Allegra Lawrence-Hardy

Co-Managing Partner

Allegra Lawrence-Hardy is a highly accomplished litigator known for her innovative thinking, tenacity and real-world solutions. Allegra has successfully defended Fortune 100 companies throughout the United States and abroad in numerous trials and arbitrations. Known for her skill in trying cases, negotiating complex settlements, and finding creative solutions, Allegra advises clients daily on a wide range of complex litigation, election law, political law, voting rights, and labor and employment issues. She helps develop processes and tools for improving the efficiency and delivery of legal services, and often shares her deep litigation knowledge as a prolific author and sought-after speaker.

404-400-3340lawrence@khlawfirm.com LinkedIn

About Allegra

Allegra works closely with clients on high-stakes, high-profile complex litigation matters. She has extensive experience conducting internal investigations and guiding clients through sensitive crisis management situations to successful resolution.

Allegra also advises and counsels management on a wide range of labor and employment issues. She provides practical, solution-oriented advice to help navigate complex employment law issues while keeping her client’s business goals firmly in mind.

During the over two decades of her practice, Allegra also has led and been part of legal teams representing municipalities, non-profit organizations, political candidates, and political parties in election, voting rights, and political law matters including representing presidential candidate Al Gore before the Eleventh Circuit in Bush v. Gore and serving on the 2020 Biden for President recount team.

Allegra has an active pro bono practice, through which she has successfully represented voters, asylum applicants, adoptive parents, underserved children, farmworkers, and more.

Background

Education

  • Yale Law School J.D.
  • Spelman College B.A.

Admissions

  • Georgia

Clerkship

  • Honorable Susan H. Black U.S. Court of Appeals Eleventh Circuit

Recognitions

  • Chambers | Band One
  • Super Lawyers
  • Best Lawyers®
  • Benchmark
  • Forbes America’s Top 200 Lawyers

Community

  • Trustee, Spelman College
  • Trustee, Emory University
  • Member, Election Law Advisory Committee, American Bar Association
  • Co-Chair, Professional Success Summit, Litigation Section, American Bar Association
  • Member, The American Employment Law Council
  • Board of Advisors, American Constitution Society, Georgia Lawyer Chapter
  • Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
  • Director, Executive Committee of the Independent School Chairpersons Association
  • Chair, Board of Trustees, Atlanta Girls’ School
  • Commissioner, ABA’s Committee on the Lawyers’ Role in Assuring Every Child’s Right to a High-Quality Education
  • Member, Board of Directors, Georgia Legal Services Foundation
  • Member, Board of Governors, State Bar of Georgia
  • Member, Board of Directors, Leadership Institute for Women of Color in Law and Business
  • Member, Board of Directors, Zoo Atlanta
  • Executive Committee Member, Board of Directors, Children’s Museum of Atlanta
  • Fellow, American Bar Foundation
  • Member, American Inns of Court (Bleckley Inn)
  • Member, Gate City Bar Association
  • Member, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL)
  • Member, International Women’s Forum Georgia
  • Member, Labor and Employment Section, American Bar Association
  • Member, National Bar Association
  • Appointee, Mayor’s Transition Team
  • Appointee, Georgia Supreme Court’s Commission on Access and Fairness in the Courts
  • Appointee, Mayor’s Living Wage Commission
  • Appointee, Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism
  • Appointee, Georgia Supreme Court’s Commission on Domestic Violence
  • Graduate, Leadership Atlanta
  • Graduate, Leadership Georgia
  • Former Member, Leadership, Litigation Section, American Bar Association
  • Past Member, Corporate Council, Fernbank Museum
  • Past President, Atlanta Legal Diversity Consortium (ALDC)
  • Past President, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA)
  • Former Member, Board of Directors, Atlanta Legal Aid Society
  • Former Chair, Women and Minorities in the Profession Committee, State Bar of Georgia
  • Former Executive Committee Member, Board of Directors, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
  • Past Member, Board of Directors, Atlanta Community Food Bank

 

Client Resources

Publications

Refresher on Workplace Social Media Policies as Contentious US Presidential Election Near; Corporate Compliance, October 16, 2024.

Top Five Issues for Employers to Audit Midyear; Law360, June 28, 2024.

Cited in Law Curbing Forced Arbitration Takes Shape: Midyear ReportLaw 360; written by Amanda Otttaway; June 8, 2024.

New Title IX Regulations: Three Takeaways for any Organization Subject to Title IX. . . or Title VIIDaily Report from Law.com | ALM Media Properties, LLC; May 16,
2024.

Key Outcomes of This Year’s Georgia Legislative SessionDaily Report from Law.com, April 18, 2024.

Georgia: Labor & Employment Overview; Chambers USA, March 2024.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2024Law360, January 2024.

Life Imitates Art in Reshaping Workplace Drama:  AI, Remote Work, and the Silent Revolution of Employee Layoffs; A. Lawrence-Hardy and S. Mario, The Seminar Group, October 2023.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2023Law360, January 2023.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2022Law360, January 2022.

OSHA Modifies Workplace Safety Guidance Amidst a Nationwide COVID-19 SurgeLawrence & Bundy Legal Bulletin, August 24, 2021.

Department of Labor Issues Updated COVID-19 Workplace Guidelines and
Required Safety Standards for Healthcare Employers; 
Lawrence &
Bundy Legal Bulletin, 
August 24, 2021.

The Road Back – What Employers Need to Know When Planning for a Post-Pandemic Workplace; Lawrence & Bundy Legal Bulletin, May 25, 2021.

How to Prepare for COVID-19’s Mental Health Fallout;  Lawrence & Bundy Legal Bulletin, May 10, 2021.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2021; Law360, January 4, 2021.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2020; Law360, January 1, 2020.

#MeToo Today: The Evolution of the Movement and Practical Tips for Employers Corporate Compliance Insights, October 10, 2019.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2019Law360, January 9, 2019.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2018;  Law360, January 9, 2018.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2017Law360, January 3, 2017.

Charting a Course through the FMLA, ADA & Workers Compensation; Corporate Compliance Insights, September 27, 2017.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions for 2016;  Law360, January 12, 2016.

Judgment Call; Best’s Review, May 2015.

Integrating the Cultures and Employment Laws of Your Multinational Workforce in the Global Economy; ACC Docket, April 2015.

Top Resolutions Employers Should Make and Keep in 2015; Law360, February 4, 2015.

Redial: 2014 TCPA Year in Review; Analysis of Critical Issues and Trends, January 29, 2015.

Lean In, But Don’t Blend In; October 14, 2014.

BYOD and Social Media: An Employer’s Perspective; Financier Worldwide, August 2014.

10 Important Aspects of the CFTC Whistleblower Program;  Law360, June 3, 2014.

Bring Your Own Device, Don’t Bring Your Own Drama; Corporate Counsel, February 11, 2014.

Top 10 Employer Resolutions For The New Year; Law360, January 8, 2014.

Non-Unionized Employers: The NLRB Commands Your Attention; Partnering Perspective, Spring 2013.

Enforceability of Class Action Waivers in Employment Arbitration Agreements Post-Concepcion; Partnering Perspectives, Spring 2013.

Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Issues for Employers; Partnering Perspectives, Spring 2013.

Is Your Social Media Policy Current? Timely Reasons to Update Your Policy Now; Partnering Perspectives, Fall 2012.

Five Timely Reasons To Update Your Social Media Policy, Law360, July 17, 2012.

‘Like’ It Or Not: Broker-Dealers And Social Media Access; Law360, June 28, 2012.

Saving with Settlement Classes; Reprinted with permission Employment Law360 and Class Action Law360, November 2011.

Blowing the Whistle: New SEC Rules Set the Stage for Increased Reporting of Potential Securities Law Violations; Reprinted with permission from Practical Compliance & Risk Management For The Securities Industry, September/ October 2011.

SEC’s Whistle-Blower Rules Effective Soon: What Employers Need to Know Now; HR Magazine, July 25, 2011.

The ‘New Normal’ In ESI Preservation Duties: Part 2; Reprinted with permission from Law360, February 9, 2011.

The ‘New Normal’ In ESI Preservation Duties: Part 1; Reprinted with permission from Law360, February 2, 2011.

Raising the Stakes: Effective ‘Internal’ Whistle- Blowing Programs are Essential in the Dodd- Frank Era; Reprinted with permission from Westlaw Journal Employment, January 11, 2011.

Good News for Experts (And Attorneys Who Use Them); Reprinted with permission from Employment Law360, November 29, 2010.

Clarity or Chaos? Ashcroft v. Iqbal One Year Later; Reprinted with permission Bloomberg Law Reports – Federal Practice, September 2010.

Safeguarding Trade Secrets Before, During and After a Reduction in Force; Partnering Perspectives, Spring 2010.

Safeguarding Your Employees Personal Data: How to Protect Employees, Your Company’s Reputation, and the Bottom Line; Reprinted with permission Bloomberg Law Reports – Labor & Employment, Spring 2010.

Navigating the Waters of Alternative Fee Arrangements: Three Tips for Smooth Sailing; Reprinted with permission The Woman Advocate and the American Bar Association, Spring 2010.

Case Study: Arrigo V. Blue Fish; Law360, February 22, 2010.

Inside the Minds: Trends, Legislation, and Cases That Will Impact Employment Law in 2010; Reprinted with permission Employment Law 2010 (©2010 Thomson Reuters/Aspatore Books), May 1, 2009.

Gain Leverage with a 30(b)(6) Deposition; Reprinted with permission from Bloomberg Law Reports, May 1, 2009.

First 100 days and labor law; Reprinted with permission from Daily Report, May 1, 2009.

Safeguarding Trade Secrets Before, During and After a Reduction in Force; Reprinted with permission from Employment Litigation Reporter, April 7, 2009.

Awaiting Change: How the New President May Revolutionize the Face of Business Litigation; Reprinted with permission Daily Report, January 29, 2009.

Availability of Arbitration for Sarbanes- Oxley Whistle-Blower Claims; Reprinted with permission Employment Litigation Reporter,  October 7, 2008.

U.S. Supreme Court Allows Retaliation Claims Under Section 1981; Reprinted with permission Lorman Education Services Legal Update Newsletters, June 2008.

Offers of Judgment Ease Pain of SOX; Reprinted with permission Legal Times, May 2008.

Whistle-Blower Actions Under Sarbanes-Oxley; Reprinted with permission Employment Litigation Reporter, September 2007.

Presentations

Going on Offense Against Autocracy, moderator, Autocracy in America conference, July 2024.

Top Employer Resolutions for 2024, January 2024.

Podcast speaker, Georgia Pre-Session Legislation Briefing, NewsLINK, December, 2023 (Listen here.)

Lessons Learned to Prepare Employers for the Next Pandemic/Catastrophe, AELC, October 2023.

Layoffs in the Modern Era;  20th Annual Labor & Employment Law for the Seminar Group; October, 2023.

Mechanisms of Democracy, panelist, Annual Symposium on Ethics & Professionalism, Emory University School of Law, September 2023.

Crisis Management for Litigators: Lessons from the Frontline, LCA 2023 Spring Retreat;  April, 2023.

Election Worker Safety; Georgia State Board of Elections; October, 2022.

2022 Voting Rights and Election Law: Insights into the Georgia and National Voting Landscape Ahead of the Midterm Election Cycle; City of Atlanta Department of Law 2022 Municipal Law Seminar; March, 2022.

Right Tools, Right Hands, Right Now: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Legal Representation; Home Depot Corporate Counsel; March, 2022.

Voting Rights in Georgia and Senate Bill 202; The Buckhead/Cascade City (Georgia) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated; February, 2022.

What Board Chairs Wish Heads Knew about Their Role; Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS); November, 2021.

The Fierce Urgency of Now: The Fight for Georgians’ Voting Rights in 2021; The Buckhead/Cascade City (Georgia) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated; October, 2021.

Voting Rights and the ConstitutionLaw Day Celebration; Tulane Law School; September, 2021.

Building Movements from the Margins: How Movement and Nonprofit Work for
Social Justice Continue in the Face of Disenfranchisement
; Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance and Go South, July, 2021.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Civil Litigation: Trends & Consequences; National Bar
Association Gertrude Rush Mid-Year Conference; April, 2021.

The Odd Couple: My Mentor/Sponsor Is Nothing Like Me; ABA Professional Success
Summit; March, 2021.

A Conversation with Civil Rights Activists Pearl Cleage and Eugene H. Russell, IV (Moderator); ABA Professional Success Summit; March, 2021.

Social Etiquette: The Daily Practice of Building Your Brand; Georgia Association of Black Women Attorney (GABWA); March, 2021.

How We Won Georgia; Fair Fight Action; February, 2021.

A Look at Voting Rights, Voter Suppression & What It Means to You; Atlanta Technical College; February, 2021.

Hot Topics in Employment Law; Corporate Counsel Law Section; December, 2020.

Beware the Bling;  AT&T Scholars; November, 2020.

Protect the Vote: Volunteering for Voting Rights; The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO); October, 2020.

Fighting Voter Suppression and Protecting Democracy; Prudential Financial; October, 2020.

U.S. Supreme Court Cases of Interest; The Seminar Groups 17th Annual Labor and
Employment Law CLE; October, 2020.

Get in Formation: Opportunities for Lawyers to Protect and Expand Democracy;  Law for Black Lives; September, 2020.

Racial Discrimination in Voting; Cleveland-Marshall College of Law; September, 2020.

Voting Rights and Election Law: 2020 and Beyond; Yale Law School Alumni Weekend Panel; October, 2019.

Voter Suppression: A Threat to Democracy; ACLU of Ohio and Cleveland Marshall Law Alumni Association; October, 2019.

#MeToo Today: The Evolution of the Movement and Practical Tips for Employers; The Seminar Group’s 16 th Annual Labor & Employment Law CLE; October, 2019.

Racial Discrimination in Voting; Cleveland-Marshall College of Law; September, 2019.

Navigating the Bermuda Triangle: The FMLA, ADA and Workers’ Compensation;  Masterbuilt®|Kamado Joe®; February, 2019.