Agenzia

Christopher Butler, Esq. – Agenzia Founder and Managing Director

OVERVIEW

Before founding Agenzia, Chris Butler was a partner at a leading national labor and employment law firm, representing employers and executives in a wide range of workplace and litigation matters. With nearly 30 years’ experience, Chris is a devoted problem solver and seasoned litigator, committed to the art of client service. He specializes in employment, business, and complex litigation matters, offering guidance to employers, businesses, and professionals across various industries within the United States and abroad.

Chris applies a tenacious and relatable approach and his clients rely on him to deliver strategic, goal-oriented results, often under pressure. He is cognizant that each client’s needs are unique and require an individualized action plan with a sharp focus on detail. Drawing on his extensive litigation and conflict resolution background, Chris works proactively to identify and mitigate legal risks, helping clients navigate an ever-evolving business landscape that demands real-time analysis and practical solutions. Rooted in the core principles of responsiveness, dependability, and integrity, Chris has handled matters in over 25 states as well as transglobal legal issues for clients based across the Americas, Europe, and Asia

Chris provides daily counseling, representation, and training on a wide range of employment and business legal issues. His employment law expertise covers numerous areas invoking the figurative “alphabet soup” of employment law (ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, etc.), including discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, independent contractors, noncompetition agreements, nonsolicitation clauses, trade secrets, wage and hour/overtime issues, and workplace investigations, among others.

Additionally, Chris’ business law work includes negotiating and drafting business agreements and litigating breach of contract, defamation, trade secret, insurance, and other commercial disputes. Chris also handles complex litigation matters, including cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, industrial and transportation accidents, and other unique and specialized issues. He also routinely serves as outside general counsel for small-to-mid-sized companies.

Chris has been consistently recognized by Best Lawyers in America® in the areas of labor and employment and business litigation, repeatedly named a Georgia Super Lawyer in labor and employment by SuperLawyers®, listed by GaBiz Magazine as a Top Lawyer in labor and employment law, and named as one of GeorgiaTrend’s Legal Elite. He is an author and lecturer on employment, human resources, and business law-related topics, and serves as a contributing author and co-editor of the Georgia Employment Law Letter, the Southeast Employment Law Letter, and the 50 Employment Laws in 50 States annual HR guide.

Chris is a member of the Employers Counsel Network, a consortium of top-level employment lawyers across the United States and Canada. He also serves as a board member, treasurer, and secretary for the Atlanta Bar Association’s Labor and Employment section, as an attorney mentor and vice-chair for the Georgia Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Mentorship Academy, and holds other appointments with judicial panels and committees.

Beyond his legal practice, Chris is committed to civic and community service, charitable fundraising, and mentoring. One of his proudest achievements is receiving the 2017 Man of the Year – Runner Up award from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in recognition of his monthslong campaign to fund blood cancer research. Chris has mentored young adults through secondary school programs and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s Connections program, sharing career guidance, creative writing skills, and reading comprehension techniques. Chris has coached winning high school level mock trial teams and served as a judge in Rotary International’s Laws of Life Essay Contest.

Outside of his professional life, Chris has a passion for planes, trains, and automobiles, exploring coffee shops, learning guitar, college football, and traversing the globe with his spectacular wife.

CREDENTIALS

Education
  • J.D., 1997, University of Alabama School of Law
    • Research Editor, Law and Psychology Review
    • Cooperative Exchange Program Scholar – University of Fribourg, Switzerland 
    • Associate Justice – University Student Judicial Board 
  • B.A., 1993 – Political Science; B.A., 1993 – History, University of North Alabama
    • Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society
    • Phi Delta Kappa Honor Society
    • Sigma Chi Social Fraternity
    • Dean’s List
State Bar and Court Admissions
  • Georgia State Bar
  • Tennessee State Bar
  • Georgia Supreme Court
  • Georgia Court of Appeals
  • Tennessee Supreme Court
  • Tennessee Court of Appeals
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota 
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
  • Routinely admitted pro hac vice to federal and state courts across the country, including Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, and Texas, among others.

PRACTICE AREAS

 

AFFILIATIONS AND AWARDS

Awards and Recognitions

  • Selected by GeorgiaTrend as a “2025 Legal Elite” (Labor & Employment Law), 2025
  • Recognized by SuperLawyers® as a “Georgia Super Lawyer” (Employment & Labor/Employment Litigation; Business Litigation), 2022-2026
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers in America® (Labor & Employment Law/Litigation), 2019-2026
  • Named by GaBiz Magazine’s as a Top Lawyer (Labor & Employment Law), 2024-2026
  • Labor and Employment Mentorship Academy – numerous mentorship and leadership recognitions
  • Man of the Year Runner Up – Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2017
  • Employers Counsel Network – numerous editorial awards 
  • Young Lawyer of the Year – Chattanooga Bar Association, 2000

Boards and Committees

  • Board Member – Federal Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel (2026-2029)
  • Chair/Vice-Chair/Board Member – Georgia Bar Labor & Employment Mentorship Academy, 2024-present
  • Attorney Mentor – Georgia Bar Labor & Employment Mentorship Academy, 2022-2024
  • Vice-Chair/Treasurer/Secretary/Board Member – Atlanta Bar Labor & Employment Section, 2008–2009; 2023–present
  • Membership Committee Member – Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club, 2024-present
  • Leadership Committee Member – Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2017-2018
  • Board Member – National Kidney Foundation Advisory Board (Georgia), 2013-2015
  • Board Member/Secretary/Treasurer – Chattanooga Bar Association (YLD), 1999-2000
  • District Representative – Tennessee Bar Association (YLD), 1999-2000

Associations and Memberships

  • Employers Counsel Network 
  • American Bar Association (Labor and Employment; Litigation)
  • Georgia Bar Association (Labor and Employment)
  • Tennessee Bar Association (Labor and Employment)
  • Atlanta Bar Association (Labor and Employment)
  • Atlanta Lawyers Club
  • Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club (Rotary International)
  • The Atlanta Compliance and Ethics Roundtable
  • Bama for Business (co-founding board member)
  • Technology Association of Georgia

PUBLICATIONS/SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Editorial Roles 

  • Southeastern Employment Law Letter – Author/co-Editor, 2020-present
  • Georgia Employment Law Letter – Author/co-Editor, 2009-2020
  • 50 Employment Laws in 50 States (Georgia) – Author/co-Editor, 2009-present
  • F&H Employment Law Sourcebook (Discipline and Discharge), 2007-2018
  • HR Daily Advisor (“That’s what she said” blog covering NBC’s The Office) – Blogger; 2009-2012

Recent Publications 

  • “50 Employment Laws in 50 States” (Annual Multistate Guide) (2025)
  • “If employees won’t sign acknowledgement of policy, they won’t follow policy” (2023)
  • “What a difference a day makes – How to lose arbitration in 24 hours” (2023)
  • “Part and parcel, UPS worker delivers empty FMLA claim” (2023)
  • “Court razes architect’s failure-to-accommodate suit” (2022)
  • “Southeast state law varies on payment of deceased employee’s wages” (2021)
  • “Management’s disparaging comments send FMLA retaliation claim to Georgia jury” (2021)

Full Listing

Newsletters/Blogs

Recent Speaking Engagements

  • How to Prepare for the New Overtime Salary Thresholds, 2024
  • FMLA Master Class – Advanced Skills for Employee Leave Management, 2020 
  • 10 Tips for Effective Management and Coaching, 2018
  • How Does the #MeToo Movement Translate to Corporate America?; 2018
  • What’s Stewing in the Kettle? – What Employers Need to Know About This Year, 2016
  • Social Media for School Systems – Lessons for Avoiding Detention, 2016
  • Fair Labor Standards Act Master Class for Employers, 2016

Full Listing

WORK

Representative Work

Some examples of Chris Butler’s work include:

  • Providing day-to-day advice and guidance on a wide range of workplace and business matters, including labor and employment issues, independent contractor relationships, hiring, discipline, and discharge, compensation/wage and hour matters, legal compliance, privacy and information security, multinational/transglobal affairs, labor relations and collective bargaining, layoffs/reductions-in-force, and occupational safety.
  • Litigating claims under numerous federal and state employment and civil rights statutes (including Title VII, § 1981, ADA, ADEA, EPA, FLSA, FMLA, etc.) involving discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, unfair labor practices, whistleblowing, public accommodation, and wage-and-hour/overtime violations.
  • Handling contractual disputes, including claims for breach of employment agreements, severance agreements, noncompetition agreements, nonsolicitation agreements, nondisclosure agreements, confidentiality/trade secret agreements, and service and supply agreements.
  • Litigating claims of trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, computer trespass, tortious interference with contract and business relations, civil conspiracy, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, misrepresentation, conversion, and unjust enrichment.
  • Managing disputes related to breach of contract, business and commercial agreements, business divorces, partnership/shareholder disputes, business torts (unfair and deceptive trade practices, unfair competition, defamation, tortious interference with contractual relations, etc.), insurance coverage and bad faith, manufacturing defects and product liability, premises liability, and public accommodation.
  • Negotiating and drafting contracts and agreements for employees, independent contractors, and film actors/directors/producers/entertainers; confidential/proprietary information and trade secrets; restrictive covenants (noncompetition, nonsolicitation, nondisclosure, etc.); arbitration and alternative dispute resolution; separation/severance; settlement; franchising; vendors and service providers; and other business-related arrangements.
  • Providing counseling and workplace training for human resources personnel, executives, managers, and employees on compliant employment practices, equal employment opportunity, absence/leave management, workplace behavior, and wage-and-hour/compensation matters.
  • Drafting employee handbooks and workplace policies and manuals.
  • Conducting internal and independent workplace, business, and incident investigations, including those related to employment law violations, hostile work environment, fraud and embezzlement, abuse of authority/discretion, and whistleblower retaliation.
  • Achieving resolutions and settlements of business disputes and employment-related claims, charges, complaints, and class/collective actions.
  • Securing numerous favorable court rulings, dismissals, summary judgment orders, and verdicts.
  • Representation in USDOL and state agency wage and hour audits and investigations.
  • Representation in OSHA and workplace safety complaints.
  • Conducting audits of company employment practices and policies and due diligence assessments.
  • Serving as outside general counsel to small-to-mid-sized companies. 
  • Advising executives and professionals on employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, separation agreements, etc.
  • Pursuing commercial foreclosures and handling bankruptcy petitions.
  • Litigating complex and unique cases involving catastrophic/serious personal injuries, industrial and transportation accidents, defamation/invasion of privacy claims, and other specialized issues.

Litigation Experience

Some examples of Chris Butler’s litigation experience include:

  • Won motion to dismiss disability, sex, and pay discrimination claims on behalf of an Asian manufacturing facility.
  • Won motion to dismiss disability and sex discrimination claims on behalf of an Asian surfaces product production facility.
  • Tried breach of contract case and obtained award on behalf of a commercial property seller.
  • Won summary judgment on FMLA interference and retaliation claims on behalf of a national cosmetics supplier.
  • Presented oral argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in a reverse-race discrimination and retaliation case, securing affirmation of the trial court’s decision on behalf of a public housing provider.
  • Won motion to dismiss disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, and civil rights claims for a beauty supply distributor.
  • Defeated a motion to dismiss in a wrongful termination, retaliation, assault, and battery case on behalf of an automotive industry executive.
  • Defeated a motion for summary judgment in a breach of contract and bad faith case for a restaurant group.
  • Secured pretrial dismissal of employer and executive management/human resources team in a workplace harassment, discrimination, wage-and-hour, and retaliation case for a rehabilitative staffing provider.
  • Obtained a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction against an IT professional on behalf of a technology solutions developer.
  • Secured pretrial dismissal of gender discrimination, race discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and constructive discharge claims for a vocational placement organization.
  • Obtained a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against a former executive on theft and misappropriation of trade secrets claims on behalf of an industrial parts manufacturer.
  • Secured pretrial dismissal of a workplace discrimination and retaliation case on behalf of a rehabilitative services provider.
  • Won summary judgment in a sexual harassment, retaliation, and joint-employment case for of a private transportation carrier.
  • Obtained pretrial dismissal of negligence, premises liability, and personal injury claims for an industrial chemical manufacturer.
  • Won summary judgment in a race discrimination and hostile work environment case on behalf of a regional medical center.
  • Won a motion to compel arbitration in a hostile work environment case on behalf of an international luxury hotel brand.
  • Won summary judgment in a race discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination case for a regional medical center.
  • Secured pretrial dismissal of wrongful discharge and workers’ compensation retaliation claims for a facilities management services provider.
  • Won summary judgment in a race and national origin discrimination and unpaid PTO case on behalf of an assisted living center.
  • Secured an arbitration award in a breach of employment contract case on behalf of a hospice care agency.
  • Obtained dismissal of sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims for a fast-food restaurant franchise group.
  • Won summary judgment in reverse-race discrimination and retaliation claims on behalf of a municipal housing authority.
  • Obtained an arbitration award in an FMLA interference and retaliation case on behalf of a private college. 
  • Obtained summary judgment in a disability discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress case on behalf of a regional hospital.
  • Arbitrated multiple hostile work environment and retaliation claims for a restaurant group.
  • Secured pretrial dismissal of sexual harassment, race discrimination, assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent hiring and retention claims on behalf of a restaurant franchise group.
  • Obtained summary judgment on the application of the exclusive remedy doctrine to workplace injury claims for a manufacturer.
  • Won motion to disqualify opposing counsel on behalf of national shipping carrier.
  • Delivered oral argument before the Tennessee Supreme Court in a workers’ compensation case, obtaining remand of the trial court’s decision on behalf of an industrial facility.
  • Represented clients in numerous jury and bench trials in various employment, business, tort, personal injury, property damage, product liability, and general litigation matters on behalf of insurers, insureds, individuals, manufacturers, retail establishments, and transportation providers.
  • Handled multiple workers’ compensation administrative hearings and appeals on behalf of employers and employees.

Full Listing

Reported Decisions

Some examples of Chris Butler’s reported cases include:

  • Fletcher v. Bronner Bros. Inc., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39565 (N.D. Ga. Mar. 5, 2025)
  • Fletcher v. Bronner Bros. Inc., 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64658 (N.D. Ga. Apr. 9, 2024)
  • Crazy Cuban, LLC v. AmGuard Ins. Co., 437 F. Supp. 3d. 1261 (N.D. Ga. Feb. 4, 2020)
  • Pamarco Global Graphics v. Ruth, 2017 Ga. Super. LEXIS 3037 (Ga. Super. Ct. June 23, 2017)
  • McFadden v. Bobby Dodd Inst., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 218170 (N.D. Ga. Jan. 10, 2017)
  • Bostic v. Lauragina Prof’l Transp., LLC, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 73135 (S.D. Ga. June 5, 2016)
  • Small v. United States Discounters, LTD., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64281 (S.D. Ga. May 16, 2016)
  • Rogers v. Medicacom, LLC, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130839 (M.D. Ga. Sept. 29, 2015)
  • Grant v. Palmyra Med. Ctr., 2014  U.S. Dist. LEXIS 138870 (M.D. Ga. Sept. 14, 2014)
  • Simpson v. Sanderson Farms, Inc., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15064 (M.D. Ga. Feb. 5, 2013)
  • Kajim v. Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., L.L.C., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 155049 (M.D. Ga. Oct. 25, 2012)
  • Jackson v. JHD Dental, LLC, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63015 (N.D. Ga. June 14, 2011)
  • Cody v. Palmyra Park Hosp. Inc., 398 Fed. Appx. 556 (11th Cir. 2010)
  • Cody v. Palmyra Park Hosp. Inc., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 152469 (M.D. Ga. Feb. 25, 2010)
  • Cody v. Palmyra Park Hosp. Inc., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137904 (M.D. Ga. Mar. 31, 2009)
  • Jean-Baptiste v. Parkwood Living Ctr., LLC, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127045 (N.D. Ga. Sept. 19, 2008)
  • Varner v. Lodgenet Stayonline, Inc., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127784 (N.D. Ga. July 30, 2008)
  • Dillahay v. City of E. Point, 251 Fed. Appx. 656 (11th Cir. 2007)
  • EEOC v. Eagle Mgmt. Grp., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117632 (N.D. Ga. Sept. 18, 2006)
  • Dillahay v. City of E. Point, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66087 (N.D. Ga. Sept. 15, 2006)
  • Meece v. Atl. Southeast Airlines, Inc., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56434 (N.D. Ga. Jun. 19, 2006)
  • King v. Publix Supermarkets, Inc., 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56537 (N.D. Ga. May 26, 2006)
  • Dillahay v. City of E. Point, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9533 (N.D. Ga. Feb. 26, 2006)
  • Watson v. River Region Med. Ctr., 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53070 (S.D. Miss. July 20, 2005)

 

(CBLLC.6.18.2026)