Harry (“Hal”) W. Wellford, Jr., a shareholder in the St. Louis office of Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has been appointed to serve as a trial master for the Missouri Attorney General’s Trial Masters Program and Committee. Wellford is one of 14 attorneys from across the state selected for this new and innovative program, which is intended to provide training and mentorship to its next generation of public-service attorneys from experienced litigators from across the state.
In addition, the trial masters act as independent consultants and provide non-binding, discretionary advice and guidance, including trial skills and strategies, to the Missouri attorney general and assistant attorneys general, regarding legal strategies and related matters on pending and prospective litigation, in which the state of Missouri and its departments and employees are represented by the office. The program and committee were spearheaded by Deputy Attorney General Bill Corrigan and implemented by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
For more than 30 years, Wellford has focused his practice on employment litigation and client counseling. His experience includes all facets of wrongful termination and employment discrimination, as well as executive compensation and unfair competition litigation in federal, state, trial and appellate courts, and before arbitration panels and federal and state agencies. Wellford has handled several groundbreaking unfair competition cases in Missouri and drafted the Missouri Dram Shop law – the constitutionality of which was upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court. He has also represented multiple Missouri sheltered workshops on a pro bono or reduced fee basis, in connection with wage and hour and personnel matters.
Wellford has received the AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, been recognized as a Leading Lawyer for Business by Chambers USA and named to The POWER List for Employment Law by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. He has also been recognized as one of The Best Lawyers in America© every year since 2007 and was distinguished as Lawyer of the Year in Labor Law – Management (St. Louis) in 2017. Wellford earned his J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Washington and Lee University.
