Tricia Goodson counsels employers on day-to-day issues that arise with employees, including discipline and discharge issues and wage and hour compliance. She also defends employers in state and federal court on discrimination and harassment claims and other employment-related claims.
Tricia counsels management clients on a variety of employment-related issues, including federal and state discrimination and harassment laws; wage and hour compliance; employment policies and handbooks; employment agreements; restructuring; severance programs and policies; confidentiality, assignment of inventions and non-competition agreements; trade secrets; workplace violence; and drug and alcohol screening. She also counsels clients on issues arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.
In addition, Tricia drafts non-compete, confidentiality, independent contractor and employment agreements and assists clients in conducting effective workplace investigations and training regarding employee misconduct and inappropriate behavior.
An experienced litigator, Tricia represents employers before governmental agencies and in state and federal courts on numerous employment-related matters, including charges and lawsuits under North Carolina’s Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act; common law employment claims; whistle-blower claims; wage and hour claims; and EEOC charges and lawsuits on employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, including age, race, sex, disability, and national origin, as well as sexual harassment and equal pay claims. Tricia also represents clients in non-compete and confidentiality claims and other claims regarding employment agreements.
The 2019 Chambers USA guide states that "Patricia Goodson is noted for her adept representation of employers facing EEOC charges...[and] ADA and FMLA compliance matters."
Recognized as a "Labor and Employment Star" by Benchmark Litigation (2019-2021)
Recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Labor & Employment Law (2017-2020)
Recognized by her peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina’s "Legal Elite" in Employment Law (2011, 2013-2014, 2016)
Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in Employment Law - Management (2016-2021) and Litigation - Labor and Employment (2018-2021)
Global Vice-Chair, Labour Law Practice Group, Geneva Group International (GGI) (2015-present)
Member, North Carolina Bar Association (1997-present)
Member, Junior League of Raleigh (1997-present)
Past member, Board of Directors, North Carolina Victim Assistance Network
Past member, Board of Directors, Capital Area Preservation, Inc.
Co-author (with James Bobbitt), "Mandating seasonal flu vaccinations in the workplace in the time of COVID-19," McKnight's Senior Living, Oct. 26, 2020
Presenter, "COVID-19 and Its Implications on the Employment Relationship," GGI Labour and Employment Law practice group, May 14, 2020
Co-author (with Natalie Sanders), "Brooks Pierce: Families First Coronavirus Response Act," Business North Carolina, April 30, 2020
Co-Speaker (with Melissa Weaver), "When World's Collide: How to Handle the Intersection of Worker's Comp, FMLA, and the ADA," NC Bankers Association HR Conference, March 21, 2019
Co-speaker (with Sarah Saint), "New Salary History Bans Change Hiring Practices," GGI labour and employment group webinar, November 1, 2018
Co-author (with Sarah Saint), "New Salary History Bans Change Hiring Practices," GGI Labour Law Practice Newsletter, Spring 2018
My favorite virtue: Honesty
I became a lawyer because: I wanted to help people solve problems
My chief characteristic: Tenacity
What I appreciate the most in my friends: Being there in good times and bad
My main fault: Getting caught up in the details
One surprising thing people don’t know about me is: I am the mother of twins
My occupation if I weren't a lawyer: Psychiatrist
Where I'd most like to live: North Carolina
My idea of happiness: Traveling with my family
What legal work most excites me: Helping clients find solutions to their problems
My greatest ambition: To raise my children to be caring and productive adults
My favorite prose authors: Robert Frost
The natural talent I'd like to be gifted with: Singing
What I admire most about my clients: Caring about their employees
I grew up in: Greensboro, North Carolina
My favorite activity away from work: Traveling with my family
The best thing about Brooks Pierce: It feels like a family
My heroes in real life: My parents
My legacy: My children
