Charles F. Billington III
Practice Areas
Industries
Education
- Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 2008, summa cum laude
- Cleveland State Law Review, senior editor, 2006-2008
- Cleveland State Journal of Law and Health, research editor, 2005-2006
- University of Akron, B.S., A.A.S, 2002, cum laude
Bar & Court Admissions
Chaz is a partner in the Vorys Cleveland office and a member of the labor and employment group. He has significant experience advising in-house legal counsel and HR leaders on a wide range of labor and employment matters, including: the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); collective bargaining, labor relations issues and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB); drafting and implementing employee handbooks; providing management and employee trainings; and assisting with HR related issues associated with both mergers and acquisitions.
Career Highlights:
- Working as assistant general counsel at a Fortune 500 company and advising business and HR leadership regarding all aspects of labor and employment law impacting over 25,000 employees
- Serving as the vice president of HR at a large financial services company
- Representing domestic and international clients in the education, transportation, healthcare, power distribution, engineering, manufacturing, banking, retail, staffing, and construction industries on labor and employment matters
- Leading investigations of, and responses to, NLRB unfair labor practice charges and NLRB hearings, including coordination of investigations, interviews, affidavits, and preparation of hearing briefs
- Managing employment litigation for a Fortune 500 company throughout the U.S. and overseeing the work of outside counsel
Prior to joining Vorys, Chaz worked as an assistant general counsel at Parker-Hannifin Corporation. He also served as the VP of HR at a large financial services company. This experience in-house has made Chaz more pragmatic, budget sensitive and creative when addressing labor and employment related matters for clients.
Chaz is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) and the OSBA’s Labor and Employment Section.
Chaz received his J.D. summa cum laude from Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and served as a senior editor for the Cleveland State Law Review. He also served as a research editor for the Cleveland State Journal of Law and Health. He received his B.S. and A.A.S cum laude from the University of Akron.
News
- 12/8/2021In this special edition of the Vorys at Work Podcast, we present a previously recorded webinar focused on the OSHA’s Private-Sector Vaccination/Testing Mandate.
- 7/20/2021In the latest episode of our podcast, we discuss common employment law issues, procedures and practices from the plaintiffs perspective.
- 6/21/2021Chaz Billington, a partner in the Vorys Cleveland office and a member of the labor and employment group, was quoted in a Crain’s Cleveland Business article about the impact of Ohio’s recent passage of the Employment Law Uniformity Act (ELUA).
- 4/23/2021In this episode, Chaz Billington, a partner in Vorys’ labor and employment group, and Angela Simmons, associate general counsel for Parker-Hannifin Corporation, discuss best practices to help businesses prepare a defense after being sued.
- 4/4/2021Chaz Billington, a partner in the Vorys Cleveland office and a member of the labor and employment group, was quoted in a Crain’s Cleveland Business story titled “Ohio employers quietly grapple with workplace marijuana policies.”
- 1/18/2021Chaz Billington, a partner in the Vorys Cleveland office and a member of the labor and employment group, was quoted throughout a Crain’s Cleveland Business article about the decisions employers are making related to COVID-19 vaccinations.
- 1/15/2021Chaz Billington, a partner in the Vorys Cleveland office and a member of the labor and employment group, was quoted through an Akron Legal News article about COVID-19 vaccination policies for workplaces.
- 12/9/2019Vorys announced today that Chaz Billington, an attorney with in-house and outside counsel experience, has joined the firm’s Cleveland office as a partner. Billington’s practice will focus on providing in-house legal counsel and HR leaders creative and pragmatic advice on a wide range of labor and employment matters.
- 9/19/2008
Events
- 11/8/2021Vorys attorneys hosted a webinar to discuss the OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which requires certain private-sector companies to regularly test non-vaccinated employees.
- 11/4/2021The Vorys Akron office hosted a labor and employment seminar on November 4, 2021. Vorys attorneys discussed pressing employment issues related to the pandemic, workers compensation and more.
- 1/26/2021Vorys attorneys Chaz Billington and Dan Clark hosted a complimentary webinar on Ohio's newly passed Employment Law Uniformity Act (ELUA).
- 10/12/2020Vorys was proud to host a weeklong virtual program providing insights and updates for HR professionals from October 12-15, 2020.
- 6/30/2020In this Vorys at Work webinar, a trio of Vorys attorneys discussed unconscious bias, privilege, discrimination, and harassment in the workforce. They also touched on trainings HR departments could consider in their own organizations.
- 5/5/2020Chaz Billington, partner in the Vorys labor and employment group, presented a complimentary webinar on May 5, 2020 discussing newly passed state laws and recent decisions impacting multi-state employers.
- 5/5/2020In this complimentary Vorys at Work webinar, Vorys Partner Chaz Billington discussed newly passed state laws and recent decisions impacting employers across the country.
- 4/23/2020The sixth installment of Vorys' multi-disciplinary webinar series on the various business and legal implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) took place on Thursday, April 23, 2020.
- 4/10/2020Chaz Billington, a partner in the Vorys Cleveland office, and Akilah Craig, an associate in the Vorys Houston office, presented a webinar to Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) members titled “Layoffs and Furloughs in the Time of COVID-19: The Legal Risks and Best Practices.”
Insights
- 1/24/2022Friday afternoon, January 21, 2022, yet another of the Biden administration’s attempts to require COVID-19 vaccinations was blocked.
- 1/21/2022After nearly two years of frustrating uncertainty regarding whether employers are required to pay employees for time spent undergoing COVID testing or health screenings, the United States’ Department of Labor (DOL) has finally provided some guidance.
- 12/23/2021Keeping up with the status of the various federal vaccine mandates over the past few months has felt like riding a bumpy and exhausting rollercoaster. In the hope that what follows lessens your confusion as you prepare for the holidays, the Vorys COVID Task Force has prepared a roundup of the latest on each of the federal mandates, with guidance on what to monitor as we head into 2022. We recognize that this information is likely to change in the coming days, but for now here are where things stand.
- 12/18/2021The legal battle over the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 (the ETS) took another dramatic twist on Friday night. Mere days after the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to hear the matter en banc, a three judge panel dissolved the stay previously entered by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- 12/16/2021As previously reported, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals – the court selected to hear the consolidated challenges to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 (the ETS) – needed to decide an important procedural matter before addressing the merits of the challenge to the ETS. On December 15, 2021, the Sixth Circuit decided that procedural matter, ruling that the case would be heard by a three-judge panel chosen at random rather than en banc by the entire Sixth Circuit.
- 12/8/2021On December 7, 2021, a federal district court in Georgia temporarily blocked the federal contractor vaccine mandate from taking effect nationwide.
- 12/1/2021On November 30, 2021, a federal district court in Kentucky temporarily blocked the federal contractor vaccine mandate from taking effect in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
- 11/24/2021While most Americans feast on turkey and stuffing this week, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will dig in to motions and briefing regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 (the ETS).
- 11/13/2021As we previously reported, on November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a long awaited emergency temporary standard (the ETS) on COVID-19.
- 11/5/2021On November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a long awaited emergency temporary standard (the ETS) on COVID-19.
- 9/23/2021Vorys attorneys Jana Grimm, Chaz Billington and Brian Dressel co-authored an article for Law360 titled “PA Ruling Reminds Employers to Rethink Cannabis Testing.”
- 9/8/2021The Pennsylvania Superior Court, in a case called Palmiter v. Commonwealth Health Systems, Inc., held that employees can sue their employer for discrimination based on their status as certified users of medical marijuana.
- 4/19/2021The last two weeks in Ohio have seen a tidal wave of employment litigation.
- 3/11/2021On Wednesday, March 10th, the House passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the third major federal COVID-19 relief act following the CARES Act and the December 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act. President Biden is expected to sign it into law Friday.
- 1/14/2021On January 12, 2021, Ohio enacted House Bill 352, the Employment Law Uniformity Act (ELUA) to improve Ohio’s employment discrimination laws.
- 12/28/2020Yesterday evening, the President signed into law the Bipartisan COVID-19 Emergency Relief Act of 2020 (the “Relief Act”).
- 12/28/2020Earlier this month, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated its COVID-19 technical assistance with new information on vaccinations.
- 12/27/2020Late on December 27, the President signed a $900 billion relief package that will provide aid to individuals and businesses still struggling with the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both the House and the Senate passed the proposal last week.
- 12/23/2020On December 20, 2020, Congress passed the Emergency Coronavirus Relief Agreement, which, if approved by the president, will be signed into law as the COVID-related Tax Relief Act of 2021 (CTRA). The CTRA offers approximately $900 billion in relief and stimulus provisions (discussed in more detail here). However, not included in the CTRA is an extension of the mandatory leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which are set to expire on December 31, 2020. Instead, the CTRA extends the tax credits available to covered employers that continue to offer paid leave under the FFCRA framework through March 31, 2021.
- 12/15/2020On December 14, 2020, the first Americans began receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and approximately 3 million doses will be distributed nationwide in the coming weeks.
- 10/23/2020On October 22, 2020, Michigan enacted four COVID-related laws that provide protections to businesses and to employees.
- 8/7/2020In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).
- 6/24/2020On June 16, 2020, Governor Mike DeWine signed Executive Order 2020-24D, which provides several circumstances that will now constitute “good cause” for refusing suitable work during the pandemic.
- 6/4/2020Now that employees are returning to work and businesses are reopening their doors to customers, many businesses are searching for ways to limit liability relating to potential COVID-19 infections. To that end, some employers are considering whether to require COVID-19 liability waivers for their employees, customers, contractors, and other visitors to their facilities.
- 4/23/2020Following weeks of negotiations, today Congress passed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act providing a relief from the widespread economic injury caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
- 4/9/2020As employers grapple with the economic effects of COVID-19, reductions in hours and furloughs present difficult-but-effective cost reduction strategies
- 4/1/2020In addition to the CARES Act, a number of states have enacted legislation, implemented relief programs, or made available state resources to further assist businesses in combating mounting economic hardships. This alert summarizes the state-specific relief efforts in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
- 3/30/2020In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 197 into law on March 27, 2020, a bill that had passed unanimously in the Ohio General Assembly.
- 3/26/2020Following days of often tense negotiations, the United States Senate has passed the third phase of federal coronavirus relief legislation, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act), which will provide $2 trillion in economic aid to individuals and businesses impacted by the coronavirus public health emergency.
- 3/20/2020Since the first known case of COVID-19 in the United States was discovered in late January, the federal government has taken several steps to both fight the spread of the disease and blunt its economic impact on the American economy.
- 12/13/2019Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia currently prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity and expression.