T. Hart

Benton, III

Hart’s white collar defense practice is concentrated on criminal and civil governmental investigations, criminal proceedings, and civil enforcement actions in areas including securities, bank, wire, and mail fraud. He also regularly advises clients on commercial dispute resolution strategies and aggressively prosecutes and defends a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters. Hart’s experience representing businesses and individuals extends to claims involving trade secrets, noncompete and other restrictive covenants, intellectual property rights, contract disputes, fiduciary duties, corporate mismanagement, and civil fraud. He has developed particular experience in prosecuting and defending civil actions under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, including serving as co-counsel with the author of the federal RICO statute, Professor G. Robert Blakey.

Hart also represents large and small businesses alike in all aspects of the employment relationship, from counseling employers on day-to-day issues of regulatory compliance, dispute resolution strategy, employment contracts, and employee handbooks to defending them in private litigation matters and in federal and state administrative proceedings. He regularly appears before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state human rights agencies and has secured favorable outcomes for his clients in federal and state courts in a variety of employment- and civil rights-related disputes. Hart’s experience in these areas includes defending against claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1983, the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the US Constitution, and various state antidiscrimination, anti-retaliation, and workplace safety statutes.

Beyond his private practice, Hart is a committed advocate for the legal needs of lower-income individuals in the southern Alabama area and has an active pro bono practice. He is a recipient of the Ben Kilborn Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award from the South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program and has served on its board of directors since 2017.