Overview

Katherine (Kit) Flanagan handles all areas of employment law for employers, including matters involving:

  • Claims of sex, age, national origin, race, disability and pregnancy discrimination and harassment
  • Retaliation and whistleblower claims
  • Wrongful termination claims
  • Other employment-related litigation
  • Drug and alcohol testing
  • Employment policies and handbooks
  • Counsel and advice regarding employee investigations and employment contracts

Kit's practice focuses primarily on employment litigation in federal and state courts; arbitrations with the American Arbitration Association, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and private arbitrators; and administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Texas Workforce Commission and other state and local human rights agencies. She has specific experience with:

  • Title VII
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act
  • The Family and Medical Leave Act
  • The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
  • The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
  • Section 1981
  • Sarbanes-Oxley
  • The Texas Commission on Human Rights Act
  • Texas tort, breach of contract and other laws

Kit also regularly provides counseling and advice to employers regarding employment matters and is a frequent speaker and trainer on a range of employment law topics. Her clients include:

  • Manufacturers
  • Construction contractors
  • Retailers
  • Staffing services
  • Securities firms
  • Healthcare providers
  • Businesses related to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries

Kit is a member of the Shareholder Compensation Committee, and has served on Littler’s Board of Directors. She also previously served as a member of the firm's Associates Committee and as the Office Managing Shareholder of Littler’s Houston office.

Prior to joining Littler, Kit practiced employment law and general litigation in Raleigh, North Carolina. In law school, she was on the executive committee of the Moot Court Board and was staff editor of the journal, Law and Contemporary Problems.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Labor and Employment Law Section

State Bar of Texas

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2013-2024

Named, Lawyer of the Year

Houston

The Best Lawyers in America©

2024

Named, Super Lawyer

Texas

Super Lawyers

2005, 2008-2020

Named, Rising Star

Super Lawyers

2004

Speaking Engagements

2022 Houston Regional Employer Conference

Houston, TX

October 6, 2022

2021 Houston Employer Conference

Houston, TX

October 26, 2021

Wage and Hour Mistakes Employers Still Make (and Some New Challenges)

2018 Houston Employer Conference

August 8, 2018

Whistleblowers and Retaliation: Avoiding These Claims

2017 Littler Houston Employer Conference

August 10, 2017

Conducting Lawful Investigations

The 2013 Houston Employer Conference

Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX

August 22, 2013

Current Developments in Employment Law

American Association of Port Authorities, San Francisco, CA

April 14, 2011

Anatomy of a Pay Discrimination Lawsuit

American Petroleum Labor Lawyers Association, Houston, TX

September 2009

How Do You Spell Retaliation? A Look at the Ever Expanding World of Retaliation Claims

The 2009 Houston Employer

Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX

August 11, 2009

Retaliation Claims in Federal and State Courts

Advanced Employment Law Seminar - University of Houston, Houston, TX

December 4, 2008

Why Can’t We Fire That Complaining So & So? – A Retaliation Update

The 2008 Houston Area Employer

Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX

August 7, 2008

Harassment – Sexual and Otherwise

Advanced Employment Law Seminar - University of Houston, Houston, TX

November 29, 2007

Wage & Hour Laws: Pitfalls & Traps

Associated General Contractors of America, Inc. (AGC), Houston Chapter

January 2007

Harassment, Sexual and Otherwise

Advanced Employment Law Seminar - University of Houston, Houston, TX

November 30, 2006

Sexual Harassment – Avoiding, Investigating, and Defending Claims

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

December 15, 2005

Employment Law Update

October 20, 2005

Education

  • J.D., Duke University, 1990With Honors
  • B.A., George Washington University, 1987magna cum laude

Bar Admission

Texas
North Carolina

Courts

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