Bio

For over 16 years, Jessica has shepherded businesses through their employment needs. Before joining FisherBroyles, Jessica practiced at Littler Mendelson, PC, the largest Labor & Employment firm in the U.S. Jessica litigates all types of employment matters in state and federal courts, arbitration tribunals, and administrative proceedings before the EEOC, U.S. Department of Labor, and state agencies, including discrimination and retaliation, worker’s compensation, trade secrets, non-competes, and wage & hour disputes. Jessica is an expert in non-compete and trade secret matters, with a nation-wide practice in both drafting policies and litigating disputes. She knows the nuances of each state, and loves walking clients through the thorny paths to protect their confidential business information. Jessica drafts and advises clients about human resource policies and procedures, including the current hot-button issues of discrimination, harassment #metoo, paid sick leave, and PTO. A large portion of Jessica’s clients are in California, and she is regularly in California courts defending employee’s claims. When it’s all on the table, Jessica produces results. She loves developing a clean, simple strategy to get the client’s desired results, whether that be a cease and desist letter to enforce a non-compete or full-blown trial strategy. In 2013, she secured a jury verdict in favor of an international manufacturing company accused of race discrimination in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The Fifth Circuit upheld the verdict. In 2010, she won a $2.4 Million jury verdict in Dallas County for a small business owner who spent his life savings buying a business, where the seller cooked the books and immediately set up a competing business. And she regularly fights for clients in injunction hearings when an employee departs and there is an issue of taking protected business information. Jessica understands one size does not fit all – depending on the size of the business or industry, clients’ targets vary. She works closely with clients to create a plan that works to achieve their desired result. She navigates all aspects of employment law, including payroll deductions, garnishments, discrimination, harassment, disability accommoda­tions, leave, hiring, firing, discipline, job descriptions, wage & hours issues, and exemption classification to find the right solution for each client. She recently spoke on the pitfalls of the FMLA/ ADA, which is one of the most difficult issues for businesses to navigate while maintaining their productivity. During law school, Jessica had the honor of serving as the late Federal Chief Judge Jerry Buchmeyer’s legal extern. Immediately following law school, Jessica clerked for the Texas Court of Appeals—Texarkana, learning invaluable appellate skills. Jessica has argued in Texas Court of Appeals, and overturned several district court judgments related to arbitration and appeared in the Texas and California Supreme Courts, as well as the 5th, 7th, 9th, and 10th Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals. She is versed in special appearance and other interlocutory appeal issues, as well as appeals of final judgments. Jessica has assisted clients in healthcare, manufacturing, technology, retail, and restaurant industries. In addition, she has also represented music artists and drafted and negotiated recording, publishing, producer and licensing agreements with Universal Records, Warner Chappell, EMI, Hasbro, and MTV. In 2005, she was selected as a member of the Dallas Young Lawyers Association Leadership Class. Jessica was one of the co-organizers of the Leadership Class’s project The Big Easy in Big D, a charity concert benefitting Dallas ISD schools that absorbed students following Hurricane Katrina. Jessica co-founded and developed a premium denim line in 2006. She comes from a family of small business owners. Jessica will take the time to understand your business, as if it were her own. Jessica served on the Board of Family Gateway; she is the former Pro Bono Coordinator for Littler Mendelson’s Dallas office. And working with Texas Lawyers for Children, she served as a pro bono attorney ad litem for a foster child. She lives in Dallas with two daughters, Beau the Frenchie, and Pumpkin Pie the pug.