In a decision one lawyer said could have broad impact on employment law, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has ruled that Title VII protects all employees, including managers, from retaliation for opposing an unlawful employment practice.

HR Manager Jacqueline Marie Patterson was hired by Georgia Pacific in 2015, where she was located at the Alabama River Cellulose mill in Perdue Hill, Alabama, according to the Eleventh Circuit’s July 5 opinion. Previously, she served as a human resources business partner for Memorial Hermann Health System.