Our People

Emphasis

Labor and Employment
Litigation
ERISA
Class Actions
Complex Commercial Litigation

Biography

Ms. Edward's practice focuses on a variety of labor and employment and litigation matters. She represents employers in federal and state court and before administrative agencies such as the Texas Workforce Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the United States Department of Labor. Ms. Edwards handles litigation matters at the pre-trial, trial, and appellate levels.

Ms. Edwards has represented management in civil rights actions (including race, gender, national origin, disability, equal pay, harassment, and retaliation), wrongful discharge, wage and hour (FLSA), employment tort, Family and Medical Leave Act, worker's compensation, ERISA, and other employment-related charges and litigation. Her litigation practice also includes complex commercial disputes, including products liability, unfair competition, covenants not to compete, and breach of contract litigation. Her extensive litigation and oral advocacy experience includes handling multi-plaintiff actions in state and federal court and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Edwards has first- and second-chaired jury and bench trials to verdict in federal, state, and local courts and has successfully defended judgments for her clients on appeal.

Ms. Edwards advises clients in Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), wage and hour law (FLSA), Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and a variety of other labor matters. She provides counsel and document preparation to clients regarding executive compensation, employment and severance agreements, and other labor and employment issues involved in business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, layoffs, and executive hiring. Ms. Edwards counsels clients on all workplace issues, including employment policies, hiring and termination decisions, supervisor and executive training, FLSA compliance, drug testing, privacy, and immigration compliance. She performs training seminars, prepares and reviews personnel handbooks and policies, conducts workplace investigations, and advises clients regarding employee retention and termination.

Ms. Edwards is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Education

2003 - J.D., University of Virginia
2000 - B.S., cum laude, Mechanical Engineering, Rice University

Kelley graduated from Rice University a member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and received the Hugh Scott Cameron Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Graduate Award.  In law school she served as Managing Editor of the Virginia Tax Review. Ms. Edwards was admitted to practice law in Texas in 2003.

Publications

• "Supreme Court Upholds Ability to Agree to Mandatory Arbitration of Discrimination Claims for Union Members," The Houston Lawyer, July/August 2009
• "EEOC Issues New Guidance on Severance Agreements," Littler Mendelson ASAP, July 31, 2009
• "The NEW Americans with Disabilities Act," Human Resource Fundamentals,  Lorman Educational Services, March 2009
• "Supreme Court Broadly Interprets Title VII Anti-Retaliation Provision," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Briefing, January 27, 2009
• "United States Supreme Court issues Significant Labor and Employment Decisions," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Briefing, June 20, 2008
• "Uniform Application of Absence Control Policy Trumps Evidence of Motive in Workers' Compensation Retaliation Case," Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Client Briefing, May 18, 2005
• "Employee Handbooks," Employment Related Records in Texas, Lorman Educational Services, May 2005

Lectures & Presentations

• "EEOC Issues New Guidance on Severance Agreements," Legal Update, Houston Bar Association Labor and Employment Section Luncheon, October 12, 2009
• "The NEW Americans with Disabilities Act - What the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 Means for Disability Discrimination and Harassment Issues in the Workplace," Human Resource Fundamentals, Lorman Educational Services, March 2009
• "The Employer's Duty to Furnish Information to Unions," Traditional Labor Law 101, February 2009
• "What Has the Supreme Court Done Now?," Labor and Employment Law Update, September 2008
• "Employment Litigation: Where's the Action and How Can Your Organization Avoid It?," Labor and Employment Law Update, June 2007
• "Employee Handbooks," Employment Related Records in Texas, Lorman Educational Services, May 2005

Honors & Awards

Ms. Edwards was named a 2010 Texas Rising Star by Texas Monthly magazine.

Activities

• State Bar of Texas
  • Labor and Employment Law Section
  • Litigation Section
• Houston Bar Association
  

  • Labor and Employment Law Section, Membership Chair, 2007-2008 Term
  • Litigation Section
• Federal Bar Association
• Houston Young Lawyers Association

Litigation Experience

• Recently second-chaired two high-profile race discrimination trials for a national fast food franchisee, one in Harris County and one in federal court, both resulting in defense verdicts
• As second chair, successfully defended a telephone directory company in a multi-plaintiff federal bench trial alleging wrongful denial of overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act
• Obtained a defense verdict for a Texas healthcare provider in a Title VII retaliation case following a three day jury trial in federal court, in which she served as second-chair
• In addition to her federal and state trial experience, has prosecuted numerous Class C misdemeanor jury trials for the Houston City Attorney's Office as part of Fulbright & Jaworski's Attorney Loan Program with the City of Houston
• Obtained favorable rulings on summary judgment in ERISA, Americans with Disabilities Act, worker's compensation, Title VII, breach of contract, and retaliation lawsuits
• Handled numerous federal appeals, including successfully defending awards of summary judgment in Americans with Disabilities Act, ERISA, worker's compensation, and Title VII cases