Christopher Howe Email & Phone Number

Christopher E. Howe has 20 years experience representing employers in state and federal trials (both jury and non-jury), in state and federal appellate courts, in labor and employment arbitration, and before administrative agencies such as the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board. A graduate of Yale University and The William & Mary Law School, Mr. Howe’s practice concentration in labor, employment and ERISA focuses on the representation of management and has included the following: defending discrimination, harassment, and retaliation lawsuits; defending claims brought under federal whistle-blower statutes; interpretation and enforcement of trade secret and non-compete agreements and obtaining temporary injunctions to stop the breach of contractual duties; preparation of employment agreements; employment benefit litigation under ERISA; representation in union organizational campaigns and defending unfair labor practice charges; negotiating collective bargaining agreements; and advocating management decisions in labor arbitration. Mr. Howe also represents management in administrative actions brought by the Department of Labor under wage and hour and whistle-blower laws, by OSHA under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and by the Texas Workforce Commission under the Texas Payday Act. He advises and counsels management in a wide variety of employment-related issues and in avoiding employment litigation. Mr. Howe and other attorneys in the Labor and Employment practice group frequently conduct in-house seminars on the foregoing issues for the benefit of employer clients.

Listed skills include Employment Law, Courts, Trials, Commercial Litigation, and 14 others.

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  Attorney

  Kelly Hart & Hallman Llp

  1995 - Present

  Lead counsel at trial and on appeal of significant covenant-not-to-compete case in which both the trial and appellate courts found enforceable our client's covenant-not-to-compete agreement. Rattikin Title Company v. O'Brien, 2006 WL 417237 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Feb. 23, 2006) (No. 2-05-238-CV), review dismissed w.o.j. (June 23, 2006)Lead counsel in significant labor arbitration case in which the trial and appellate courts overturned a flawed labor arbitrator's decision against our client. Int'l Union of Operating Eng'rs, Local 351 v. Cooper Natural Res., Inc., 163 F.3d 916 (5th Cir. 1999)Lead counsel in successfully defending clients at trial and arbitration, including whistleblower claims, retaliation claims, and labor agreement claimsLead counsel in obtaining successful jury verdict for our client against an entity for theft and deceptive trade practicesLead counsel at trial in successfully defending against a claim of whistleblower retaliation in a case brought under a federal whistleblower statuteLead counsel in jury trial successfully defending against claims of workers compensation retaliationLead counsel in jury trial that succeeded in obtaining full damages for our client against a service vendor who engaged in deceptive trade practicesSuccessfully obtained summary judgment in favor of a client against the claims of two employees discharged for inappropriate postings on social mediaHas successfully represented employers in matters before the National Labor Relations Board, including unfair labor practice proceedingsHas advised employers in union elections leading to votes against the unionExperience under both the National Labor Relations Act and Railway Labor Act