James M Paul

Practice Areas

Employment Law, Litigation, Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets, Wage and Hour, Disability Access, Appellate, Trial

Career

Jim has extensive trial and appellate experience with handling labor and employment law litigation in federal and state courts, and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, Department of Justice, Missouri Commission on Human Rights, Illinois Department of Human Rights, and several other federal and state agencies. He has also earned the national Society for Human Resource Management’s “SHRM-SCP” certification and regularly advises employers on all labor and human resource management issues in an effort to prevent or resolve employee issues before they escalate into legal disputes. As Co-Chair of the firm’s Disability Access practice group, Jim advises clients regarding legal requirements for accommodating disabled individuals and defends Americans with Disabilities and Rehabilitation Act lawsuits nationally.

Prior to his private practice of law, Jim served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Ray Price, Jr. of the Missouri Supreme Court and then as a Missouri Assistant Attorney General. As Assistant Attorney General, he represented the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Missouri Division of Labor Standards, and the Missouri Commission on Human Rights by enforcing state discrimination and wage and hour laws. He also worked in Washington, D.C. on legislative issues for the late Missouri Governor Carnahan and has taught Trial Advocacy at Saint Louis University as an Adjunct Professor.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section; Management Co-Chair, FMLA Subcommittee, 2009-2015)

Missouri State Council of SHRM (Vice-Director, 2017-present); (Director, Eastern District, 2016-2017)

Human Resources Management Association of Greater St. Louis (President, 2015)

The Missouri Bar (Labor and Employment Law Committee; Chair, 2003-2006)

Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (Labor and Employment Law Section)

Bar Association of Central and Southern Federal Districts of Illinois

United Hebrew Congregation (Interfaith Outreach Committee, 2002-2006)

ABA Annual Midwinter Meeting Report of the Subcommittee on the Family and Medical Leave Act (Editor, 2009-2016; Contributing Author, 2000-present)

Education