Michael E. Turner
Partner
Michael has focused his more than 25 years of litigation experience on the defense of companies in employment-related litigation. He works closely with employers to advise them on issues and draft policies and procedures to minimize legal risk, address workplace challenges, and maximize employee relations, all with the goal to improve a business’s bottom line.
In his work with clients, Michael identifies and assesses risk to provide accurate, practical options to resolve employment problems. He enjoys and appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with clients on finding solutions to employment-related issues that best meet their needs and are designed to avoid litigation or present the best defense when litigation is necessary. He is well-versed in defending employment-related claims in both federal and state courts and before administrative agencies throughout Alabama and outside of the state for Alabama-based clients.
Experience
- Summary judgment obtained in federal court in Mobile for an employer in a case involving claims of race, sex, and age discrimination over a failure to hire. Successfully defended the appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the trial court’s ruling.
- Obtained the dismissal of FRSA retaliation claims for 10 client supervisor employees on a Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss in federal court in Birmingham.
- Summary judgment obtained for an employer in federal court in Birmingham in a case involving race discrimination claims in a termination case.
- Represented a client and obtained summary judgment on the asbestos-related claims of 25 plaintiffs in three consolidated cases in state court in Jefferson County, Alabama. 20 of the plaintiffs were dismissed on motions based on lack of sufficient product identification or statute of limitations grounds. The final 5 plaintiffs were dismissed after expert discovery on lack of causation grounds in the final round of summary judgment motions.
- Obtained summary judgment in state court in Baldwin County, Alabama for an employer in a case involving race discrimination claims arising from an employment termination.