Blythe practices within Butler Snow’s Labor and Employment group. An experienced litigator, Blythe has successfully represented management’s interests in state and federal litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative agency proceedings on a wide variety of employment law matters. Blythe is also a U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and is an experienced counselor in the data protection arena.
Overview
Blythe practices within Butler Snow’s Labor and Employment group. An experienced litigator, Blythe has successfully represented management’s interests in state and federal litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative agency proceedings on a wide variety of employment law matters. Blythe is also a U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and is an experienced counselor in the data protection arena.
Practice Areas
Experience
- Blythe offers advice and provides representation to employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies on a variety of employment law issues including wage and hour concerns, policy and handbook review, wrongful termination claims, non-competition agreements, and compliance with federal and state employment laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Representative Matters
- Obtained favorable jury verdict for manufacturer on claims by a former skilled worker of discrimination on the basis of race and gender in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, limiting the plaintiff's recovery to $1 nominal damages award.
- Won summary judgment, and successfully defended appeal, for staffing agency on claims by a former salesperson of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Won dismissal of suit brought by a consumer alleging Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) claims against student loan servicers and credit reporting agencies.
- Won summary judgment for armored car service on claims by a former driver arising under the ADA, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
- Won dismissal of suit against restaurant franchise by successfully arguing the former employee failed to exhaust available administrative remedies such that her claims of sexual harassment, discrimination, and hostile work environment in violation of the Civil Rights Act were time barred.
- Won summary judgment for federal government contractor on claims by a former employee of wrongful termination in violation of Mississippi's public policy.
- Won appeal affirming summary judgment for a manufacturer on claims of discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act brought by a former lead employee.
- Won summary judgment for a dairy cooperative distribution plant on claims by a former employee of retaliation in violation of the Civil Rights Act.
- Won summary judgment for a bank on claims by a former security guard employed by an independent contractor of discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act.
- Won summary judgment for a bank on claims by a former branch manager of wrongful termination in violation of Mississippi's public policy; violations of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); and retaliation in violation of the Financial Institution Reform and Recovery Enforcement Act (FINRA), Sarbanes-Oxley, and Dodd Frank.
- Won summary judgment for a restaurant on claims by a former employee alleging unfair wage practices in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law, discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act, and claims arising under the First, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
- Negotiated favorable resolution for a facility management provider of claims by multiple former employees of sexual harassment in violation of the Civil Rights, limiting the plaintiffs' recovery to nominal value settlement.
- Negotiated favorable resolution for an oil and gas company of claims by a former equipment operator of race discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Civil Rights Act.
- Negotiated favorable resolution for a manufacturer of claims by a former employee of race discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act and common law claims of tortious interference with contractual relations, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
- Negotiated favorable resolution for an information technology company of claims by former manager of race discrimination the Civil Rights Act and age discrimination in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
- Negotiated favorable resolution for a freight carrier of claims by a former supervisor of race discrimination in violation of the Civil Rights Act and common law claims of negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
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Blythe is also an experienced counselor in the data protection arena, providing comprehensive services to private and publicly held entities in assessing and responding to an extensive range of matters involving data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity. She is a U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) who has counseled clients nationwide through responses to cyber incidents involving personal, financial, and medical data, including ransomware attacks, network intrusions, business email compromises, and denial of service attacks and defended multiple clients through governmental investigations and actions. Blythe has worked with clients from all industry sectors, including healthcare, financial services, education, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing, to obtain and maintain compliance with federal, state, and international privacy and security laws and to craft appropriate policies and procedures for the mitigation and management of risk.
Distinctions
- U.S. Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US)
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Ones to Watch, Commercial Litigation, 2021-2023
- Ones to Watch, Corporate Law, 2021-2023
- Ones to Watch, Labor and Employment Law – Management, 2021-2023
- Super Lawyers®
- Mid-South Rising Stars, Employment Litigation: Defense, 2022-2023
- Mississippi Business Journal, Top 50 Leader in Law, 2017
Bar Admissions
- Mississippi, 2013
- U.S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern, Southern
- U.S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit
- Mississippi Supreme Court
Education
- University of Mississippi School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2013
- Moot Court Board Trial Advocacy Team, Member
- University of Mississippi, B.A., Political Science, cum laude, 2007
- Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College
- Judicial Internship, Mississippi First Circuit Court District
- Clerkship, The Honorable Sharion Aycock, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
Associations
- Mississippi Bar Association
- Women in the Profession Section
- Vice Chair, 2023-2024
- Evelyn Gandy Lecture Series, Chair, 2022
- Bar Leadership Forum, 2017
- Women in the Profession Section
- Federal Bar Association
- Mississippi Chapter
- President, 2023
- Mississippi Chapter
- Capital Area Bar Association
- Law-Related Education Committee
- Co-Chair, 2018-2019
- Women’s Initiative Committee
- Co-Chair, 2019-2020
- Law-Related Education Committee
- Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association
- Editorial Board, 2016-2019
- Mississippi Women Lawyers Association
- Board of Directors, 2020-2021
- Bar Association for the Fifth Federal Circuit
- International Association of Privacy Professionals
- American Health Lawyers Association
- American Bar Association
Papers, Presentations & Publications
- Presenter, “Ag Employer Administrative Duties,” Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Landmark Leadership Council, Jackson, Mississippi, February 2024.
- Co-Author, “When It Comes to Cybersecurity: Be Prepared!,” 46 The Quarterly 4, 2022.
- Co-Presenter, “What Do We Do Now? Mitigating Risks in the Event of a Cyber Attack,” Mississippi Claims Association and Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association Joint Seminar, Flowood, Mississippi, October 2022.
- Co-Author, “GDPR Update – US and EEA May Have a Deal for ‘Privacy Shield 2.0’,” Privacy & Data Security Alert, March 2022.
- Co-Author, “Debunking Data Privacy Myths,” Privacy & Data Security Alert, January 2022.
- Co-Presenter, “Cybersecurity – What You Need to Know to Protect Your Firm,” Mississippi Association for Justice Virtual Fall CLE Seminar, October 2021.
- Presenter, “New Year, New Laws and What to Look For in 2020,” Ultimate Software Lunch and Learn, Jackson, Mississippi, February 2020.
- Co-Presenter, “Life Cycle of an Employee – The Bermuda Triangle of ADA, FMLA and Workers’ Compensation,” June 2019.
- Presenter, "Telecommuting: A New Trend of Reasonable Accommodation?," Delta Human Resource Management Association, Greenwood, Mississippi, April 2019.
- Presenter, "Employment Law Update," National Business Institute's "Human Resource Law from A to Z" Seminar, March 2019.
- Presenter, "Conducting Internal Investigations: How to Investigate Employee Misconduct and Prevent Future Problems," Ultimate Software Lunch and Learn, Jackson, Mississippi, February 2019.
- Presenter, "Homeward Bound: Legal and Practical Issues Arising from Telecommuting Arrangements," Employment Law Briefing, Ridgeland, Mississippi, September 2018 and Greenwood, Mississippi, October 2018; Mississippi Association of Health Underwriters Meeting, Jackson, Mississippi, October 2018.
- Presenter, "Employment Law Update," Ultimate Software Lunch and Learn, Jackson, Mississippi, June 2018.
- Presenter, "Professionalism in Federal Litigation," University of Mississippi School of Law CLE by the Hour, Ridgeland, Mississippi, June 2018.
- Presenter, "The Only Thing Constant is Change: Current Trends in Sexual Harassment Litigation," Mississippi Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Labor and Employment Update CLE, Jackson, Mississippi, May 2018.
- Contributor – "Religion, Employment Discrimination Law," Chapter 9, ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law, 2017 Cumulative Supplement, Fifth Edition, November 2017.
- Presenter, "Financial Investigations – What's the Worst that Can Happen?," Employment Law Briefing, Biloxi, Mississippi, June 2017 and Ridgeland, Mississippi, October 2017.
- Speaker, "Organizational Structure, Federal and State Compliance, Lobbying and Advocacy and Labor and Employment Issues," Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project "Principles, Practices and Philanthropy Forum," Jackson, Mississippi, September 2017.
- Presenter, "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? An Overview of Recent Sexual Harassment Cases in the Fifth Circuit," Mississippi Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Labor and Employment Update CLE, Jackson, Mississippi, May 2017.
- Presenter, "FLSA Flubs and Fumbles: Independent Contractor and Misclassification Issues," Employment Law Briefing, Greenwood, Mississippi, April 2016 and Ridgeland, Mississippi, October 2016; Ultimate Software Lunch and Learn, Ridgeland, Mississippi, March 2017.
- Author, "Seibert v. Jackson County, Mississippi, et al: Is Repeated Harassment Over Time Always 'Pervasive?'" 41 The Quarterly 4, 2017.
- Co-Author, "The Status of Women in the Mississippi Bar," 63 The Mississippi Bar 1, 2016.
- Author, "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back? The Fifth Circuit's More Plaintiff-Friendly Approach to Sexual Harassment Claims," 40 The Quarterly 4, 2016.
- Presenter, "EEOC Update – Thanks for Coming to Work Today," Employment Law Briefing, Greenwood, Mississippi and Ridgeland, Mississippi, October 2015.
Civic Involvement
- Junior League of Jackson
- Community Council, Community Impact Model Research & Development Chair, 2023-2024
- Operations Council, General Meetings Chair, 2022-2023
- Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi L.I.F.E. Chair, 2021-2022
- Our Reading Family Chair, 2020-2021
- Early Literacy Management Team Member-At-Large, 2019-2020
- St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
- Saints Fest Chair, 2023-2024
- Grade-level Volunteer Coordinator, 2022-2023
- Arts on the Green Steering Committee
- Promotions Chair, 2019-2020
- Children’s Green Chair, 2021-2022
- Mississippi Children’s Museum
- Ignite the Night Silent Auction Committee, 2017-2018