Practice Expertise

  • Labor and Employment
  • Labor Management Relations and Labor ...
  • Complex Employment Litigation
  • Affirmative Action Counseling

Areas of Practice

  • Affirmative Action Counseling
  • Complex Employment Litigation
  • Labor and Employment
  • Labor Management Relations and Labor ...
  • Affirmative Action and OFCCP Compliance
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Counseling
  • Labor-Management Relations and Labor ...
  • Unfair Competition and Employee Raiding
  • Wage and Hour Class Actions
  • View More

Profile

Amber’s national practice assists clients with traditional labor relations and litigation, employment advice and counseling, and complex employment litigation.

Amber is Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and is a trial lawyer who has extensive experience representing and advising clients in traditional labor relations, such as collective bargaining, representation elections, decertification elections, unfair labor practice charges, arbitrating grievances, contract administration and interpretation, and union avoidance strategies.

Amber’s litigation experience includes regularly representing clients in wage and hour collective and class actions, trade secrets and post-employment restrictive covenant disputes, and complex employment discrimination. As a part of Amber’s partnership with clients to avoid litigation, she frequently conducts and coordinates sensitive corporate investigations, and provides training presentations for clients on a multitude of topics.

Amber’s practice also focuses on defending employers before administrative agencies.She represents clients in all industries, and has particular experience working with clients in the energy and utilities, financial institutions, health care, food processing, staffing, manufacturers, transportation, and retail sectors.

To complement her practice, Amber serves as the Hiring Partner for the firm’s Dallas office. Amber also serves as co-chair of the Firm’s Oneness Diversity Luncheon, is an Associate Editor of the American Bar Association’s, Labor and Employment Law newsletter, and also is a contributing author to the firm’s Employment & Labor Perspectives blog. In addition to her work at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Amber is a dedicated volunteer at the Legal Lines Program and Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program.

Amber is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Seventh Circuit, Eighth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, District of Columbia, the Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Relevant Experience

  • First-chaired federal court trial on claims of race and national origin discrimination, hostile work environment and retaliation; verdict in favor of defendant.
  • First-chaired state court jury trial on claims of race and sex discrimination and retaliation; obtained directed verdict.
  • Obtained judgment as a matter of law in federal jury trial on claims of pregnancy discrimination, retaliation, and FMLA retaliation.
  • Argued and won before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (Oncor Electric Delivery v. NLRB, 850 F. App’x 255 (2021) (finding NLRB erred by ordering Oncor to provide names of non-unit workers to union, and NLRB incorrectly identified the bargaining unit).
  • Argued and won before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (STP Nuclear Operating Company v. NLRB, 975 F.3d 507 (2020)) (consolidated cases reversing NLRB’s bargaining orders concerning two groups certified to be represented by the IBEW).
  • Argued and won before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (US v. Loftis, 607 F.3d 173 (2010)) (Federal Debt Collection Procedure Acts claim).
  • Regular first-chair experience litigating and arbitrating claims under collective bargaining agreements and employment-related matters.
  • Litigated and defended management in numerous state and federal civil lawsuits and agency investigations.
  • Litigated multiple class and collective actions in federal and state courts under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws.
  • Regularly engaged in transactional matters for publicly traded and privately held businesses to create employment and contractor agreements, non-disclosure agreements, non-compete agreements, severance and retention agreements, and confidentiality agreements.

Bar Admissions

  • Texas

Education
BA, Trinity University, cum laude, 2003

Areas of Practice

  • Affirmative Action Counseling
  • Complex Employment Litigation
  • Labor and Employment
  • Labor Management Relations and Labor Litigation
  • Affirmative Action and OFCCP Compliance
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Counseling
  • Labor-Management Relations and Labor Litigation
  • Unfair Competition and Employee Raiding
  • Wage and Hour Class Actions

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
  • Successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
  • Experience with handling union-related matters, including arbitrations, collective bargaining, strikes, and matters before the National Labor Relations Board.
  • Successfully handled appeals of orders granting motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, and orders confirming arbitration awards.
  • Assisted in representing national company in multi-state litigation related to overtime and exemption claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Obtained arbitration victories for employer in labor dispute matters before the NLRB.
  • Defended charges and obtained favorable results before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
  • Obtained dismissal of multiple lawsuits through motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment.
  • Participates in all aspects of discovery, including taking and defending deposition, and responding to and propounding discovery requests.
  • Drafts and negotiates employment contracts, non-compete agreements, severance and retention agreements, and confidentiality agreements.
  • Obtained temporary restraining orders on behalf of employers against former employees.
  • Counsels employers on compliances issues related to various employment matters, such as FMLA, sexual harassment, non-compete agreements, and hiring and terminations.
  • Drafts handbooks and company policies to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state statutes, regulations, and local ordinances.
  • Conducts training on topics such as sexual harassment for employers.


Professional Associations
  • Participant, DBA WE LEAD: Women Empowered to Lead in the Legal Profession, (Inaugural Class, 2018)
  • Chair, Employment Law & HR Compliance committee, Dallas HR
  • Barrister, Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court
  • Fellow, Leadership Council on Leadership Diversity (LCLD)
  • Participant, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section’s Leadership Development Program (Class of 2016)
  • Secretary and a Founding Member, The Network of Empowered Women (N.E.W.) Roundtable, Inc.
  • Co-Chair, Small Business Symposium committee, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
  • Co-Chair, Young Employment Labor Lawyers committee, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
  • Co-Vice Chair, Dallas Bar Association’s Law Day committee
  • Member, Dallas Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Leadership Class 2015
  • Member, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Leadership Class 2014
  • Member, Dallas Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
  • Member, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
  • Member, J.L. Turner Legal Association
  • Member, Dallas Black Women Attorneys committee
  • Member, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section


Articles

Additional Articles
  • Federal Circuit Courts Continue to Extend Title VII Protections to LGBT+ Individuals, GPSolo eReport, Vol. 8, No. 1
  • The Developing Labor Law Supplement, Chapter 10 (Representation Proceedings and Elections), 7th Edition
  • Bargaining About Discipline Should Be Negotiators’ Priority, Bloomberg BNA
  • Considerations for retail employers before mandating the COVID-19 vaccine, Westlaw Retail YIR
  • Legal Considerations of Employer-Provided Covid-19 Vaccine Incentives, National Law Review
  • DC Circ. Ruling Shows Slow-Rolled NLRB Compliance Is Risky, Law360
  • Insubordinate Employees May Deserve a Second Chance, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
  • NLRB Ruling Corrects Overbroad Abusive Conduct Standard, Law360
  • It’s Time to Review Severance Agreements in Light of NLRB Ruling, HR Daily Advisor
  • USA: Discrimination in a hightech world – potential pitfalls of AI in employment, OneTrust DataGuidance
  • DEI programs are under fire. Is yours the next target?, HR Dive
  • Woke: The New Four-Letter Word, Employee Relations Law Journal
  • Seven tips for community banks to prepare for union organizing, BankBeat
  • Federal Circuit Courts Continue to Extend Title VII Protections to LGBT+ Individuals, American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Vol. 46, No. 4
  • Viewpoint: Minimize Vacation Scheduling Conflicts in the Pandemic, SHRM
  • USA: Discrimination in a hightech world - potential pitfalls of AI in employment, OneTrust DataGuidance
  • NLRB Restores Leniency for Employee Abusive Conduct and Workplace Outbursts, Training Magazine
  • Diversity Policies and Practices: Is Your Bank Ready for the New Rules?, Bank Director
  • New Clarity From NLRB On Successor Bargaining Duties, Law360
  • Employment References: A Cautionary Tale, Bank Director
  • Mail Ballot Elections – The New “Preferred Method” for Holding Union Representation Elections? ABA Labor and Employment Newsletter, Volume 48, Number 4
  • Hairstyle Discrimination: A Wave of New Laws, AWI Journal, vol. 12, no. 1
  • Avoiding and Defending Against Pregnancy Discrimination Claims, Bloomberg Law
  • Labor Organizing in Retail: Conditions Remain for Continued Momentum, Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation, vol. 3 no. 2
  • Street Smart Dallas: Know Your Rights!, Texas C-Bar
  • The Perils of Ignoring Supervisor Misconduct, Risk Management
  • Protecting Employees from Sexual Harassment by Patients: Health Care Providers’ Obligations in the #MeToo Era, American Health Lawyers Association
  • Pay Equity Laws: Banning Salary History Questions, American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Employment & Labor Relations Law Newsletter
  • Tips for Handling Issues Related to Transgender Employees in the Workplace, The DICTA
  • Discrimination in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, ABA Labor & Employment Law Vol. 49, No. 2
  • Labor Organizing in Retail: 2022 Review, Retail Industry 2022 Year in Review
  • Racial Stereotypes’ Use May Doom Some Employers’ DEI Initiatives, Bloomberg Law
  • The New Normal – Remote Work Programs and Potential Legal Risks, ABA Labor and Employment Newsletter, Volume 48, Number 4
  • Why Not Having an Employment Contract With Bank Officers Will Hurt You, Bank Director
  • 5 NLRA Changes To Make Nonunion Employers Wary In 2024, Law360
  • Harnessing the Power of Crowdsourced DEI Innovation to Affect Change, The Texas Lawbook
  • If At First You Don’t Succeed: National Labor Relations Board Readopts Highly Controversial “Independent Contractor” Standard, Employee Benefit Plan Review
  • The Necessity of Employment Agreements with Bank Officers, Texas Independent Banker
  • Words matter — Can your DEI policies be evidence of (reverse) discrimination claims?, Reuters Legal News
  • 2020 Retail Industry Year in Review
  • Natural Hair Movement Spurs Nationwide Legislative Response to Prevent Hairstyle Discrimination, American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law, Americanbar.org

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