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AREAS OF PRACTICELitigation - Commercial Litigation - General Employment Family Law Brent advises employers both in day-to-day personnel matters and in matters involving state and federal administrative agencies. Brent focuses on giving advice that empowers his clients to make informed choices that are the best interest of their business goals and minimize the risk of adverse legal consequences. Brent also handles cases involving a variety of topics, including governmental liability and immunity, complex contract disputes, real estate ownership and management, trade secrets, and commercial liability. REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE Employment Obtainied an injunction and award of attorney's fees against a former employee prohibiting the solicitation of employer's clients. Defended a Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit, including class action allegations, in the Middle District of Florida. Prevented class-action certification and obtained favorable settlement for a fraction of the claimed damages. Represented an employer in a Department of Labor investigation involving allegations of overtime pay violations. Investigation was dismissed by investigator. Lead counsel in a wrongful termination (race) lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas. Regularly reviews and drafts personnel handbooks and forms to comply with state and federal laws. Commercial Litigation Won a Jury verdict in a breach of contract lawsuit in state court. Defendant was a lawyer who reneged on a letter of protection promising to guarantee payment of doctor's bill out of settlement of personal injury lawsuit. The jury spontaneously awarded three times actual damages against the defendant and awarded 100% of the plaintiff's attorney's fee claim. Briefed and argued appeal to the Dallas Court of Appeals in which client was resisting mandatory arbitration under employment agreement based on subsequent, universal release between the parties. Research revealed no previous reported opinions in which a court denied a request for arbitration based on a subsequent release. Brent successfully argued, by analyzing previous precedent from the United States Supreme Court, that the release in question extinguished the previous arbitration agreement. TransCore Holdings, Inc. v. Rayner, 104 S.W.3d 317 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2003, pet. denied). Obtained a defense of a client by an insurer that had previously denied coverage. Insurer initially refused to defend, claiming an absence of documentation showing that client's equipment was involved in the accident. Brent's investigation revealed sufficient allegations of client's involvement to invoke the obligation to defend the lawsuit. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES / MEMBERSHIPS / AFFILIATIONS Licensed to practice in Texas and Kansas; U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas. State Bar of Texas PUBLICATIONS / SPEECHES · "Risk Management and Its Application to Air Carrier Safety" was published in the Journal of Air Law and Commerce. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND 1993 - B.M., University of Kansas (Voice) 1997 - J.D., Southern Methodist University Cum Laude While in law school, Brent was a Staff Editor and Articles Editor for the S.M.U. Law Review Association. | 