Taylor Appling
Senior Counsel
Taylor Appling is a trial lawyer and senior counsel in the firm’s Houston office and a member of both the Labor & Employment and the Commercial Litigation Practice Groups. She litigates trade secret, noncompete, unfair competition, and employment claims. Taylor is also a member of the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Team and the Energy & Infrastructure Sector.
In addition to regularly defending large and mid-sized companies in state and federal court, Taylor works directly with general counsel, executive-level management, and human resources professionals to ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations and develop proactive tools for preventing employment-related litigation.
Representative Experience
- Defending companies and their employees at jury trial and expedited injunction hearings based on claims of trade secret misappropriation, covenants not to compete, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and tortious interference with business relations.
- Jury trials also include defending employers against retaliation and interference claims under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), disability discrimination and retaliation claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and sex discrimination claims under Title VII.
- Defending claims of unlawful discrimination, pay disparity, hostile work environment, and retaliation under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and equivalent state laws and regulations.
- Drafting executive employment agreements, severance and release agreements, covenants not to compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements, staffing contracts, independent contractor agreements, and arbitration provisions.
- Counseling and defending employers against federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations, whistleblower complaints, and wage and hour disputes.
- Conducting training sessions for management, HR, and hourly employees on topics related to ADA, FMLA, reasonable accommodation procedures, lawful hiring and promotions practices, discrimination, and harassment.
- Creating, reviewing, and updating employment policies and practices to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Taylor Appling’s trial experience includes multiple civil jury trials in federal and state courts as well as evidentiary hearings prosecuting and defending claims for expedited emergency injunctive relief. Though her typical cases are made up of employment and unfair competition disputes, her trial experience also includes real estate and attorneys’ fees disputes. One of her most recent jury trials resulted in a complete defense verdict in favor of a major, global employer faced with claims of discrimination and retaliation, and another recent jury trial involved multimillion-dollar trade secret misappropriation claims with more than fifteen parties. Taylor has handled numerous contentious discovery disputes attendant to these cases, including ESI protocols for both discovery and remediation of electronic devices and accounts. She has also succeeded on post-trial equitable hearings and appeals arising from these cases, including issues of first impression. Taylor is a proven, experienced trial attorney, demonstrating success in complex civil jury trials, evidentiary hearings, and post-trial proceedings, including achieving complete defense verdicts in high-stakes cases.
Representative Experience
- Defending companies and their employees at jury trial and expedited injunction hearings based on claims of trade secret misappropriation, covenants not to compete, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and tortious interference with business relations.
- Defending claims of unlawful discrimination, pay disparity, hostile work environment, and retaliation under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and equivalent state laws and regulations.
- Drafting executive employment agreements, severance and release agreements, covenants not to compete, non-solicitation and confidentiality agreements, staffing contracts, independent contractor agreements, and arbitration provisions.
- Counseling and defending employers against federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations, whistleblower complaints, and wage and hour disputes.
- Conducting training sessions for management, HR, and hourly employees on topics related to ADA, FMLA, reasonable accommodation procedures, lawful hiring and promotions practices, discrimination, and harassment.
- Creating, reviewing, and updating employment policies and practices to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Awards and Recognition
- The Best Lawyers in America© Ones to Watch (2021-2024)
- Super Lawyers Texas Rising Stars (2022-2023)
Affiliations
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization (2019-Present)
- Member of the Houston Bar Association
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
- Labor and Employment Section
- Member of the Houston Association of Women Attorneys
- Member of the Houston Young Lawyers Association
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