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James K. Cowan, Jr. is a partner with LeClairRyan resident in Blacksburg office. His practice focuses on Labor and Employment counsel and litigation. He represents a number of employers in the region, ranging from high-tech start-ups to large manufacturers. In addition to counseling and representing public and private employers on a full range of labor and employment law matters, Mr. Cowan specializes in Executive Order 11246 compliance including preparation of affirmative action plans and responding to OFCCP audits. Mr. Cowan has represented employers in numerous unfair competition cases involving breach of restrictive covenants, confidentiality agreements and employment contracts. He has spent the last decade in federal and state courts across Virginia in the defense of wrongful discharge claims; disability discrimination claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act; age discrimination claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; claims for relief under the Family Medical Leave Act and Fair Labor Standards Act; and claims of sexual harassment and race and gender discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C § 1981, and has argued successfully before the Virginia Supreme Court. Mr. Cowan also represents employers before the NLRB, the EEOC and the Virginia Employment Commission. Mr. Cowan is a graduate of the National Trail Advocacy College Trial Advocacy Institute at the University of Virginia. Mr. Cowan has been selected for The Best Lawyers in America (Labor and Employment) and Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite. Mr. Cowan is a frequent speaker and corporate trainer for companies on sexual harassment, employment discrimination, FMLA and ADA compliance, the Fair Labor Standards Act, diversity and affirmative action, conducting workplace investigations, hiring and firing, and union free management. He is a member of the Virginia Bar Association and is currently the YLD Representative on the Executive Council of the Labor Relations and Employment Law Section. Mr. Cowan is a board member for the New River Valley Society for Human Resource Management, currently serves as General Counsel to the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance, and is a past President of the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce and member of the Workforce Development Committee of the New Century Technology Council. | 