Professional Experience
Stuart Jackson has been practicing in the employment law field for more than twenty-five years and focuses his practice on advising employers on compliance with civil rights laws and developing personnel policies (including policies on medical marijuana), employment agreements and covenants not to compete. Jackson heads up Wright Lindsey Jennings’ Labor and Employment Team.
He is also a passionate advocate for STEAM education, serving as chair of the Board of Directors for the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock.
Jackson also defends employers in federal and state court litigation and appeals, including claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, 42 U.S.C. Sections 1981 and 1983 and state law claims involving trade secrets, non-compete agreements, arbitration agreements, wrongful discharge, the Arkansas Civil Rights Act and the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act.
Jackson’s more recent experience includes:
- Co-counsel for a telecommunications company in a disability discrimination and retaliation case. The jury returned unanimous defense verdicts on the disability claims, and the Court granted the defense a directed verdict on the retaliation claim. The Court of Appeals upheld the decisions of the jury and the Court in full.
- Co-counsel in a contested race and disability discrimination case. The jury returned defense verdicts on the discrimination claims.
- Co-counsel for an Arkansas hospital facing claims of due process violations. The court granted the hospital’s motion for summary judgment and the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.
- Counsel defending three separate companies (an energy industry company, a mental health provider, and oil & gas company) in wage and hour claims asserting both collective and class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Arkansas Minimum Wage Act. The Courts (one state and two federal) in all three cases denied the plaintiffs’ motions for certification of a collective action or class.
- Lead counsel for a medical insurance provider in a race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The court granted the provider’s motion for summary judgment and the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.
Recognition
Jackson has been recognized as a “Leader in their Field” in employment law by Chambers USA since 2005; a “Super Lawyer” by Mid-South Super Lawyers in Employment Litigation: Defense; and in the areas of Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment by Best Lawyers. He has an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating through LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Ratings.
In 2009, Governor Mike Beebe appointed Jackson to serve as a Special Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court to hear the case Arkansas Department of Correction v. Williams.
He was elected in 2012 to serve a three-year term on the Arkansas Bar Foundation Board of Directors and re-elected in 2015 to serve another three-year term.
Jackson frequently presents seminars for clients on various employment laws and is editor of the Labor & Employment Team’s quarterly client e-newsletter.
Community Involvement
Jackson is in his second term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, where he serves as chair. He was co-chair of the Museum of Discovery’s main fundraising event for 2011, Uncorked, and served on the planning committee for the event and its successor (Spark!) for a number of years. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2009, serving as chair in 2009, and was a member of the Hendrix College Alumni Association Board of Governors from 2005 to 2008. He was also chair of the American Diabetes Association Central Arkansas Leadership Council from 2003 to 2004, a member of its Leadership Council from 2001 to 2007, and chair of the 2004 Tour de Cure.