J. Hagood Tighe Sworn in as South Carolina Bar President

Fisher Phillips, one of the country’s preeminent labor and employment law firms representing employers, is pleased to announce that Columbia partner J. Hagood Tighe has been sworn in as president of the South Carolina Bar. The ceremony was presided over by U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs during the SC Bar’s Annual Assembly at Central Energy in Columbia on May 12.

As president, Hagood will serve South Carolina’s expansive legal and business communities by working to uphold the integrity and honor of the legal profession, advance the science of jurisprudence, promote quality legal education and services to the public, and continually improve the administration of justice throughout the Palmetto State. He will serve a one-year term.

At Fisher Phillips, Hagood is co-chair of the firm’s Wage and Hour practice and an active member of the firm's class and collective action practice. In recent years, he has handled over 40 class and collective actions throughout the country, many of which involve wage and hour issues. In fact, Hagood recently led a team that won one of the nation’s largest WARN Act class actions in recent history. He also has extensive experience defending single plaintiff lawsuits alleging wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. While Hagood maintains an active litigation practice, he also focuses on providing practical and proactive advice designed to minimize the risk of litigation. He enjoys working with companies to help them avoid problems before they arise. This takes many forms including advising on handbooks, policies, employment agreements, investigations, layoffs, and terminations. 

Sheila Willis, partner in the firm’s Columbia office, was also sworn in on May 12, serving on the South Carolina Bar’s Board of Governors. She will serve a three-year term and work to strengthen the Bar for current and future lawyers across the state.

At Fisher Phillips, Sheila has extensive experience providing compliance advice to federal contractors on affirmative action, OFCCP regulations and audits. She also provides guidance to higher education institutions regarding Title IX compliance and investigations. Sheila has significant experience working on collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and class actions under wage and hour state laws. She also provides training for supervisors and managers on harassment, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance, the Family Medical Leave Act, diversity and inclusion, and many other areas. Sheila provides compliance guidance and advice to employers—large and small—as they navigate employment issues related to hiring, discipline, investigations, employment discrimination, unemployment, and other related issues. 

To read more about the South Carolina Bar’s 2022-2023 leadership induction, please click here.