Overview
Taylor Appling is a litigation associate in Foley & Lardner LLP’s Houston office and a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice Group and Energy Sector. She is also a member of the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Team. She regularly defends large and mid-sized companies in state and federal court, and she works directly with general counsel, executive-level management, and human resources (HR) professionals to ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations and to develop proactive tools for preventing employment-related litigation.
Taylor’s litigation experience includes defending and prosecuting claims of unfair competition, trade secret misappropriation, and restrictive covenants, as well as defending employers at trial and representing them in investigations by federal and state government agencies. Specifically, her experience includes:
- 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
Education
- Baylor Law School (J.D., 2014)
- University of Texas at Austin (B.B.A., 2010)
Professional Memberships
- Member, State Bar of Texas, Labor and Employment Section
- Member, Houston Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
- Member, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
Recognition
- Recognized, The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch (2021 – 2023)
- Recognized, Texas Rising Stars by Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters business, as published in Texas Super Lawyers Magazine (2022 – 2023)
- Board Certified, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Labor and Employment Law
Admissions
- Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit