Overview
Ben Dudek is an employment attorney in the Columbia office. He is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a Specialist in Employment and Labor Law.
Ben is very active in defending employers against administrative charges and lawsuits in state and federal courts. He represents clients in matters involving the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); Title VII discrimination, retaliation, and harassment; the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA); wrongful discharge; and wage and hour laws.
When Ben is not defending clients, he enjoys providing advice and counsel on everyday workplace law issues. He also drafts and reviews handbooks and employment policies for clients with operations across the country. In particular, Ben counsels clients on drug and alcohol testing policies and procedures. He also assists clients undergoing reductions-in-force (RIFs) and reorganizations.
Ben devotes another part of his practice to drafting non-compete and non-solicitation agreements for clients to protect their customers and competitive assets. He also advises clients on how to enforce these agreements as well as defend against claims from competitors related to unfair competition.
Prior to attending law school, Ben was a staffer for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in Washington, D.C. Within his practice, he monitors the latest legislative developments affecting employers on the federal, state, and local levels.
During law school, Ben was a Senior Articles Editor for the South Carolina Law Review. He is the author of “Rebutting the Strong Presumption of Reliability for Effective Assistance: The Pursuit of Cumulative Analysis for Strickland Claims in South Carolina,” 65 S.C. L. Rev. 685 (2014). Ben was inducted into the Order of the Coif and the Order of Wig and Robe. In addition, he received CALI Awards in Business Corporations; Civil Procedure; Legal Reasoning, Analysis, and Writing I; and Problems in Professional Responsibility.
Before joining Fisher Phillips, Ben served as a law clerk to the Honorable H. Bruce Williams on the South Carolina Court of Appeals.