Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP                                        

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP has counseled employers on labor and employment law matters, exclusively, since 1946.  With more than 160 attorneys, and with 30 offices, the firm has been designated as a “Go To” Law Firm by both Corporate Counsel and Fortune magazines.  The firm is top-ranked by the U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers Best Law Firms survey.

 Jonathan is a graduate of the Terry School of Business, University of Georgia, (B.B.A.- Banking & Finance, cum laude), and a graduate of the Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University, (J.D., magna cum laude), where he served as the administrative editor of the Mercer Law Review. 

Prior to being in private practice, Jonathan served as a military lawyer in the Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, where he also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney.  Jonathan currently serves as a JAG in the Georgia Air National Guard, where he holds the rank of Major.

Jonathan focuses his practice in employment discrimination litigation for management, defending corporations in law suits arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as related state laws.  Jonathan also represents management in traditional labor law issues under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and in wage & hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 

The former chairman of the State Bar of Georgia’s Employers’ Duties & Problems Committee, and the former state-wide Chairman of the Georgia Department of Labor’s Georgia Employer Committee, (a public-private partnership representing over 1,600 employers) Jonathan conducts extensive management training on labor and employment law subjects for corporations and government agencies throughout the United States.  Jonathan also serves on the FMLA Subcommittee and the Labor Relations Committee of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.

Jonathan is a contributing co-author to the Mercer Law Review publishing an annual article on Labor & Employment Law for the Annual Survey of Georgia Law, and he is a Chapter Editor of ABA/BNA publication, The Developing Labor Law (6^th Edition & Supplements). Recently, he co-authored an article on Labor & Employment Law for Mercer Law Review’s Eleventh Circuit Survey (GA, AL, FL).

In 2006, Jonathan was selected as a “Rising Star” in the SuperLawyers^® Edition of Atlanta Magazine. 

In 2007, Jonathan was named one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s “40-under-40,” which recognizes “Georgia’s Best and Brightest – rising stars in business, politics, the arts, nonprofits and education.”

In 2012, Jonathan was awarded the Martindale-Hubbell^® AV Preeminent® rating, the highest possible rating for an attorney for both ethical standards and legal ability. The pinnacle of professional excellence, the rating is achieved only after a recommendation by members of the bar and the judiciary.

In 2013, Jonathan was named a “2013 BTI Client Service All-Stars.”  Of 307 lawyers nominated nationally by in-house counsel, Jonathan was identified as one of 28 labor and employment attorneys who were “Client Service All-Stars,” an honor reserved for those that set themselves apart by keeping a close eye on changing trends in the regulatory and legal landscape, and by paying attention to clients’ needs, according to the BTI Consulting Group Inc. (Wellesley, Mass.).

Topic: But We Don’t Have a Union: Why Non-Union Employers Should Care About Recent Developments at the NLRB.

Non-union employers generally don’t spend a lot of time worrying about the latest actions from the NLRB.  That’s a mistake.  The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) aggressive positions expanding employee rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) has put employers on red alert to reevaluate their employment policies, practices, and disciplinary procedures.  If you haven’t kept up with the latest decisions, don’t worry.  Jonathan Martin will provide an entertaining and insightful analysis of the latest from Washington, including:

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