Stan Graham
Partner
Overview
Stan Graham is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. Mr. Graham is a trusted advisor and go-to litigator for major employers throughout the United States. He is also widely sought for his relatable style and experience as a mediator and outside investigator. In client surveys conducted by third parties, he has been described as "immensely knowledgeable" and "always accessible." He has been repeatedly recognized by clients and peers as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA, and has also been named three times as "Lawyer of the Year - Labor Law - Management (Nashville)" by Best Lawyers.
Mr. Graham has been focused on employment and civil rights law since graduating law school in 1996. He is fully admitted to practice in six states and dozens of federal courts, and has represented clients in nearly 25 states and counting. He is also known for his extensive experience defending Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforcement actions, employment class actions, and complex administrative disputes before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In addition to his employment practice, Mr. Graham is widely sought for his experience defending Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) "access" litigation brought under the public accommodation provisions of the ADA.
For more than 20 years, Mr. Graham has served on the Steering Committee for the Employment and Labor Law Section of DRI, an international organization of attorneys defending the interests of business in civil litigation, including most recently as chair of that committee. He has also served as chair of the Tennessee Bar Association's Labor and Employment Committee, and has been elected a fellow of both the Tennessee Bar Foundation and the Nashville Bar Foundation.
Representative Experience
- EEOC, et al. v. Dolgencorp, LLC, U.S. District Court, N.D. of Alabama – led a team at trial court and on appeal in EEOC enforcement action brought on behalf of over 500 individuals under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and ADA
- Gonzalez v. Ford Motor Company, U.S. District Court, S.D. of Indiana – defense verdict at trial on claims of failure to accommodate under the ADA , with jury finding plaintiff was not disabled under the ADA after less than one hour of deliberations
- EEOC, et al. v. Dolgencorp, LLC, U.S. District Court, E.D. of Tennessee – led defense at trial and on appeal of EEOC enforcement action brought pursuant to the ADA on claims of failure to accommodate
- Peaden v. Dollar General, Circuit Court for Covington County, Alabama – defense verdict at trial on claim of retaliatory discharge under Alabama state law
- Andazola v. Logan's Roadhouse Restaurants, U.S. District Court, N.D. of Alabama – defense verdict at trial on claims of sexual harassment and failure to promote, with jury reaching verdict after less than 10 minutes of deliberations
- Boutwell v. Federal-Mogul Corporation, U.S. District Court, N.D. of Alabama – defense verdict at trial on claim of retaliatory discharge brought by plaintiff discharged while serving on jury duty
- Clark v. O'Charley's, LLC, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66596 (S.D. Ala.) – adopting summary judgment argument that disabled customer lacked constitutional standing to assert ADA public accommodation claim that she had been wrongly denied access to full complement of restaurant's services
- Roeben v. BG Excelsior Limited Partnership, 545 F.3d 639 (8th Cir.) – affirming district court's summary judgment decision for defense on claims of wrongful discharge brought under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
- Weary v. Cochran, 377 F.3d 522 (6th Cir.) – affirming district court's summary judgment decision for defense on claims brought under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, finding that plaintiff was an independent contractor notwithstanding long-time relationship with putative employer
- Thomas v. Dolgencorp, LLC, 30 F. Supp. 3d 1340 (M.D. Ala.) – granting summary judgment for defense on claims of wrongful discharge under the Americans With Disabilities Act based on "honest belief" doctrine
- Andazola v. Logan's Roadhouse, 871 F. Supp. 2d 1186 (N.D. Ala.) – granting partial summary judgment for defense on claims of retaliatory discharge and gender discrimination under the Equal Pay Act
Credentials
- Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, J.D., cum laude
- University of Florida, B.S.B.A., Finance, Sociology
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
- U.S. Supreme Court
- All State Courts in Alabama
- All State Courts in Arkansas
- All State Courts in Georgia
- All State Courts in Kentucky
- All State Courts in Mississippi
- All State Courts in Tennessee
- All U.S. District Courts in Alabama
- All U.S. District Courts in Arkansas
- All U.S. District Courts in Georgia
- All U.S. District Courts in Kentucky
- All U.S. District Courts in Mississippi
- All U.S. District Courts in Oklahoma
- All U.S. District Courts in Tennessee
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
- Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
- Tennessee Supreme Court, Rule 31 Listed Mediator
- Tennessee Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Nashville Bar Association, Fellow
- Defense Research Institute (DRI), Employment and Labor Law Section, Past Chair
- Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Labor and Employment Law Section, Past Chair
- TBA Labor and Employment Law Section, 2005-Present
- Tennessee Hotel and Lodging Association, Board of Directors, Past Director
- Inaugural Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law Program, Graduate
- Economic Club of Nashville, Board of Directors, Past Member
- Historic Travellers Rest Plantation Museum, Board of Directors, Past Member
- St. George's Episcopal Church, Nashville, Past Vestry Member
- St. George's Kindergarten, Board of Directors, Past Member
- W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music, Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Past Member
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Employment Law – Management, 2014-2025; Labor Law – Management, 2015-2025; Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2014-2025
- Chambers USA – America's Leading Lawyers for Business guide, Labor and Employment (Tennessee), 2012-2024
- Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine, 2006, 2012-2024; Top 100: Tennessee Super Lawyers List, 2017, 2021; Top 50: Nashville Super Lawyers List, 2017
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Lawyer of the Year, Labor Law – Management, 2023
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated