Press Release: Ed Buckley Named 2018 NELA-GA Advocacy Award Recipient
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ED BUCKLEY NAMED 2018 NELA-GA ADVOCACY AWARD RECIPIENT
Top Atlanta Employment Lawyer Honored for 35 Years of Dedication Protecting Employment Rights
ATLANTA (Oct. 4, 2018) – The Georgia affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA-GA) honored Ed Buckley of Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP law firm as its 2018 Advocacy Award Winner. The association celebrated the achievement at its annual award banquet dinner on Sept. 20, alongside colleagues, family, peers and NELA-GA board members.
NELA-GA is an organization comprised of civil rights attorneys who promote the workplace rights of individual employees. Every year, the prestigious Advocacy Award is given to a dedicated employment rights attorney who has worked to protect and advance the rights of employees in Georgia. Buckley was honored as this year’s recipient due to his 35-year long career protecting the rights of those in the workforce, his involvement within the community and his leadership. He’s successfully tried a variety of employment law cases, including race discrimination, sex discrimination, sexual harassment and tort cases among others.
“I’m and honored to receive this year’s NELA-GA Advocacy Award,” said Buckley. “More importantly, I’m grateful to be among a community and team of dedicated professionals who are all pushing to advance the rights of individuals who are far too often stripped of a voice. We’re slowly, one trial at a time, fighting for equality and to make a difference.”
Founded in 1985, NELA is the country’s largest organization of lawyers who represent those who have been subject to employment discrimination, workplace harassment and other employment-related matters. In addition to representing individuals and classes of employees in litigation, NELA’s attorneys are engaged in a wide range of other activities to promote employee rights. Buckley has not only served as the organization’s past president, but has also held leadership roles within other legal associations including serving as the former chair of the Atlanta Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section.
In addition, Buckley served as lead counsel in numerous high profile race discrimination cases that have either been tried to a successful verdict or settled successfully. In 2009, he litigated and successfully settled a case on behalf of an African American woman who was ejected from a public bus during the early morning in sub-freezing weather.
In another, also settled in 2009, he successfully litigated a race discrimination and harassment case on behalf of African American street and sanitation workers against the city of Kennesaw, Ga. This resulted in the resignation of one city commissioner, a reorganization of the city’s human resources department, removal of the confederate battle flag from City Hall, diversity training and financial compensation for the firm’s clients.
Presently, he is lead counsel for a Buford city para-professional who suffered discrimination by the City of Buford School District. Since the suit was filed, the superintendent has resigned his position.
Outside of the courtroom, Buckley continues to fight and protect human rights. He is Founder and President of Water Life Hope, a nonprofit charity which is dedicated to helping people gain access to clean drinking water. Through fundraising and personal donations, Buckley and the Water Life Hope board have helped build more than 300 projects across Haiti, providing clean drinking water to more than half a million people. Most recently, they rebuilt a school that was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew.
“It has been an honor to spend the last four years of my legal career under the leadership of Ed, who not only demonstrates extraordinary litigation prowess, but also encourages his team to make it their practice as well,” said a Partner at Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP. “I am proud to call Ed a mentor and close friend.”
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WATCH NELA’S ADVOCACY AWARD VIDEO!
About Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP
Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP is one of Atlanta’s leading employment and business law litigation firms. With an outstanding reputation for trying and winning cases, the firm specializes in handling workplace harassment, unpaid overtime, civil rights cases, denial of medical leave, executive compensation, and fraudulent business practices. The Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP team also handles a variety of business disputes including partnership and shareholder disputes, tax controversies and estate and professional negligence claims.