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Labor
/ Employment
Thomas Bagby
Woods, Rogers &
Hazlegrove
by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos
Thomas Bagby |
Mention
Thomas Bagby’s name to colleagues at his Roanoke
law firm and soon another word comes up — basketball.
It is Bagby’s favorite sport, one he played in
high school in his hometown of Roanoke and later for
the University of Virginia. His style of play on the
court, they say, mirrors the way he practices labor
and employment law — with precision, drive, competitiveness
and team work.
The
lawyer at Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove is a freak
for statistics. “His knowledge of employment law
is unparalleled,” says Tom Winn, a partner in Bagby’s
practice area. “He can name any issue and give
the entire line of cases from District Court to Supreme
Court history.” Winn sees a connection between
Bagby’s legal knowledge and his basketball ability
to hit tough shots: “He can consistently land three-pointers
and drain shot after shot. He is that precise.”
After
graduating from the U.Va. School of Law in 1975, Bagby
honed his legal skills in Washington, D.C. He clerked
for U.S. District Court Judge June L. Green for two
years, and spent four years as a trial attorney at the
U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
He then spent 14 years in private practice at two Washington
law firms, where he practiced labor and employment law
while representing national and international clients.
He returned home to Roanoke in 1995 and joined Woods
Rogers, where today he is chairman of its Labor and
Employment Law practice area.
Bagby,
52, said his interest in employment discrimination started
when he clerked for Judge Green. “A lot of major
decisions were happening in the 1970s, and I thought
it was interesting and something that would transfer
into private practice,” he says. “And at the
Justice Department I was able to get quick litigation
and trial experience.”
Bagby focuses on the management side of labor and employment
disputes. He works in areas such as Title VII, age discrimination
and sexual harassment cases. His practice is 80 percent
litigation. While most cases do not go to trial because
of the cost, Victor Cardwell, a colleague, says most
of Bagby’s best work is not done in the public
forum: “It is the behind the scenes work, with
briefs. He injects a level of professionalism even when
there is difficult opposing counsel.” A client,
Janee Heizer with Metromedia Restaurant Group, calls
Bagby’s legal briefs “impressive... He is
a real legal scholar.”
Bagby
also trains his clients on how to comply with the law
to avoid conflict with employees. Janis Heninger, human
resources manager for Carter Machinery Company, one
of Bagby’s clients, says the proactive approach
of teaching clients the important issues and details
of the law helps companies stay out of trouble.
Colleagues
say Bagby’s management style is one of the keys
to his success. He directs a group of 12 attorneys with
a collaborative approach that lets everyone feel they
are part of an important group. “He is a team player
and plays to the strengths of his teammates,” says
Winn. Bagby also works to hone the skills of his team.
As a published author of 10 legal articles, he mentors
the young lawyers in the firm, helping them with their
legal writing.
Clients
appreciate Bagby’s sensitive approach to legal
fees. Client Janee Heizer first worked with Bagby when
he was with a Washington firm, then stayed with him
when he moved to Roanoke. Her loyalty is driven in part,
she says, by Bagby’s attention to the impact legal
bills can have on a client’s bottom line. “He
weighs the costs and benefits of a problem and is sensitive
to how much the bill will be,” she says. “He
has good values.”
Return
to Virginia Business - December 2002
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