Breanna Harris Young

Breanna Young is a partner at Starnes Davis Florie and serves as the firm’s Associate Training Partner and on the firm’s Recruiting Committee. Breanna’s practice is focused primarily in the areas of labor and employment law. She also practices in the field of Title IX and ADA compliance litigation. Breanna regularly deals with Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and state non-competition laws. She represents both public and private employers in all types of labor and employment litigation in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. In addition to her litigation experience, Breanna routinely advises employers in making employment decisions and developing policies that reduce the risk of being sued by employees. Breanna graduated summa cum laude from both the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law.

Professional Recognition

Recognized as a “leading individual” in the field of Labor and Employment by Chambers USA
Named a Rising Star for the state of Alabama by Mid-South Lawyers magazine
Elected to the Order of the Coif
Listed as a 'Local Litigation Star' for the State of Alabama in Benchmark Litigation - Labor & Employment Litigation

Community Involvement

Breanna serves on the Board of Directors for the Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation and as a member of the Restoration Academy Advisory Council.

Highlights

Obtained a favorable ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirming the district court’s grant of summary judgment in a lawsuit involving Section 1981 claims that a water works board discriminated against a customer based on his race by denying his request for additional water and sewer taps.
Obtained summary judgment on behalf of local municipality in a breach of contract case based on an employee handbook.
Obtained summary judgment on all claims in a discrimination case for one of the largest wood products manufacturers in case alleging violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
Successfully obtained a complete dismissal for university officials sued in a wrongful death action involving a highly-publicized mass shooting at an academic medical center.
Obtained Favorable 11th Circuit Decision in a Case Alleging Violations of the Rehabilitation Act and the FLSA.
Terri Lynn Cruce Corder v. City of Bessemer – Obtained summary judgment in favor of a municipality against a former employee’s claim that the City discriminated against her based on her race, sex, and disability and in retaliation for previous complaints when it terminated her employment.
Jesse Hunt v. Altec Industries, Inc. – Obtained summary judgment for a manufacturer on a former employee’s claim that the company interfered with this FMLA rights and retaliated against him when it terminated him for violation of the company’s attendance policy.

Eric Mitchell v. Evergreen Transport, LLC – Obtained a jury verdict for a trucking company against a former truck driver’s claim that the company fired him because of his race and in retaliation for his complaints about his coworkers’ racial slurs.
Hibbett Sporting Goods, Inc. and Hibbett Teams Sales, Inc. v. Steve Bridges – Enforced an employer’s non-compete agreement with a former employee by obtaining a jury verdict awarding the employer lost profits and rejecting the employee’s claim of interference with his new employment.
Paul Boyle v. City of Pell City – Obtained summary judgment in favor of a municipality against a former employee’s claim that the City failed to accommodate his disability and terminated him because of his disability in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Obtained summary judgment for a district manager of a national retail pharmacy chain on a claim on intentional interference with business relations brought by a former employee.
Gary Carmichael v. The Personnel Board of Jefferson County and The City of Bessemer – Obtained summary judgment and complete dismissal of six counts on behalf of a municipality in a case brought by a current employee alleging Constitutional violations and defamation.
Obtained summary judgment for a national retail pharmacy on a former employee’s retaliatory discharge claim.

Presentations and Publications

The Intersection Between HR and OSHA, Manufacture Alabama HR, Safety & Environmental Conference, Birmingham, AL, November 10, 2022.
Thinking Outside the Box, Act II: Global Perspective to Risk Management, Etc, Alabama Nursing Home Association Mid-Year Conference, Orange Beach, AL, April 27, 2022.
What the Vaccine Mandate Could Mean for You & Your Business, Webinar hosted by BMSS Advisors & CPA’s, November 10, 2021.
Labor & Employment 2021 – Impacts of COVID-19 on Employment Law. Birmingham Business Journal, April 30 – May 6, 2021, Vol.38, No. 18.
Give Me a Break: Accommodations Under the ADA and the Title VII, Alabama Employment Law Seminar, Birmingham, Alabama (November 30, 2018)
How Does the #MeToo Movement Affect Long Term Care Employers, Alabama Nursing Home Association Annual Meeting, Birmingham, Alabama (June 25, 2018)
Is Your Employee Handbook a Defense or a Trigger to Legal Liability? 2016 Alabama Nursing Home Association Legal Compliance Seminar, Birmingham, Alabama (February 15, 2016)
Every Day Decisions That May Affect the Outcome of Litigation, Labor & Employment Disputes, and Surveys, 2015 Alabama Nursing Home Association Mid-Year Convention, Orange Beach, Alabama (April 2015)
How to Avoid Becoming the Plaintiff’s Star Witness: Understanding the Defense of Employment Claims, presented to Supervisors and Human Resources Managers (April 2014)
The Art of Internal Investigations: What to do When an Employee Complains of Discrimination, presented to Supervisors & Human Resources Managers (April 2014)
Wipeout: If It’s Not Documented, It Didn’t Happen!, presented to Supervisors and Human Resources Managers, Pensacola, Florida (August 2014)
Garnishments, Levies, and Salary Deductions, presented at the Birmingham Payroll Association’s statewide seminar (October 2014)
“South Dakota Employment Law,” Chapter of Employment At Will: A State-by-State Survey, publication of the American Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law Section, pages 1013-1033 (2011) and supplements (2012-2016).

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U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama
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