Most Highly Regarded Firms: Texas 2008 - Management Labour & Employment
We list 25 management labour and employment specialists in this chapter.
Many of these practitioners spend a deal of time advising on the individual and collective employment aspects of mergers and acquisitions and restructurings, executive remuneration and related regulatory and disclosure obligations, confidentiality, data protection, restrictive covenants and individual and group severance arrangements. In addition, the lawyers listed on the following pages may have extensive experience in litigation matters involving class actions, employment discrimination laws, sexual harassment, employee loyalty, wrongful discharge, whistle-blower actions, individual employment contracts and work-related tort claims. The hot topic at the moment is wage-and-hour litigation and a number of the lawyers we list are actively involved in this area.
Bracewell & Giuliani LLP is one of two firms with three entries here. Tullos Wells is head of the labour and employment section at the firm and managing partner of the San Antonio office. Wells is well known for his strength in the courtroom and is a "worthy adversary" in employment jury trials. Robert Sheeder is "top tier" according to one source and is based in the Dallas office. He counsels management in all aspects of labour and employment law and his client base that includes a number of Fortune 500 companies. George Parker, of counsel to the firm in the San Antonio office, is "extremely well respected". Parker has brought cases for management in both federal and state court litigation, arbitrations and proceedings before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Specialist firm Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC is the other outfit with three nominees. Sources "think very highly" of Jeffrey Londa, who has significant experience representing government entities. He is also an adjunct professor lecturing on employment discrimination at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. John McFall in Dallas represents management exclusively in litigation and advisory work across the US and the Caribbean. The "brilliant" Michael Fox is a renowned trial lawyer who has tried cases all over Texas. Fox has represented employers in over 25 arbitration hearings regarding race, sex and national origin discrimination, wage and hour claims, breach of contract and enforcement of covenants not to compete.
Fulbright & Jaworski LLP boasts a "cohesive and highly skilled team". Brian Greig is head of the firm's labour and employment practice and is seen as "one of the best". With particular expertise in trade secret and restrictive covenant matters Greig represents management and has also argued appeals of employment cases in federal and state court. Philip Pfeiffer is based in the San Antonio office and is a "first rate" practitioner in the eyes of his competitiors. He represents employers in traditional management-union matters and complex discrimination cases and is a state qualified mediator in Texas, frequently serving as a mediator in employment cases.
Baker Botts LLP also provides two partners for our list. Tony Rosenstein is "extremely sharp" and well known for both litigation and counselling. Clients include major national oil and gas, insurance, and banking companies who have selected "one of the best in town" as their counsel. The "excellent" Chapman Smith has represented Lanier Worldwide in Americans With Disabilities Act matters, Lockheed Martin in an age discrimination class action and Wrist Holding in their international employment agreements.
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP has spent the past year significantly expanding in Texas. This has included a substantial boost to its Houston labour practice with lateral hires from Baker Hostetler and Fulbright & Jaworski: John Harper came to the firm from Fulbright and is senior counsel in Morgan Lewis' labour and employment practice. Harper represents employers in all manner of labour and employment matters and is "highly regarded" by many. He is also a keen speaker and writer. The equally respected Nancy Patterson joins the firm from Baker Hostetler and is well know for her representation of clients in the health care, transportation, telecommunications, energy, construction, accounting and chemical manufacturing industries.
Vinson & Elkins LLP has two practitioners in the chapter, one of whom is the chapter's most highly nominated individual. Carl Jordan, once again, received the most votes during our research. Jordan is co-head of the firm's employment litigation and labour section. He represents management and his clients include companies in the construction and engineering, energy services, high-tech, manufacturing, financial services, airline, pharmaceutical and insurance industries in state and federal courts, as well as before federal and state agencies. Douglas Hamel also co-heads the firm's employment litigation and labour group with Jordan and is rated as a "top tier guy". Hamel represented a major life insurance company based in New York in connection with employment cases filed by former senior managers in Texas, Alaska, California, Florida, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Haynes and Boone LLP has a strong labour and employment practice that counts Energy Worldwide and Northrup Grumman among its clients. The firm is home to partner William Strock, reckoned by one source to be the "best lawyer in the game". Strock is no stranger to complex class discrimination litigation and class action cases. Arthur Carter was described to researchers as "brilliant" and he has experience in traditional labour law and employment litigation. Carter has worked on labour contract negotiations with unions for a number of manufacturing employers in several states.
Hunton & Williams LLP is home to William Keller, a "legendary lawyer" who is widely considered to be the "dean of Texas labour and employment". Keller focuses on counselling and representing clients in all aspects of labour and employment law and has appeared several times before the US Supreme Court. He has also served as legal adviser to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC. Laura Franze, who co-chairs the firm's labour and employment group, focuses on representing management in federal and state employment litigation, contract negotiation and administration, and union organisation campaigns. She also provides labour and employment counselling. The bedrock of Franze's client base is Fortune 500 companies in the entertainment, hospitality, retail and high-tech industries.
Jackson Lewis LLP represents management in employment, labour, benefits and immigration law and litigation. A great many sources thought that Teresa Valderrama "really belongs on this list" and praised her as "very good indeed". Valderrama is joined here by partner Joseph Galagaza, who acts for clients in an array of labour and employment matters, advising on preventive practices and carrying out employee handbook and personnel policy reviews. He is also a popular choice for clients wishing to run supervisory training seminars.
John Jansonius is a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. Jansonius is "very sharp" trial lawyer who has also argued before the US Supreme Court and a numerous federal courts of appeals. He is a frequent speaker and writer and served as editor of the Employment Law Guide for Financial Institutions. Linda Headley is "just outstanding, a real leader in the field". She is a shareholder of the Houston office of Littler Mendelson PC, a national firm devoted to the representation of management in employment, employee benefits and labour law matters. Headley's practice encompasses both litigation and counselling as well as representing employers in collective bargaining and before the NLRB.
Martin Wickliff chairs the labour steering committee at Epstein Becker Green Wickliff & Hall PC, a firm that counts labour and employment law as one of its largest practice areas. Wickliff is also the Houston office managing shareholder, on the firm's board of directors and serves on the firm's diversity committee. He is a well-known trial lawyer, handling jury and non-jury lawsuits around the country. Wickliff also provides advice and counsel to clients in diverse industries, dealing with traditional labour management relations work on behalf of management. Kemp Smith LLP can boast the inclusion of Charles High, one of the most highly regarded individuals in the research and "the absolute best" in the eyes of one competitior. High represents employers in all aspects of employment law with a speciality in the development of employment policies and practices to reduce the risk of litigation.
The "excellent" Mike Maslanka from Ford & Harrison LLP is a new addition this year. He was praised for his skill in multi-party cases involving age discrimination. Maslanka has served as adjunct counsel to a Fortune 10 company, providing multi-state counselling on employment matters. He also served as a field attorney for the National Labor Relations Board.