Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP Welcomes Benton Toups to Wilmington Office

    RALEIGH, NC, October 31, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP, a corporate and civil defense litigation firm, announces the arrival of Benton Toups as the latest partner in its Wilmington office. For over a decade, Toups has focused his practice on representing clients in labor and employment matters.

Over the course of his career, Toups has represented employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the North Carolina Industrial Commission, and several state and federal courts. He has extensive experience defending employers against claims of harassment, discrimination, wrongful discharge, unpaid wages and unfair labor practices. He also frequently works with employers to draft and, when necessary, enforce employment contracts, including covenants not to compete.

Toups is also one of the most proactive attorneys in his field, routinely counseling employers on day-to-day issues and assisting them in developing and implementing effective policies in order to avoid employment litigation. In addition to his labor and employment practice, Toups represents clients in business disputes and commercial litigation matters. He is also a certified mediator.

"Benton Toups brings a great deal of labor and employment strategy development to the table," said Dan Hartzog, Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog managing partner. "He will make an excellent addition to our Wilmington team."

Toups was selected by Business North Carolina Magazine as a member of the 2010 North Carolina Legal Elite in the field of Employment Law, and was named one of North Carolina's Rising Stars in Employment and Labor Law in 2009 and 2010.

About Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP
Founded in 1992, Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP is a law firm that concentrates its practice in the defense of civil claims and lawsuits, representing individuals and businesses of all types. Consistently ranked as one of the largest in North Carolina, the firm has more than 95 attorneys and three locations: Raleigh, Charlotte and Wilmington. The firm handles cases in a variety of practice areas, including medical and professional negligence, products liability, construction defects, police and municipal law, premises liability and security, trucking/transportation law, education law, employment law, workers' compensation claims, commercial litigation, environmental and toxic torts and land condemnation. With its experienced litigators and support personnel utilizing the latest technology available, Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP is generally recognized as one of the most creative and innovative litigation firms in the state today. For more information, visit www.cshlaw.com, or call 919-828-5100.

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