Ashlee C. Grant

Employment

Labor

Ashlee Grant is board-certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. Her practice encompasses both litigation and day-to-day employment counseling. She defends employers in litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings involving discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour, restrictive covenants, and other complex workplace disputes. Ashlee also has substantial appellate experience, representing employers before state and federal appellate courts in complex employment matters involving discrimination, wage and hour, arbitration, and restrictive covenant issues.

In addition to litigation, Ashlee serves as trusted employment counsel, advising clients on day-to-day workplace issues, including hiring and termination decisions, disability accommodations, employee leave, wage and hour compliance, workplace investigations, and the drafting and negotiation of executive employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, separation and severance agreements, and employee handbooks and workplace policies.

Known for her practical, strategic, and responsive approach, Ashlee partners closely with employers to deliver business-focused guidance that minimizes legal risk, supports positive workplace culture, and helps prevent costly disputes before they arise. When litigation is unavoidable, she is a strong advocate who vigorously defends her clients while remaining focused on practical, business-driven outcomes.

Federal Bar Association, Southern District of Texas Chapter, Chapter President, 2022

Texas Bar Foundation Fellow

Houston Bar Association, Employment Law Section Board Member

Employment Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Litigation

- Successfully defended a national staffing company against disability discrimination and failure-to-accommodate claims under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act in Texas state court, defeating all claims on summary judgment. The judgment was affirmed on appeal.

- Prevailed on summary judgement of Title VII and Section 1981 claims of discrimination and hostile work environment and FMLA retaliation brought against global energy technology company on summary judgment.

- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of an internationally recognized art museum against Title VII and Section 1981 race and national origin discrimination claims involving allegations of disparate treatment, retaliation, discriminatory discipline, compensation, performance evaluations, and promotional opportunities.

- Represented an international travel technology company in defending age discrimination claims under the ADEA and Texas law alleging age-biased comments by the company's CEO influenced the termination of a long-term employee.

- Obtained dismissal in federal court and on appeal of False Claims Act retaliation claims against a leading engineering and construction services company.

- Defended an international energy services company in two successive federal employment lawsuits brought by the same plaintiff alleging race discrimination and retaliatory refusal to rehire under Title VII and Louisiana employment law. Secured summary judgment dismissing all claims with prejudice in both cases.

- Represented a regional television broadcaster in defending Title VII claims alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation, as well as breach of contract claims arising from the termination of an on-air news anchor under an executive employment agreement.

- Defended a Hispanic-owned provider of home and community-based healthcare services in Texas state court against claims of reverse race discrimination and retaliation under the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act arising from the termination of a Caucasian licensed vocational nurse.

- Represented a Fortune 500 engineering and construction company in federal court against Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation claims arising from allegations of suspected accounting and billing fraud in connection with an international joint venture.

Wage and Hour Litigation & Investigations

- Served as lead counsel for a national staffing company in multiple district court and appellate proceedings before the Fifth and Sixth Circuits involving precedent-setting Fair Labor Standards Act issues concerning the salary-basis test, the validity and interpretation of the Department of Labor's white-collar exemption regulations, and compensation practices with nationwide implications for the staffing industry, including presenting oral argument before the Sixth Circuit.

- Successfully intervened on behalf of an energy workforce solutions company in district court and on appeal before the Fifth Circuit to enforce an arbitration agreement and class and collective action waiver after a worker sought to avoid arbitration by filing a Fair Labor Standards Act independent contractor misclassification action against the company's customer.

- Represented a global staffing and workforce solutions company in district court and Fifth Circuit litigation involving complex Fair Labor Standards Act issues concerning the salary-basis test for highly compensated employees and employer good-faith reliance on Department of Labor guidance and advice of counsel.

- Successfully defended a federal contractor against Fair Labor Standards Act wage claims, obtaining dismissal with prejudice at the Rule 12(b)(6) stage based on the statute of limitations.

- Defeated conditional certification in federal court of a company-wide Fair Labor Standards Act putative collective action against a leading energy products and services company.

- Defended national staffing agency against FLSA collective action alleging the improper calculation of employees' regular rates of pay by excluding shift differentials from overtime calculations.

- Obtained partial summary judgment in arbitration proceedings against oilfield services provider for claims of unpaid overtime stemming from off-the-clock work and on-call time.

- Represented a multi-entity restaurant group in a wage and hour lawsuit asserting claims under the FLSA and Texas common law involving allegations of unpaid overtime, off-the-clock work, joint employer and successor liability, and claims for breach of contract, quantum meruit, promissory estoppel, and money had and received.

- Represented a home healthcare provider in a U.S. Department of Labor wage-and-hour investigation, successfully limiting the employer's liability to a nominal back wage payment.

- Represented staffing and workforce solutions company in a putative New Mexico wage and hour class action alleging a uniform "straight time for overtime" compensation policy in violation of the New Mexico Minimum Wage Act.

Trade Secrets, Restrictive Covenants & Unfair Competition

- Represented a national third-party logistics company in a high-stakes trade secrets and restrictive covenant dispute against multiple former employees and a competitor that proceeded through expedited preliminary injunction proceedings and appeal before the Seventh Circuit.

- Successfully obtained a temporary restraining order and agreed preliminary injunction on behalf of an underground storage engineering company in parallel federal trade secret and unfair competition litigation arising from the coordinated departure of former employees to form a competing business.

- Obtained a temporary restraining order on behalf of a Texas home healthcare provider against a former employee and competitor in a trade secrets and unfair competition dispute involving the alleged misappropriation of confidential client information, unlawful solicitation of Medicaid clients, and tortious interference with business relationships.

- Represented a national legal education company in coordinated multi-state injunction proceedings to enforce restrictive covenant obligations and protect confidential business information against former employees and a competitor, obtaining temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctive relief.

Other Litigation and Investigation Experience

- Second-chaired state court trial and obtained defense judgment in favor of leading power transmission, construction and services company against claims of breach of contract and fraud case by former executive.

- Served as second chair in an AAA arbitration defending a leading financial services company against a Fair Labor Standards Act retaliation claim, obtaining a complete defense award in which the claimant was ordered to take nothing.

- Second-chaired a labor arbitration involving a union grievance of employee termination, resulting in an award in favor of the employer and a dismissal of the union grievance.

- Represented a global staffing and workforce solutions company in a post-acquisition executive compensation dispute involving claims of fraudulent inducement, fraud, and breach of contract concerning retention bonus and severance agreements, resulting in the dismissal of the plaintiff's fraud claims.

- Defended multinational talent and recruitment agency against OSHA charge of retaliation and obtained a complete dismissal of the complaint.

- Participated in the defense of a natural gas midstream company in arbitration regarding compliance with safety regulations for gas-gathering pipelines and processing plants.