Atty. James C. Pennington
Mr. Pennington is the Managing Shareholder and a founding member of the Birmingham Office of Ogletree Deakins.
Profile Summary
About James C. Pennington at a glance
James C. Pennington is a employment and education attorney based in Birmingham, Alabama, practicing at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC. Admitted to practice in Alabama, Alabama State Bar Association. Educated at Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1990). Recognitions include Lawyer of the Year — Labor Law - Management (Birmingham) (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Education Law (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Employment Law - Management (2026). Serands clients in Birmingham, AL and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Mr. Pennington is the Managing Shareholder and a founding member of the Birmingham Office of Ogletree Deakins
- For more than two decades, he has represented employers in a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including administrative agency charges, federal and state court litigation, union campaigns and collective bargaining
- Mr. Pennington strives to help employers achieve peaceful, productive workplaces
- He helps employers avoid workplace disputes by providing management training and developing defensive documentation such as effective employee handbooks, dispute avoidance and resolution policies, and drug and alcohol testing policies and procedures
- He is well-known for helping employers navigate through the difficult intersections of disabilities and leave laws
- Mr. Pennington's litigation experience includes matters such as employment discrimination, disabilities, wage and hour disputes, FMLA, restrictive covenants and trade secrets, labor strikes, executive compensation, employee benefits, first amendment and due process and other constitutional issues
- He has also arbitrated many discipline and labor contract arbitration matters before labor arbitrators
- A founder of the firm's Higher Education Practice Group, Mr. Pennington has extensive experience representing colleges and universities in matters related to labor, employment, academic policies and student discipline
Practice Areas Explained
James C. Pennington's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases James C. Pennington handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Employment lawyers represent workers in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, wage & hour disputes, and severance negotiations.
James C. Pennington is one of 169,120 employment attorneys indexed nationally. Browse employment attorneys in Alabama →
Education attorneys for special education (IEP), school discipline, Title IX, and student rights.
James C. Pennington is one of 24,079 education attorneys indexed nationally. Browse education attorneys in Alabama →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Alabama
Practicing law in Alabama. Legal matters in Alabama are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Birmingham are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Alabama state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Alabama brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Alabama courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Alabama attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Birmingham or all attorneys in Alabama.
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