Practice Areas
Practice Emphasis
- Traditional Labor Law
- Union Avoidance Consulting and Campaigns
- NLRB Litigation
- Union Negotiations and Arbitration
- Employee Relations Counseling
- Employment/Supervisory Training
- Appellate Litigation
- Employment Discrimination Defense
Bar & Court Admissions
- New York, 1978
- Georgia, 1979
- Admitted to practice before the following state and federal courts:
- Superior Courts of Georgia
- Georgia Court of Appeals
- Supreme Court of Georgia
- New York State Courts
- U.S. District Courts (Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of Michigan)
- Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eleventh, and D.C. Circuit Courts of Appeal
- United States Supreme Court
Education
Boston University School of Law
- J.D., 1977
Duke University
- B.A., magna cum laude, 1974
Seminars & Presentations
News
- NLRB rulings favor card check, allow 'piecemeal' organizing
- Constangy Attorneys Talk About Groundbreaking Labor Case in Inside Counsel magazine Cover Story
- NLRB's Shakeup Of Health Care Bargaining Units - Law360
- HR Undercover: article in HR magazine written by two Constangy attorneys
- Constangy, Brooks & Smith Announces New Executive Committee Members
- Labor Relations Institute Names Seven Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP, Attorneys as Top 100 in Nation
"On my command...Unleash hell!"
-- Russell Crowe in The Gladiator (2000)
For more than 30 years, Cliff has focused largely on the area of traditional labor relations, handling cases before both the National Labor Relations Board and the courts. Although a large percentage of his practice involves clients in the health care field, he has represented companies in almost every industry, and his clients have both unionized and non-union operations. Cliff's practice includes defending against union organizing drives and NLRB election campaigns, corporate election campaigns, representation and unit determination proceedings, collective bargaining, contract administration, arbitrations, strikes-injunctions/work force replacement, picketing/boycotts, litigation of NLRB unfair labor practice cases, and appellate litigation. He is also the Co-Chair of the firm's labor relations practice group.
Prior to joining Constangy, Cliff was a senior partner in the management labor and employment law firm of Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Nelson & Schneider, P.C.
Publications/Presentations
- Active seminar speaker and has presented programs for employer associations in Georgia, Florida and throughout the country
- Written numerous articles on employment law issues for both industry and legal publications
- Since 1985, Cliff has been a Contributing Editor to the "Developing Labor Law," the American Bar Association's main treatise on Legal developments under the National Labor Relations Act and related federal labor statutes
Awards & Recognition
- For several years, named one of the Top One Hundred Labor Attorneys in the United States by Labor Relations Institute, Inc.
- Featured in Marquis' "Who's Who" in American Law
- Selected as one of Georgia's "Super Lawyers" for Labor and Employment Law
- AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated By Martindale-Hubbell
Professional Activities/Associations
- Member, Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association
- Member, Labor Section of the State Bar of Georgia
- Member, Atlanta Bar Association
- Member, New York State Bar
- Member, ABA Committee on Development of the Law under the National Labor Relations Act
- Associate Member of the Georgia Health Care Association
- Associate Member Florida Health Care Association
Civic/Charitable Activities/Associations
- Member, Buckhead Church
- Member, and Past President, American Bass Club
- Marietta Bass Masters
Other Personal Background Information and Interests
- When not practicing law, Cliff enjoys boating and is an avid bass fisherman.