On this #SocialMediaDay2021 episode, Chris McCarty of Knoxville-based law firm Lewis Thomason delves into the larger issues at hand for companies/organizations and individuals alike in managing the good, the bad and the law, when it comes to leveraging the power of social media in productive and legally compliant ways.

Kelly and Mary Beth set the stage by providing a flashback to a November 2020 episode of #MsInterPReted (Social Media & Surveillance Capitalism: Dr. Candace White), and Kelly also shares a recent challenge experienced with a Facebook hacker ... indicative of the power -- much of it unchecked -- that the largest social media companies in particular wield, which can derail any company's ability to do business, at the drop of a hat.

Chris discusses legal implications of these and other challenges, as well as broader issues of free speech and regulatory facts that every PR person and professional communicator should know, in today's dynamic social media environment.

About Chris McCarty of Lewis Thomason, P.C.:

Chris W. McCarty, a shareholder in Lewis Thomason's Knoxville office, practices in the areas of employment law, education law and civil litigation. Chris handles matters before state and federal courts throughout Tennessee, and has argued before the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Chris also presents on employment and education law topics. His articles on those topics have been seen in numerous publications, including HR Magazine, the Tennessee Bar Journal and the Knoxville Business Journal. Chris is approved as a member of the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) Panel of Employment Arbitrators.

 AFFILIATIONS

• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
• DRI – Employment & Labor Law Committee
• Society for Human Resource Management
• American Bar Association
• Knoxville Bar Association
• Tennessee Bar Association
• National School Boards Association Council of School Attorneys

PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND ACTIVITIES

• Tennessee Council of School Board Attorneys, President, 2018-2020
• Best Lawyers® 2020 Employment Law – Management “Lawyer of the Year” in Knoxville
• Named to The Best Lawyers in America©, Employment Law Management and Education Law
• Named a Cityview Magazine Top Attorney
• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, Elected Member, 2018
• Knoxville Bar Foundation, Fellows Program, 2016
• Member, American Arbitration Association (AAA) Panel of Employment Arbitrators
• Mid-South Super Lawyers® Rising Star, 2015, 2016
• Leadership Sevier, 2015
• Knoxville Zoo, Circle of Friends Leadership Council, 2015
• Nucleus Knoxville, President, 2014
• “40 Under 40”, Knoxville Business Journal, 2013
• Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law, 2012
• Leadership Tomorrow Sevier, 2010
• Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, President’s Award, 2009
• Introduction Knoxville, 2007
• Knoxville Bar Association, Publications Committee

FOLLOW Chris McCarty and Lewis Thomason:
Twitter: @LewisThomasonTN
LinkedIn: Lewis Thomason / LinkedIn and Chris McCarty / LinkedIn
Website: https://www.lewisthomason.com/

FOLLOW FLETCHER MARKETING PR:

• Discover Fletcher Marketing PR
• Follow Fletcher Marketing PR on Twitter: @FletcherPR 
• Connect with Fletcher Marketing PR on LinkedIn
•  Follow Kelly Fletcher on Twitter: @KDfletcher 
• Follow Mary Beth West on Twitter: @marybethwest