Jeffrey Lehrer has been practicing labor and employment law exclusively since 1999 and was appointed as the Managing Partner of the firm's Spartanburg office in 2025.  

He works closely with a diverse group of employers throughout the southeast to comply with constantly changing laws and shield their businesses from frivolous and costly lawsuits and claims. The most common employment issues Jeffrey defends are discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, wage and hour, and claims related to employee leaves of absence.  

Jeffrey’s practice also involves extensive restrictive covenant litigation. He helps protect his clients and their businesses from the theft of customers, confidential information, and trade secrets. He has extensive experience drafting, litigating, and advising clients about the effective use of non-compete, non-solicitation, non-interference, confidentiality, and trade secret agreements. Jeffrey has extensive experience obtaining temporary restraining orders and injunctions to prevent continued violations of these types of agreements.

He has successfully represented employers in cases in state and federal courts throughout the United States, appearing in over 170 federal court cases and numerous state court cases.  While Jeffrey primarily practices in South Carolina, he has been admitted to represent clients in cases in California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. Jeffrey also represents clients in arbitration and before governmental agencies like the EEOC, state human affairs commissions, and the Department of Labor. 

Jeffrey grew up in the restaurant business. His father owned a McDonald's franchise for over 25 years, with as many as six stores, and Jeffrey worked closely with his father in this business before becoming a lawyer. This experience gave Jeffrey a unique understanding of the legal pressures and concerns facing employers and led to him pursuing a career in labor and employment law.

He has extensive experience representing clients in the insurance brokerage, financial services, healthcare, and restaurant industries.

Jeffrey is also State-appointed Fire Department Commissioner and is a Board Member of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind Foundation
 

Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor and Employment (2020-2025)
  • Irving Steinberg Award and CALI Award

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Jeffrey A. Lehrer - Best Lawyers 2025 Widget

  • Recently obtains injunctive relief to stop violations of non-compete, non-solicit, non-interference, and trade secrets restrictions in South Carolina and Kentucky federal courts.
  • Representing the defendants, he won directed verdict in a restrictive covenants and trade secrets case and was awarded attorneys’ fees and costs by the circuit court judge in favor of his clients.
  • Obtained a defense jury verdict for a dental practice in a federal court case alleging discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
  • Obtained a defense jury verdict for a large food distributor in an age discrimination and breach of contract case in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.  
  • Obtained a defense jury verdict for a Fortune 500 employer in a race discrimination, retaliation, and breach of contract case in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
  • Obtained a defense jury verdict for a Fortune 500 employer in a disability discrimination and failure to accommodate case in U.S. District Court for the District of North Carolina.
  • Won a $260,000 judgment for a client (one of the largest commercial printing groups in the United States) in a case it filed against its former management officials for their misconduct in leaving the client, soliciting the client’s customers, and starting a competitive business.  Jeffrey won this verdict despite the fact that there were no employment agreements restricting post-employment competition.
  • Successfully defended multiple hospitals in a case alleging anti-trust violations.
  • Successfully defended an appeal to the United States Supreme Court on behalf of a long-term care facility.
  • Obtained a victory for a large multi-state hospital group on a highly contested executive age discrimination claim before the federal district court and United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
  • Successfully argued the reported case of Yashenko v. Harrah's NC  Casino Co., LLC,  446 F.3d 541 (4th Cir. 2006), before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  This case established a significant defense for employers under the FMLA.
  • Successfully argued an issue of first impression to the South Carolina Supreme Court relating to the South Carolina Payment of Wages Act resulting in a significant reduction in an underlying trial verdict.  Mathis v. Brown & Brown, 698 S.E.2d 773 (S.C. 2010).
  • Defeated class certification in South Carolina federal court on a race discrimination lawsuit involving three named plaintiffs and over 100 proposed class members in multiple states, which led to a favorable settlement. 
Education
  • University of South Carolina School of Law
    J.D., 1999
  • University of South Carolina
    B.S., cum laude, 1996
Memberships
  • South Carolina Bar
  • American Bar Association
  • Board of Directors Member for Chapman Cultural Center, Glenn Springs Academy and Spartanburg Boy's Home
  • Board of Directors Member for South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind
  • State Commissioner - Westview/Fairview Fire District
Bar Admissions
  • South Carolina
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
  • Supreme Court of South Carolina
  • All South Carolina Courts