Charles S. Elbert
Missouri
Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP
8235 Forsyth Blvd
Suite 700
St. Louis, MO 63105
Tel: (314) 241-3963
Email:
celbert@shandselbert.com
Web:
www.shandselbert.com
Charles S. Elbert is a Partner at Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP in St. Louis, Missouri, widely recognized for his deep experience and strategic leadership in labor and employment law.
Mr. Elbert represents private and public sector employers in a broad range of labor and employment matters, including labor relations, labor arbitration, and litigation before federal, state, and local agencies and courts. His practice includes defending employers against claims involving employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, wage and hour matters under the FLSA, leave issues under the FMLA, and other employee and administrative agency claims. He also counsels employers on employment matters; conducts internal investigations; drafts and litigates employment agreements and restrictive covenants; represents employers in federal, state, and local agency investigations and audits; handles NLRB proceedings and collective bargaining matters; drafts employment policies and agreements; and provides claim prevention and union avoidance counseling.
Mr. Elbert’s litigation experience in federal and state courts and in arbitration further encompasses contract interpretation and breach of contract disputes.
Mr. Elbert earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from St. Louis University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University. He is admitted to practice in Missouri and Illinois, as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Mr. Elbert has been consistently recognized for his work in labor and employment law, including being listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor & Employment, and named to Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers®.
Professional Associations & Memberships
- The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (Member, Labor Law Section)
- The Missouri Bar (Member, Labor Law Section)
- Illinois State Bar Association (Member, Labor Law Section)
- American Bar Association (Member, Sections on: Labor and Employment Law)
- Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association
Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum, LLP’s Labor and Employment practice provides comprehensive representation and strategic counsel to management on all aspects of labor relations and employment law. The team defends employers in state and federal courts, primarily throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois, handling claims under federal and state anti-discrimination statutes including Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the MHRA, and the IHRA, as well as wrongful discharge, retaliation, whistleblower, defamation, and related state law theories. Their litigation capabilities also extend to defending wage and hour claims under the FLSA and leave-related claims under the FMLA, and representing clients before administrative agencies such as the EEOC, Department of Labor, OFCCP, NLRB, and state and local human rights agencies.
The firm’s labor relations practice includes advising and representing employers in arbitrations, collective bargaining, union avoidance, unfair labor practice disputes, unemployment compensation matters, and injunction proceedings stemming from strikes, slowdowns, or unlawful picketing. A significant portion of the practice is devoted to proactive counseling designed to minimize litigation risk, including pre-employment guidance, drafting and reviewing personnel policies and employee handbooks, conducting employment discrimination and harassment training and investigations, reviewing affirmative action plans, and performing personnel audits to identify compliance issues.
The group also represents employers and executive personnel in negotiating and drafting employment agreements and restrictive covenants, and in enforcing or contesting non-compete, non-disclosure, and non-solicitation provisions. Clients span a diverse range of industries and organizational types, including public utilities, manufacturers, retailers, service businesses, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, governmental entities, and professional practices, from small employers to large organizations with thousands of employees.
For more than five decades, Shands, Elbert, Gianoulakis & Giljum has been a respected fixture in the St. Louis legal community, known for its commitment to excellence, integrity, and client advocacy. The firm maintains an active litigation, arbitration, and appellate practice throughout Missouri and southern Illinois, representing a diverse client base that includes individuals, businesses, governmental entities, and educational institutions.
The firm’s attorneys bring decades of collective experience and advise clients across a broad range of legal matters, including business transactions and corporate governance, labor and employment law, professional liability, real estate, taxation, estate planning, and education law. The firm and its partners are consistently recognized by leading professional organizations, including Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings, and Missouri Super Lawyers, and the firm has been a member of Legal Netlink Alliance since 1994, providing clients with access to trusted legal representation worldwide.