Overview

Celeste Yeager maintains a vibrant labor and employment practice litigating and consulting on behalf of management regarding a variety of employment topics. She defends employers against labor and employment law claims, including helping federal contractors with compliance efforts. Celeste has prepared hundreds of AAPs and led dozens of audits, including both desk and on-site audits.  She has worked with both public and private companies, including smaller operations and multi-state employers.

Her practice also includes consulting and litigating on behalf of clients on a range of HR and compliance issues, including:​

  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
  • The Equal Pay Act
  • The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Wrongful discharge

This broad experience allows Celeste to give practical, “real life” advice regarding the implementation of policies, procedures and affirmative action plans across the spectrum, from recruiting and obtaining applicant data through the termination of protected employees, helping to identify not only potential risks that could generate an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Charge, but could also create areas of underutilization or a red flag to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). Her goal in assisting clients is to add value to the process by taking each client’s unique business practicalities into consideration while placing the client in the best possible position to prevent and/or defend its employment decisions.   

A skilled litigator, Celeste has successfully secured numerous defense verdicts in court for her clients, including:

  • An oil and gas company whose former president claimed a breach of his employment agreement
  • Workers compensation retaliation lawsuit at a waste management company
  • Race and gender discrimination lawsuit filed by multiple former employees at a convenience store
  • Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower lawsuit  filed against a securities investment firm 

Celeste has also prevailed on summary judgment for her clients in the following types of cases:

  • Lawsuit alleging sex harassment, rape, and racketeering – harboring illegal aliens to depress the market wages for a hotel chain
  • Sex harassment and rape case at a retail company
  • Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower lawsuit for a restaurant and gaming complex
  • Lawsuit alleging Family and Medical Leave Act violations at an electronics manufacturer

Celeste routinely advises and consults with clients about human resource policies and procedures. She provides management training on various employment-related topics, from anti-harassment to union avoidance.  She also maintains an active traditional labor practice representing clients, both unionized and non-unionized, before the National Labor Relations Board. 

Celeste is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a graduate of the Leadership Arts Institute, a program of Business Council for the Arts.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Urban Armadillos

Member

The Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations

2013 - present

Member

Labor and Employment Law Section

State Bar of Texas

Member

Attorneys Serving the Community

Co-Chair

VIP Reception and Silent Auction

Attorneys Serving the Community

2011

Director and President

Fine Arts Chamber Players

2006-present

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2014-2024

Named, Super Lawyer

Texas

Super Lawyers

2014-2016

Named, Rising Star in Employment & Labor

Texas

Super Lawyers

2005, 2007-2008, 2011-2013

News, Analysis & Press

NLRB Expanding Employees' §7 Rights

Texas Lawyer

In-House Texas

June 3, 2013

Are Religious Quotes in Emails Too Far?

HospitalityLawyer.com

July 2012

Are Religious Quotes in Emails Too Far?

HotelNewsNow.com

June 27, 2012

Employers Should Keep a Close Eye on Obama's Recess Appointments to NLRB and EEOC

Firm Publication

April 27, 2010

Pending Legislation Could Impact Employers

Texas Lawyer

In-House Texas

August 3, 2009

EEOC Charges: Handling the Increase

Texas Lawyer

In-House Texas

May 11, 2009

Addressing the Employee Free Choice Act

Firm Publication

November 5, 2008

Wait Staff Tip Pooling Giving Rise to Lawsuits

Firm Publication

February 2007

Lessons Learned in the Wake of "A Day Without Immigrants"

Firm Publication

July 2006

U.S. Supreme Court Rules That Numerosity is Not a Jurisdictional Issue

Firm Publication

April 2006

Supreme Court Rejects Reverse Age Discrimination Claims

Firm Publication

July 2004

Employer Rights and Obligations under the FMLA

DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar

November 1998

The State of Employer Liability for Sexual Harassment Claims after Ellerth and Fagher

DRI - The Voice of the Defense Bar

Summer 1998

Books & Book Chapters

  • Counseling Employers Throughout the OSHA Investigation Process to Provide the Best Possible Opportunity to Avoid and Appeal Citations, Complying with the Occupational Safety and Health Act: Leading Lawyers on Navigating OSHA Investigations and Developing Successful Compliance Strategies (Inside the Minds), Thomson Reuters/Aspatore, author, 2012

Speaking Engagements

Hospitality Roundtable

August 28, 2020

Navigating the DOL's Proposed Regulations on Tip Pools and Dual Jobs in the Hospitality Industry

November 15, 2019

Nashville Regional Roundtable

Cornell Center for Innovative Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations

October 4, 2019

Tips on Tips: Keeping Up with Changes on Handling the Tip Credit, the 80/20 Rule and Service Charges

September 12, 2019

2019 Dallas Regional Employer Conference

Dallas, TX

July 18, 2019

Federal Contractor Roundtable

2019 Littler Executive Employer Conference, Phoenix, AZ

May 8, 2019

One Year After #MeToo: The Legal Fallout and What's To Come

Dallas, TX

March 19, 2019

Pay Equity Compliance: How to Advise Your C-Suite and Safeguard Your Company

Dallas Employer Conference

July 19, 2018

Bonus LAW Roundtable 1

National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 6, 2018

50 Legal Tips in 50 Minutes

National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 6, 2018

EEOC Update

National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 5, 2018

Labor Law Update: From Goal Line to Goal Line or 40-Yard Line to 40-Yard Line?

Sixth Annual Hotel and Lodging Legal Summit, Washington, D.C.

October 26, 2017

W-2 or 1099? Employee and Independent Contractor Issues – Views from the Government and the Private Sector

ABA Joint Committee on Employer Benefits

May 25, 2017

8th Annual Cornell University Executive Summit

11th Annual HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 29, 2017

You Know the Law – How Do You Put It on Paper?

11th Annual HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 28, 2017

50 Legal Tips in 50 Minutes

11th Annual HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 28, 2017

Employment Law Update

11th Annual HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 27, 2017

50 Legal Tips in 50 Minutes

10th Annual HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 15, 2016

Employment Law Update/New Supreme Court Cases

10th Annual HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, Las Vegas, NV

March 14, 2016

50 Legal Tips in 50 Minutes

9th Annual National Conference & Expo - HR in Hospitality, Las Vegas, NV

March 17, 2015

Mental and Chronic Health Issues – An Employer’s Responsibility?

9th Annual National Conference & Expo - HR in Hospitality, Las Vegas, NV

March 17, 2015

Labor & Employment Law Update: Key Issues Facing Business in 2015

Human Resource Section - Association of Law Firm Administrators, Dallas Chapter

January 27, 2015

Labor and employment law: a key issue facing business in 2015

Metroplex Technology Business Council, Richardson, TX

January 21, 2015

Labor and Employment Law Roundtable

Thirteenth Annual Labor & Employment Law Roundtable - Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, Ithaca, NY

September 7-8, 2014

Employment Law Update

Dallas, TX

May 20, 2014

50 Legal Tips in 50 Minutes

April 29, 2014

EEOC Update: Retaliation and What's New

April 28, 2014

50 Legal Tips in 50 Minutes

8th Annual National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo - Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, Las Vegas, NV

April 28-30, 2014

Sexual Harassment 2013 – What Must an Employer Do To Comply With Ellerth and Does Ellerth Matter Anymore?

Labor and Employment Law Roundtable, The Center for Hospitality Research - Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Ithaca, NY

May 6, 2013

Internal Investigations & HR Audits

5th Bi-Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference - Federal Bar Association, New Orleans, LA

May 3, 2013

The Hard Part of Recruitment Isn't the Search – Compliance in Hiring

7th Annual National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo - Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, Las Vegas, NV

March 11-13, 2013

Labor and Employment Law Roundtable

The Center for Hospitality Research - Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Ithaca, NY

May 2010-2012

Effectively Responding to Union Organizing and Influence

6th Annual National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo - Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, San Francisco, CA

February 27, 2012

Preparing for an Increase in Discrimination Charges

Association of Legal Administrators, Houston Chapter, Houston, TX

November 2011

Class Action – A Case Study of Ethical Dilemmas

Firm Presentation, Dallas, TX

June 2, 2011

HR Legal Experts Roundtable

5th Annual National HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo - Cornell Institute for Hospitality Labor and Employment Relations, Washington, D.C.

April 4-6, 2011

Ethical Issues in Social Networking

Firm Presentation, Dallas, TX

June 2010

The Obama Watch

Firm Presentation, Dallas, TX

June 2009

Employment Law in the Obama Administration

Bench Bar Conference - Austin Bar Association, Austin, TX

May 2009

Employment Law Update

Dallas Hotel Conference, Dallas, TX

November 2006-2007

Disabilities and Accommodations Under the ADA – New Developments

Employer-Side Employment Law Seminar - University of Houston Law Foundation, Dallas & Houston, TX

December 2003 and 2005

Education

  • J.D., Baylor University School of Law, 1996
  • B.A., Baylor University, 1995

Bar Admission

Texas

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas