John G. McDonald Partner

John is the former managing partner of the Charlotte office and has practiced exclusively on the management side of labor and employment matters for more than 25 years. He regularly represents clients in employee mobility matters including counseling and litigating over non-compete, non-solicit and trade secret issues.

John also represents employers in a wide range of employment discrimination and wage and hour matters in federal and state courts, as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S., and various State Departments of Labor. He has also represented employers in arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association and FINRA. John has represented employers in union counter-campaigns and in unfair labor practice trials before the National Labor Relations Board.

John regularly counsels corporate clients on a wide range of employment topics, including compliance with federal and state anti-discrimination laws, investigating and responding to charges of discrimination or harassment, wage and hour compliance issues, addressing employee mobility issues and protecting corporate assets through the use of non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements, employee discipline and discharge issues, and union avoidance strategies. He has also assisted clients in the preparation of employment agreements, policies and handbooks, public accommodation compliance issues and management training.

John has also advised corporate clients on brick and mortar and web accessibility compliance issues under Title III of the ADA, and has defended clients in actions brought by governmental agencies.

While in law school, John served as the Editor-in-Chief for the Syracuse Law Review.

  • Syracuse University College of Law, JD, Editor-in-Chief, Syracuse Law Review, 1992
  • Le Moyne College, BS, Industrial and Labor Relations, 1988

Member, North Carolina Bar Association

Board Chair, Charlotte Communities of Shalom

Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity

Volunteer, Legal Services of the Southern Piedmont

  • North Carolina
  • New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York

The rules of professional conduct in some jurisdictions require disclosure of selection methodology for certain public accolades and recognitions. Click here to view available selection methodologies.

Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Management, Woodward/White, Inc., 2013-2023

Selected for inclusion into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, 2021

Named to "Legal Elite," Labor and Employment, Business North Carolina, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2016, 2021

Named to "North Carolina Super Lawyers," Employment & Labor, Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2017-2020

Leadership Charlotte Class XXVIII, 2007

Back to top