James F. Edwards, Jr.

FOUNDER & GENERAL COUNSEL

Jimmy has been practicing labor and employment law for over 40 years and has represented a broad spectrum of employers – large and small, private and public, local and national, in a wide variety of industries.  

He attended The College of William & Mary in Virginia and received his B.A. in Government in 1965, his Juris Doctorate from The University of South Carolina Law School in 1968, and his Masters in Labor Law from George Washington University in 1970.

Jimmy has been a partner in four labor and employment law firms: Erwin, Bradley & Edwards; Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak, Stewart & Edwards, P.C.; Haynsworth, Baldwin, Miles, Johnson, Greaves & Edwards, P.A.; and Edwards, Ballard, Bishop, Sturm, Clark & Keim, P.A., where he was the founder and managing partner and instrumental in merging the firm with the national law firm of Ford & Harrison, LLP.

He formed the Center for Independent Employees (CIE) in 2001 for which he currently serves as General Counsel. Jimmy has been recognized by his peers with an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been elected as a Fellow of the highly selective College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.