Overview
Cristina Portela Solomon is an experienced labor and employment law attorney whom clients hire for her sound business and legal judgment informed by more than 35 years representing management in most industries, with an emphasis on energy and financial institutions.
Cristina counsels clients on how best to manage risk and negotiate cost-effective business solutions by effectively managing their workforce while complying with the numerous and complex employment laws governing the employment relationship. Boards of directors rely on her to conduct high-level investigations and advise on business issues of high importance to the company. Cristina is particularly knowledgeable about and conducts investigations involving sexual harassment, theft of trade secrets, and virtually any type of workplace misconduct. Fluent in Spanish, she represents an array of Latin American clients in these types of investigations, and counsels companies seeking to do business in the United States.
Clients value Cristina’s practical legal advice, which focuses on avoiding the uncertainties of litigation. Her comprehensive services include drafting employment, noncompete, and confidentiality agreements, employee handbooks and related documents in a manner geared toward protecting employers from employee claims. When litigation becomes necessary, Cristina is known for developing creative strategies and assembling teams that bring about successful results and/or early resolution. She is a “go to” for bet-the-company cases in the trade secrets area, as well as multi-claimant gender discrimination cases. Her advocacy skills inspire clients to entrust her with their most important cases. Given her experience, Cristina also is hired to handle appeals of employment cases, for which she collaborates with the firm’s appellate lawyers to obtain successful results or negotiate favorable resolutions.
Professional Affiliations
- Association of Women Attorneys
- Member, board of directors: immediate past president (2017-2018), secretary (2014-2015)
- President (2016-2017)
- Chair and foundation trustee (2014-2017)
- Member, Women’s Premier Luncheon Nominating Committee (2014-2015)
- Member, Women’s Premier Luncheon Committee (2016-2017)
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation (elected 2017)
- Member, State Bar of Texas
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, Houston Bar Association
- Member, Hispanic Bar Association
- Member, Texas Women Lawyers (2017-2018)
- Member, Latina Lawyers Network (2015-present)
- Member, Garland R. Walker American Inn of Court (2013)
- Member, Pan American Roundtable (Texas)
- Member, Foley Women’s Network (2009-present)
- Volunteer, Law Day (2013-2018)
Community Involvement
- Member, Woodlands Chamber of Commerce
- Member, Planning Committee, Employment Law Seminar (2013-2014, 2017-2018)
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America® - Litigation - Labor and Employment (2018-2024)
- Texas Executive Women’s Women on the Move®(2017)
- Peer review rated as AV Preeminent®, the highest performance rating in the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ system
- Texas Super Lawyers® - Employment Litigation: Defense (2006, 2017-2022)
- H Texas Magazine’s Houston’s Top Lawyers (2008-2009, 2015)
- H Texas Magazine’s Houston’s Top Labor and Employment Lawyers (2005-2009)
- Co-managing shareholder (managed more than 100 attorneys in former firm’s Houston office) (2001-2002)
Education
- University of Notre Dame Law School (J.D., 1984)
- Loyola University Chicago (B.A., cum laude, 1981)
Admissions
- Texas (1984)
- Texas State Courts (1984)
- U.S. District Court
- Eastern District of Texas
- Northern District of Texas
- Southern District of Texas
- Western District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Languages Spoken
- Spanish