Michael F. Lauderdale

In addition to serving as the firm’s managing director, Michael Lauderdale’s practice involves civil litigation focusing on the representation of employers and management in all phases of litigation before federal and state courts, regulatory and administrative agencies, and arbitration panels. He has represented management in a variety of matters involving employment discrimination litigation, including claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including class action wage and hour litigation. He has also handled litigation matters involving the enforcement of non-competition and confidentiality agreements, arbitration, breach of employment contracts, handbook and personnel policy violations, wage and hour disputes, and other issues arising out of the employer/employee relationships.

Michael’s practice also involves assisting employers and management in all day-to-day human resource issues, including: hiring and firing; employee classification; drafting and implementing handbooks and policies and procedures; investigation of claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation; wage, hour and compensation issues; drafting and implementing agreements with employees, including offer letters, contracts of employment, noncompete and confidentiality agreements, and commission and bonus agreements; and the drafting and implementation of company wide arbitration programs. He also assists employers in providing training on a wide range of human resource-related issues focusing on litigation prevention.

Michael’s extensive career experience in dispute resolution includes serving as a mediator specializing in FLSA class actions.

His work has earned him inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (commercial litigation; employment law – management; health care law; labor law – management; labor and employment litigation), Oklahoma Super Lawyers, Benchmark Litigation and Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, where he was noted for his “intelligent, aggressive and results-oriented style.” He was also selected by Best Lawyers as the “Oklahoma City Labor and Employment Litigation Lawyer of the Year” for 2016 and “Oklahoma City Labor Lawyer of the Year (Management)” for 2019, honors given to a single lawyer in each legal specialty in each market.

Michael has previously served on McAfee & Taft’s board of directors and as co-leader of the firm’s Labor and Employment Group, one of the largest of its kind in the region. From 2002–2005, he also served as an administrative law judge for the Oklahoma Department of Labor.