Jacob John Modla, Business Attorney in Columbia, South Carolina

Jake Modla has been practicing law in North Carolina and South Carolina since 1990.

Between 1990 and 2004, he practiced management-side labor and employment law with Haynsworth Baldwin Johnson and Greaves and the Ogletree Deakins law firm.

During this time, he provided counseling and litigation services to organizations on multiple employment and labor issues, including discrimination claims, wage and hour matters, civil rights issues, drafting employment policies and handbooks, and conducting training and seminars on employment-related topics. He defended employers in federal, state, and appellate courts.

Jake also appeared before the United States Supreme Court in an age discrimination case: O’Connor v. Consolidated Coin Caterers Corporation.

In 2004, Jake joined retailer Family Dollar Stores, where he was employed for eight years. While with Family Dollar, he served as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary in the organization’s Legal Department. Jake ended his career with Family Dollar by serving two years in the Human Resources Department as Vice President HR Operations and Supply Chain.

Between 2013 and 2015, Jake was a lawyer and shareholder with Littler Mendelson in their Charlotte office. Littler is the largest employment and labor law firm globally, with more than 1,000 lawyers and 70 offices. With Littler, he defended employers in litigation in federal court. He provided organizations with advice in corporate compliance, wage and hour, labor-management relations, and discrimination and harassment claims.

Jake’s legal career not only includes counseling and handling single employee matters; he has also litigated and managed class and collective action claims. These class and collective actions have covered thousands of employees and included claims of gender discrimination and various wage and hour issues, including failure to pay overtime and working off the clock.

In 2016 Jake founded Jake Modla Law, PLLC and put his knowledge and experience to work helping employees and workers who have been the victims of retaliation for whistleblower activities, discrimination claims, sexual harassment, wage theft, and other workplace misconduct. He then joined the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor in 2019 until 2023.

Jake grew up in Wallington, New Jersey, a town once described in New York News magazine as “Little Poland on the Passaic.” Jake’s grandfather was a coal miner who immigrated to the United States from Slovakia. He is very proud of his working-class Eastern European heritage.

Jake is married and is the father of three daughters and one Belgian Malinois, Otto. He is very active in his church, serving as an Elder and Chairman of its Personnel Committee.

Armed with over 30 years of experience and knowledge of employers and corporations and the defense firms and insurance companies representing them, Jake Modla is here to serve employees and workers throughout North Carolina and South Carolina with their employment law problems.