Jeffrey M. McPhaul is an associate in the Houston office of Locke Lord LLP where he focuses his practice on labor & employment law. Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Jeff has represented employers in litigated employment matters in state and federal courts, arbitration proceedings, and before administrative agencies on a wide variety of issues, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and failure to accommodate; wage and hour disputes; breaches of fiduciary duties; defense and enforcement of covenants not to compete and nonsolicitation agreements; OSHA complaints; misappropriation of trade secrets; and non-subscriber cases.
Jeff also has experience advising employers regarding issues involving numerous aspects of the employer/employee relationship, including drafting and revising employment contracts, policies, and procedures; compliance with federal and state law in hiring, including under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and state and federal antidiscrimination laws; internal investigations; leaves of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); reasonable accommodation issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and separations and disciplinary actions.
Jeff also has experience with general business litigation and dispute resolution, including breach of contract, statutory and common law fraud, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and violations of the Texas Insurance Code.
Representative Experience :
- Second chair representation in arbitration proceeding involving age discrimination and common law wrongful termination claims
- Represented international commercial real estate management company in matter involving claims of sex discrimination and retaliation
- Represented national retail company in multiple litigation matters involving claims under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Texas Labor Code, state workers’ compensation statutes, and state common law
- Defended national oil and gas services company in matter involving claims of disability discrimination and age discrimination
- Obtained temporary injunctive relief on behalf of national oil and gas services company in matter involving claims of trade secret misappropriation and violations of restrictive covenants
- Represented international oil and gas services company in multiple wage and hour matters, including both single plaintiff proceedings and collective action proceedings
- Represented national oil and gas services company in multiple wage and hour matters, including both single plaintiff proceedings and collective action proceedings, in federal court and arbitration
- Prepared numerous employment policies and handbooks, employment agreements, consulting agreements, separation agreements, arbitration agreements, and FCRA disclosures and authorizations
- Represented international private equity group in matter involving claims for gross negligence stemming from workplace accident
Professional History :
- Associate, Locke Lord LLP
- Associate, Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom LLP (2010-2013)
Education:
- J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2010
- B.A., English, with honors, The University of Texas at Austin, 2006
Admissions : Texas
Admitted To Practice :
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- All Texas State Courts
Cost
Rate : $$$