Courtney M. Malveaux

Courtney M. Malveaux is a principal in the Richmond, Virginia, office of Jackson Lewis. P.C. He is co-leader of the firm’s Workplace Safety and Health practice group. His practice focuses on representing employers in investigations and citations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other regulatory agencies, oftentimes following catastrophic incidents.

Courtney advises and represents employers in employment law matters, including retaliation claims, employment discrimination, unemployment benefits and wage claims. He also represents business associations in state and federal legislative and regulatory matters, and he has testified before Congressional and state legislative committees on workplace safety and health matters.

Courtney represented industry on the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board, and pulled together a broad coalition of business and safety associations to pass laws to make voluntary compliance a permanent part of several state plans under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Before joining Jackson Lewis, Courtney enforced occupational safety and health law and other state and federal labor laws as Virginia’s Labor Commissioner while also serving as President of the National Association of Government Labor Officials.

Honors and Recognitions

• The National Law Review, Go-To Thought Leadership Award (2020)
• Virginia Business Magazine, “Legal Elite” (2014-2024)
• William & Mary Law School, Distinguished Alumnus Award (2012)
• Virginia Leadership Institute, Political Inspiration Award (2008)
• William & Mary Law School, George Wythe Award (2002)
• William & Mary Law School, Marshall-Wythe Gambrell Professionalism Award (2001)

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• “Reaching Back” Scholarship to benefit African American law students 
• College of William & Mary Board of Visitors
• Patrick Henry School of the Arts and Sciences Board of Directors
• Governor’s Commission to Ensure Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government
• William & Mary Law School Alumni Association, Former President

Published Works

• “New OSHA Rule Gives Hazy Guidance on Safety Inspection Tagalongs,” Bloomberg Law (2024)
• “OSHA Proposes Expansion of Workplace Protections for Emergency Responders,” OSHA Blog (2024)
• “Employers Face a More Aggressive OSHA,” Business Insurance (2023)
• “Robotic Systems Compel OSHA to Consider Revising Its Lockout/Tagout Standard,” OSHA Blog (2023)
• “OSHA Focusing Enforcement Efforts on ‘Vulnerable Workers’ at Construction Sites,” OSHA Blog (2023)
• “Manufacturers Can Expect Emphasis on Prevention of Heat Illness in Workplaces,” OSHA Blog (2021)
• “OSHA Recommends Best Practices to Prevent Whistleblower Retaliation,” OSHA Blog (2020)
• “Hidden Costs of an OSHA Citation,” OSHA Blog (2019)
• “U.S. House Committee to Focus on Workforce Protections,” OSHA Blog (2019)
• “A Kinder, Gentler OSHA for Construction?” OSHA Blog (2018)
• "VPP Act Is On the Move in Congress,” EHS Today (2016)
• Federal Law Employment Issues (Handbook of Virginia Local Government Law, 2015, 2016)
• "The Safety Scorecard: The Dos and Don’ts of an OSHA Inspection,” Scaffold & Access Magazine (2015)
• “OSHA Targets Misclassification in Virginia,” Virginia Chamber of Commerce (2015)
• “Can You Claim Employee Misconduct? Take the Legal Test,” EHS Today (2014)
• “Untying the Gordian Knot of Misclassification,” The Virginia Manufacturer (2014)
• "From “Blackfish” to Blacklist: Show Biz Gets No Break from OSHA,” The Virginia Manufacturer (2014)
• “HazCom Training: Don’t Panic,” EHS Today (2014)
• "Independent Contractor Liability: Your Risks and Obligations,” Business Legal Resources (2014)
• "OSHA Enforcement of the “As Effective As” Standard for State Plans: Serving Process or People?,” 46 U. Rich. L. Rev. 323, 345 (2011)

Speeches

• “Protecting Healthcare Workers Against Violence,” (podcast, January 2024)
• “Preventing Workplace Hazards in Warehouses, Storage and Distribution Centers,” (podcast, August 2023)
• “OSHA Compliance, Best Practices and Enforcement in the COVID-19 Era,” Washington, DC National Electrical Contractors Association (June 2020)
•  “What’s New With OSHA?” Scaffold and Access Industry Association (New Orleans, September 2019)
• “Handling an OSHA Inspection,” American Society of Safety Professionals (New Orleans, June 2019)
• “General Contractor and Prime Subcontractor OSHA Liability at Multiemployer Worksites,” Associated General Contractors (Denver, April 2019)
•  “How to Get Your Safety Message Across to Today’s Temporary Workforce,” Business and Legal Resources (Austin, Texas, October 2016) (panelist)
• “The Dos and Don’ts of an OSHA Inspection,” Sealant, Waterproofing and Restoration Institute (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 2016)
• “The Benefit of Becoming an OSHA Whisperer: Speaking the Language of Regulators," Cintas Corporation Annual Meeting (2015)
• “OSHA Citations: When and How to Contest Them to Maximize the Benefit to Your Company,” Business Legal Resources (webinar, 2015)
• “Workplace Violence in Assisted Living – Your Rights and Responsibilities,” Virginia Assisted Living Fall Conference (2014)
• “Reducing OSHA Exposure in Nursing and Health Care,” Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Conference (2014)
• “Have the FLSA Auditors or OSHA Inspectors Knocked on Your Client’s Door Lately? Be Sure You Know What to Do When They Do,” Richmond Bar Association (2014) (co-presenter)
• “What to Do (and Not Do) When OSHA Comes Knocking,” Virginia Business Consortium (2014)
• “Temporary Workers, Right to Work, Collective Bargaining, and the U.N. Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals,” Canadian Association of Administrators of Labour Legislation (2013)