Jeff Blaydes

West Virginia

Jeff Blaydes is a highly regarded education and employment law attorney based in Charleston, West Virginia with more than thirty years of legal experience. His work frequently involves representing educators and education employees in matters with significant legal and professional consequences.

A primary area of Jeff’s practice is education law. He provides legal counsel to Education West Virginia, the state’s largest teaching union addressing issues on a state and local level. He previously served as counsel for the American Federation of Teachers, where he also took the lead on issues of statewide significance, including complex matters affecting educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has represented clients employed in the public school systems of West Virginia, as well as faculty and staff in higher education matters. Jeff regularly handles cases involving disciplinary proceedings, licensing issues, promotion hearings, vaccination policies, charter schools, dues collection, employee drug testing, and workplace dress code.

Jeff also represents individuals in employment matters, serious personal injury, and guardianship and conservatorship work. His cases often involve workers who have been injured or sickened because of unsafe working conditions and senior citizens who are vulnerable to financial exploitation. He has a track record of successfully challenging unfair labor and employment practices and has presented cases before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

In addition to his advocacy work, Jeff has presided over hundreds of cases as a hearing examiner and is recognized for his calm, fair, and ethical approach to dispute resolution. A trained mediator, he is frequently sought out by attorneys who value his precise, reasoned, and factual guidance. Peer reviewers have described his work product as “impeccable,” noting that his practice skills and legal knowledge are of “the highest order.”

Jeff earned his Juris Doctor and Master of Arts from the West Virginia University and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia, and the state bars of West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Jeff’s professional distinctions include an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell® and recognition in Best Lawyers in America® for Education Law, Elder Law, and Employment Law – Individual. Jeff was recently selected as Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers for Employment Law – Individuals in Charleston, West Virginia. Jeff has also been honored as a Super Lawyer in West Virginia. He has completed training at the University of Virginia School of Law’s National Trial Advocacy College and the West Virginia State Bar’s Advanced Mediation Training program.