LITIGATION

Attorneys of the Firm have successfully represented educators and local governmental entities, public school districts, college districts, and other educational entities before administrative bodies including the Texas Workforce Commission, the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, the Department of Justice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Board of Patent and Trademark Office, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas State Board of Educator Certification, the University Interscholastic League, and the Texas Board of Nursing Examiners in investigatory and contested case proceedings.

Sara Leon has successfully litigated landmark cases involving civil rights, education and public law issues before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Texas, and the United States Supreme Court. She has won significant victories for her clients, defending against claims arising under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Chapter 21 of the Texas Labor Code, and Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code.

John Janssen is a litigator and began his legal career serving as a staff attorney for the Thirteenth Texas Court of Appeals. Upon entering private practice, he handled tort and business litigation in state and federal courts, including in issue areas such as premises liability, products liability, negligence, medical malpractice contracts, oil and gas receiverships, trade secrets, and fiduciary duty. John represented automobile finance companies, products manufacturers, oil exploration companies, banks, and small businesses. He has handled cases not only at the trial level and on appeal, but has also represented clients in mediations and binding arbitration. John served as outside counsel for Ford Motor Credit Company for several years, and served for several years on the State Bar of Texas Administration of the Rules of Evidence Committee. While in-house counsel for Corpus Christi ISD and responsible for a broad range of school law matters—such as employment, student discipline issues, procurement, and the First Amendment—John also represented the District in special education litigation and in litigation the District filed against a former employee for fraud and civil theft. Upon returning to private practice, John has continued his school law and litigation practice, and has represented school districts in the courtroom and in administrative proceedings across a variety of issue areas.

Miguel Huerta’s regulatory practice includes representation of clients in contested hearings and rulemaking proceedings before Texas state agencies and in judicial appeals of agency orders. Miguel has represented clients before regulatory agencies throughout the country and has participated in hearings before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”), Public Utility Commission of Texas (“PUC”), Railroad Commission of Texas, State Office of Administrative Hearings (“SOAH”) and has participated in proceedings at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (“ERCOT”).

Hans Graff has represented public school districts in over 300 special education due process hearings.

Michelle Alcala has helped clients efficiently resolve disputes involving all areas of employment law, contracts, real estate, construction, intellectual property, personal injury, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts, appeals, administrative proceedings, and in mediations and arbitrations.

REPRESENTATIVE LITIGATION