A. Craig Cleland

Employment Law - Management

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Atlanta, Georgia

33+ years experience

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC

Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Contact Information

404-881-1300

https://www.ogletreedeakins.com/people/a-craig-cleland

One Ninety One Peachtree Tower, Suite 4800, 191 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

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Bio

Craig Cleland defends employers in litigation—including in class actions—and counsels them on compliance and risk management. He is also Co-Chair of the Firm’s Class Action Practice Group. Craig has served on several Atlanta-area nonprofit boards, including as chair. He is currently on the Advisory Committee for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society as well as on the Board of the Atlanta Bar Labor and Employment Section. Craig is also named in Best Lawyers in America, Atlanta Magazine’s “Super Lawyers,” Georgia Trend’s “Legal Elite,” and Chambers USA’s Leading Business Lawyers. He is a contributor to the new editions of Black’s Law Dictionary and Garner’s Modern American Usage and a chapter editor and contributor to Lindemann & Grossman’s Employment Discrimination Law. He also teaches Employment Discrimination Law as an Adjunct Professor at Georgia State University College of Law. Recently, Craig was recognized as a BTI Client Service All-Star, one of 165 lawyers in the U.S. who “combine exceptional legal expertise with practical advice, business savvy and creative, effective solutions.” During law school, Craig was the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and winner of the McKenzie-McPhail Moot Court Competition. After graduating, he clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Marvin H. Shoob in Atlanta and then practiced at Paul Hastings before joining Ogletree Deakins. He has also completed the Harvard Law School Mediation Program and from time to time serves as a mediator. Craig Cleland defends employers in litigation—including in class actions—and counsels them on compliance and risk management. He is also Co-Chair of the Firm’s Class Action Practice Group. Craig has served on several Atlanta-area nonprofit boards, including as chair. He is currently on the Advisory Committee for the Atlanta Legal Aid Society as well as on the Board of the Atlanta Bar Labor and Employment Section. Craig is also named in Best Lawyers in America, Atlanta Magazine’s “Super Lawyers,” Georgia Trend’s “Legal Elite,” and Chambers USA’s Leading Business Lawyers. He is a contributor to the new editions of Black’s Law Dictionary and Garner’s Modern American Usage and a chapter editor and contributor to Lindemann & Grossman’s Employment Discrimination Law. He also teaches Employment Discrimination Law as an Adjunct Professor at Georgia State University College of Law. Recently, Craig was recognized as a BTI Client Service All-Star, one of 165 lawyers in the U.S. who “combine exceptional legal expertise with practical advice, business savvy and creative, effective solutions.” During law school, Craig was the Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and winner of the McKenzie-McPhail Moot Court Competition. After graduating, he clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Marvin H. Shoob in Atlanta and then practiced at Paul Hastings before joining Ogletree Deakins. He has also completed the Harvard Law School Mediation Program and from time to time serves as a mediator.

Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management

Awards & Recognition

Lawyer of the Year: Employment Law - Management, Atlanta (2025)
Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Labor and Employment, Atlanta (2025)
Lawyer of the Year: Employment Law - Management, Atlanta (2023)
Lawyer of the Year: Employment Law - Management, Atlanta (2020)
Lawyer of the Year: Litigation - Labor and Employment, Atlanta (2014)
Recognized: Employment Law - Management
Recognized: Litigation - Labor and Employment
Special Focus: Class Actions
Special Focus: Discrimination
Special Focus: Harassment
Special Focus: Management
Special Focus: Title VII Litigation
American Jurispridence Awards - Property, Jurisprudence, Business Tax
Best Oralist & Runner-Up Best Best Brief - McKenzie-McPhail Moot Court Competition
Chambers USA Leading Business Lawyers
Atlanta Magazine’s “Super Lawyers”
Georgia Trend’s “Legal Elite”
BTI Client Service All-Star