"Putting Strategic HR Management to Work"

Nathan Whatley

Nathan Whatley’s practice is focused on the representation of management in all phases of litigation before federal and state courts, regulatory, and administrative agencies and in arbitration matters.

• The rise of Strategic Human Resources Management
• Common Strategic Errors of Human Resources Departments
• The key elements for Building a Comprehensive Human Resources Strategy
• Importance of Aligning Human Resources with the Corporate Mission
• Conducting a Strategic Planning Self- Assessment
• Developing a Strategic Human Resources Planning Model
• Practical Strategic Initiatives to Improve:

– General management

– Human resources administration

– Recruiting

– Retention and employee relations

– Workforce Planning

– Compensation and incentives

– Motivation and communication

– Employee Development

Why is this subject significant to the HR profession?

The field of Human Resources (HR) has changed dramatically. Formerly focused on process and administration, HR is now focused on behavioral science and ways to get organizations and individuals to behave in different and more effective ways.  The most effective HR people understand a company’s business strategy and proactively put good systems and people in place to ensure that their organization is, from a talent perspective, staffed to cope with today’s fierce business environment.

Nathan Whatley's practice is focused on the representation of management in all phases of litigation before federal and state courts, regulatory, and administrative agencies and in arbitration matters. He also handles litigation matters involving the enforcement of non-competition and confidentiality agreements, breach of employment contracts, handbook and personal policy violations, wage and hour disputes, and other issues arising out of employer/employee relationships.

Mr. Whatley has litigated in Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois, California, South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Washington, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, New York New Jersey, New Mexico, Kansas and Missouri.

Mr. Whatley also routinely counsels clients in connection with employee discipline, terminations and reductions-in-force; wage and hour issues; handbooks and policies; drug and alcohol programs; executive compensation, employment and non competition agreements; and individual and group severance programs and related matters.

He also provides training to management and non-management employees in all areas affecting the employer/employee relationship and regularly conducts on-site client training in ares such as sexual harassment, drug and alcohol testing, employee leave and disability and EEOC compliance and investigation.

Mr. Whatley is a frequent speaker on a variety of labor and employment topics, has written articles for both the Oklahoma Law Review and the Oklahoma Bar Journal, and has authored White Papers for the Society for Human Resource Management. He is also a contributing author to "Age Discrimination In The Workplace: A Primer For Human Resource Professionals," SHRM (1999). He has served as editor of the newsletter for the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

Representative Experience

• Nationwide defense of employment litigation and arbitration matters
• Representation of employers in litigation relating to employment contracts, commission disputes and non-compete agreements
• Representation of employers in wage and hour and FMLA investigation by United States Department of Labor
• Representation of employers in state wage and hour and unemployment claims
• Representation of employers before the National Labor Relations Board
• Representation of national retailer in false arrest related tort actions
• Representation of property owners in ADA accessibility actions

Published Cases

• Burks v. Oklahoma Publishing Co., 81 F. 3d 975 (10th Cir. 1996)
• Bell v. Dillard Dept. Stores, Inc., 85 F 3d 1451 (10th Cir. 1996)
• Danner v. Dillard Dept. Stores, Inc. 949 P. 2nd 680 (Okla. 1997)
• Frusher v. Dillard Dept. Stores, Inc. 166 F. 3d 1220 (10th Cir. 1998)
• Gripe v. City of Enid, 213 F. 3d 1184 (10th Cir. 2002)
• Kuykendall v. Gulfstream Aerospace Technologies, 66 P.3d 274 (Okla. 2002)

Admissions

• Oklahoma, 1992
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

Education

J.D., with highest honors, University of Oklahoma, 1992 Order of the Coif Oklahoma Law Review

B.A., with highest honors, University of Oklahoma, 1989 Phi Beta Kappa Golden Key National Honor Society

Professional Organizations and Memberships

Oklahoma County Bar Association

Oklahoma Bar Association

American Bar Association

Oklahoma City Metro Employer Council (Executive Board)

Sooner Human Resources Society (General Council)

Society for Human Resource Management

Labor & Employment Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association (Former Section Chair)