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Biography

Mekesha represents management in the areas of union negotiations and arbitration and employment discrimination/wrongful discharge. She has successfully represented companies defending against class and collective actions alleging employment discrimination and wage and hour violations, including class actions under the FMLA, collective actions under the FLSA and EEOC-initiated class actions. Mekesha regularly provides advice and counsel to management responding to union-initiated grievances and has represented management in numerous labor arbitrations. She also has significant experience dealing with issues arising from covenants not to compete and with ERISA and Employee Benefits Litigation.

Mekesha’s labor & Employment practice includes working with employers to:

  • Negotiate collective bargaining agreements that are beneficial to the business but at the same time maintaining or even improving relationships with the union
  • Win labor arbitrations
  • Successfully defend employment discrimination cases
  • Navigate complex and time-consuming class and collective actions to successful resolutions
  • Build policies and procedures that help to avoid litigation
  • Defend or prosecute non-compete/non-solicitation agreements

Understanding that each client has different pain points and objectives in dealing with labor & employment matters, Mekesha stays informed with what is happening within the clients’ industries she serves by attending industry events, reading industry publications and satisfying her natural nosiness through facility tours and field trips. This approach allows her to understand not only the legal challenges her clients are facing, but how those challenges directly impact operations.  As a result, she can help to steer clients through a multitude of issues with an immediate understanding of the business context of the legal decisions.

Other Info About Mekesha

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

Obtained jury verdict for employer in sexual harassment, gender discrimination, age discrimination and retaliation case.

Enforced individual employee arbitration agreement resulting in prompt settlement of previously highly contested case.

Settled on the eve of trial for nuisance value case where plaintiff had previously demanded a six-figure settlement after winning several key pre-trial motions.

Obtained preliminary injunction against two former employees violating covenants not to compete.

Defeated conditional certification motion for putative FLSA collective action.

Obtained summary judgment for employer in case of first impression in Kentucky state court construing wage statute.

Obtained dismissal of case after successfully enforcing arbitration agreement in age discrimination case.

Obtained summary judgment in favor of employer in intentional infliction of emotional distress case.

Obtained order from United States District Court for D.C. Circuit vacating NLRB order reinstating employee who published newsletter critical to management.

Obtained orders in two different cases denying class certification based on alleged FMLA violations.

Obtained summary judgment in favor of employer in age, gender and disability discrimination case.

Obtained defense verdict in favor of employer at trial in whistleblower action.

Education

Law School

University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., 1999
Kentucky Law Journal; Associate Editor, 1997-1999
University of Kentucky Moot Court, 1997-1998; Secretary/Treasurer, 1998-1999

Undergraduate School

University of Kentucky, B.A., 1996, cum laude
Departmental honors
Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Memberships

Mekesha is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Kentucky, 1999

Ohio, 2001

Tennessee, 2007

Courts

Mekesha is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

Kentucky Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Ohio

Tennessee Supreme Court

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

Selected for inclusion in Mid-South Super Lawyers®, 2012-2014, 2020

The Best Lawyers in America©, Employment Law – Management, 2013-2021

Nashville Business Journal Woman of Influence

Nashville Post In Charge List

Nashville Post Most Powerful Women

Athena Award Nominee

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Bar Association

Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio Bar Associations

Nashville Bar Association

Lawyers’ Association for Women, Marion Griffin Chapter

Women Presidents’ Organization

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Greater Nashville Habitat for Humanity, Board of Directors, Administration Committee

Thistle Farms, Board of Directors

Advancing Women in Nashville, Co-Founder

Women’s Business Collaborative Leadership Circle

Firm Committees

Mekesha serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Member Personnel Committee, Chair

Manufacturing Industry Team, Chair

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