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Mr. Butler is a founding member of the Firm. He primarily represents employees in employment matters and has handled individual and class employment matters for private and public employees on a wide range of issues. His cases often attract statewide and national media attention. He is a regular speaker at continuing legal and judicial education programs, lecturing on a variety of employment and civil litigation topics. His peers recognize him as among the best trial lawyers in the region. In 2003 Virginia Business Magazine's "Legal Elite" edition named Harris "The Best Employment Lawyer" in Virginia. In 2006 and again in December 2007, he was named by them as "One of The Best Employment Lawyers" in Virginia. In 2006 and again in 2009, Virginia Super Lawyers ranked Mr. Butler among “The Top 10 Attorneys in Virginia.” He was also selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2008 and 2009 in the field of Labor and Employment Law (Copyright 2007 and 2008 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC). Also in 2009, Mr. Butler was admitted to the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in America, during the Spring Meeting of the College in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Representative Engagements:

Many of the matters Mr. Butler is involved in are resolved on a confidential basis. However, he is proud to have represented both the CEO and the maintenance man; the police officer and the ex-convict; the teacher and the student; the hospital administrator and the nurse; the physician and the secretary; the general counsel and the paralegal; the department store regional manager and the part-time clerk; the high-tech computer salesperson and the installer; the executive and the entry level employee; the City Manager and the city worker. All are employees, and he has helped them receive what they were due under the law.
During Mr. Butler’s twenty years of Virginia practice, he has quietly garnered the respect of his peers in the Employment Bar. Much of his work is by referral from other lawyers–including lawyers who represent management and appear regularly against him. He works tirelessly to advance employee rights, serving on bar committees and speaking across the state on employment litigation topics as an employee advocate. His cases are often reported publicly and followed in the press. Many are resolved confidentially. All are handled with the highest degree of loyalty, attention, and discretion. He and his staff are experienced in working with victims of workplace harassment. He understands the needs of his clients, and does his best to help them pursue their claims in the most effective and advantageous ways. He is committed to understanding the facts of a case to develop the most appropriate theory for his clients’ claims.

Education

J.D., University of Houston Law School, 1981
B.B.A., Texas A&M University, 1978

Admitted

Texas, 1981
U.S. Northern District of Texas, 1981
U.S. Southern District of Texas, 1981
U.S. Eastern District of Texas, 1981
U.S. Western District of Texas, 1981
Virginia, 1986
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, 1986
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, 1986
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Circuits
District of Columbia, 1986
United States Supreme Court, 1986

Professional Memberships and Affiliations

American College of Trial Lawyers
Virginia Bar Association
American Bar Association
Richmond Bar Association
National Employment Lawyers’ Association
- Virginia Affiliate Chair
- Amicus & Ethics Subcommittees
Virginia Trial Lawyers’ Association
American Association for Justice
Former Member, Virginia Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Council
Former Chair, Virginia Bar Association Law Practice Management Section
Former Chair, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association Employment Law Section
Frequent Lecturer on Employment Litigation Topics