Carson Blakely

Carson Blakely is a labor and employment attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. He advises employers and corporate deal teams on workforce-related issues arising in mergers and acquisitions, representation and warranty insurance matters and other corporate transactions. His transactional practice includes employment-related due diligence, reviewing and preparing disclosure schedules, and identifying and assessing labor and employment risks throughout the acquisition and sale process.

Mr. Blakely's experience includes matters involving wage and hour compliance, employee classification, independent contractor and staffing arrangements, restrictive covenants, executive employment and separation issues, workplace policies, background check practices, Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance, union and collective bargaining issues, and post-closing workforce matters. He also counsels employers on emerging workplace compliance issues, including the use of artificial intelligence tools in hiring, personnel management and employment-related decision-making.

Mr. Blakely represents and counsels employers in employment-related disputes and day-to-day workplace matters under federal and state employment laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA) and National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). He also assists employers with employment claims, agency charges, restrictive covenant matters, wage and hour issues, workplace policies, employment agreements and separation-related issues.

While in law school, Mr. Blakely served as an executive editor of the Tennessee Law Review and an acquisitions editor for Transactions: The Tennessee Journal for Business Law. Additionally, he served as the Hardwick Fellow at the school's Institute for Professional Leadership, where he supported the institute's curricular offerings and contributed to its educational, research and outreach efforts.