers Free Choice Act" and "Corporate Campaign Seminar 2010"

Awards & Recognition

• Named one of the "Top 10 Most Powerful Labor Attorneys for 2009" by Human Resources Executive Magazine
• Recognized in the publication, Best Lawyers In America
• Named one of the Top One Hundred Labor Attorneys in the United States by Labor Relations Institute, Inc. 
• Chambers USA Guide

Professional Activities/Associations

• Vice Chairman of the Labor Relations Committee of the US Chamber of Commerce
• Board of Directors of the Georgia Employers’ Association
• Board of Directors of the State Chamber of Commerce
• Board of Directors of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association
• Board of Directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Civic/Charitable Activities/Associations

• Member, Vineville United Methodist Church
• Member, Cashier United Methodist Church

Other Personal Background Information and Interests

• In his leisure time, Mel thoroughly enjoys golf and his grandchildren!