Trip Umbach chairs the firm’s labor and employment law practice group. For over 25 years, Trip has represented both public and private employers in all types of labor and employment disputes, from defending discrimination claims to handling traditional union labor relations matters. He regularly advises clients concerning non-competition agreements and litigates cases both to challenge and enforce them. A significant aspect of his practice is helping clients make employment decisions and develop policies that reduce the risk of being sued by employees or becoming unionized.
Professional Recognition
- Trip has been inducted as a Fellow into the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
- Trip graduated first in his class from the University of Alabama School of Law and was an editor on the Alabama Law Review
- Following law school, Trip clerked for the Honorable Patrick E. Higginbotham on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Trip has been recognized as a "leading individual" in the field of Labor and Employment by the 2008 - 2019 editions of Chambers USA
- He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2008 - 2020
- He has been named one of the top attorneys in the state of Alabama by Mid-South Super Lawyers® magazine
- He was named a "Litigation Star" for the state of Alabama in the 2017 - 2018 editions of Benchmark Litigation
- Trip was also named to Who's Who Legal Labour & Employment 2015; 2016; 2018 & 2019
Community Involvement
- Trip has served as Vice President of Legal and Legislative Affairs for the Birmingham Society for Human Resource Management.
- He has been involved in Boy Scouts at the Council and Troop levels.
- Serves on Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Alabama.
Highlights
- Won 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 co-workers’ racial slurs.
- Obtained numerous summary judgments for employers on claims of discrimination, retaliation, and state tort law.
- 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.
- Defended an employer and its employee against non-compete claims.
- Advised clients on strategies to respond to union activity.
- Represented employers in union elections.
- Negotiated collective bargaining agreements.
Presentations and Publications
- Risk Management – Resident Care & Employment Issues, Crowne Health Care Leadership Conference, Orange Beach, AL, October 18, 2018.
- How Does the #MeToo Movement Affect Long Term Care Employers, Alabama Nursing Home Association Annual Meeting, Birmingham, AL, June 25, 2018.
- What Do You Want to Know About Social Media?, Alabama City County Management Association, Birmingham, AL, January 26, 2017.
- Overtime Rule: What You Need to Know, Sponsored Seminar, Birmingham, AL, June 28, 2016.* The Ins and Outs of the New Overtime Rules and How to Prepare for the New Law, Sponsored Seminar, Birmingham, AL, June 16, 2016.
- The Ins and Outs of the New Overtime Rules and How to Prepare for the New Law, Sponsored Seminar, Birmingham, AL, June 16, 2016.
- Every Day Decisions That May Affect The Outcome of Litigation, Labor & Employment Disputes, And Your Surveys, 2015 Alabama Nursing Home Association Mid-Year Convention, Orange Beach, FL, April 27-28, 2015.
- Thinking Outside The Box: A Global Perspective to Risk Management, 2015 Alabama Nursing Home Association Legal Compliance Seminar, Birmingham, AL, January 12, 2015.
- Employment Law and Litigation: The Cost of Being Unprepared, Alabama Trucking Association Safety and Maintenance Management Council, Mobile, AL, February 6, 2014.
News & Insights
- The College of Labor & Employment Announces Trip Umbach Inducted as a Fellow
- THIRTY-TWO SDF ATTORNEYS NAMED TO THE 2019 EDITION OF MID-SOUTH SUPER LAWYERS
- SDF’s Labor & Employment Practice Group News Alert- September 2019
- Labor & Employment News Alert: Alabama Equal Pay Act
- Thirty SDF Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers 2020
- Starnes Davis Florie Ranked A Top Firm By Chambers USA 2019
- DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (AGAIN) PROPOSES TO INCREASE SALARY THRESHOLD FOR OVERTIME EXEMPTIONS
- Eight Starnes Attorneys Named Leaders in their Field in Chambers USA 2019
- Starnes Davis Florie Ranked in the 2019 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
- Employment Litigator Trip Umbach Featured in the Birmingham Business Journal
- THIRTY-ONE SDF ATTORNEYS NAMED TO THE 2018 EDITION OF MID-SOUTH SUPER LAWYERS
- Trip Umbach Named to Who’s Who Legal: Labour & Employment 2018
- Twenty-Seven SDF Attorneys Listed in Best Lawyers in America 2019
- Should You Have An Arbitration Agreement With Your Employees?
- SDF Ranked A Top Firm by Chambers USA 2018
- 8 SDF Partners Named “Leaders in their Field” in Chambers USA 2018
- Twenty-Eight SDF Attorneys Named to the 2017 Edition of Mid-South Super Lawyers
- Twenty-Six SDF Lawyers Listed in the 2018 Edition of Best Lawyers in America
- Umbach, Perkins, Davis, & Vinson Participate in the Alabama Trucking Association’s Annual Mock Trial
- Starnes Davis Florie Named a Highly Recommended Litigation Firm in the 2018 Edition of Benchmark Litigation
Fun Facts
Trip loves to quail hunt with his two Llewellyn Setters, Rex and Shirley Mae.