Paul J. Sharman is a Georgia severance attorney assisting employees with the review and negotiation of severance agreements under Georgia law. A severance agreement is a contract between an employee and an employer upon termination of the employment relationship. Under Georgia law, an employer is not required to provide any severance pay to employees. However, many employers offer severance compensation and/or benefits upon termination, especially to those employees who have been laid off or terminated due to a reduction in force.
Typically, such agreements require an employee to relinquish his or her right to sue an employer for any and all legal claims under state and Federal law. These documents may also include a non-compete agreement and/or a non-solicitation agreement. It is critical that Georgia employees seek legal representation in order to evaluate the terms and conditions of severance agreements. The laws protecting the rights of Georgia employees are numerous and complex. By speaking with an attorney, an employee will be in a better position to understand what rights he or she may be relinquishing by signing a severance agreement.
If the employee has potential claims under Federal or state law, he or she may be waiving his or her right to bring suit for damages far greater than the amount offered in the severance agreement. Additionally, an employer may seek to include a non-compete clause in the agreement that unreasonably limits the employee’s ability to find a new job or start his or her own business.
Paul opened The Sharman Law Firm LLC in 2011 in Alpharetta, Georgia after working for a larger plaintiff’s employment law firm in Atlanta. Prior to graduating law school in 2007, Paul worked as a management consultant for a large systems integration firm managing projects implementing Human Resources, Benefits and employee training systems at large public and private employers.
Paul is admitted to the State Bar of Georgia, United States District Courts for the Northern District of Georgia, Middle District of Georgia and Southern District of Georgia, as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to his practice as an Atlanta severance attorney, Paul serves on the Board of Directors of the North Fulton Bar Association and is also an active member of the Atlanta Bar Association, American Association for Justice and the National Employment Lawyers Association.
Paul can help Georgia employees review their severance agreements, inform them of what legal remedies they may be entitled to, and negotiate on their behalf to maximize the amount of severance compensation and benefits.