Ann Marie Painter

Seasoned employment attorney Ann Marie Painter focuses her practice on litigation, internal investigations and employment counseling. Ann Marie defends employers against the full range of individual, collective and class action complaints, including alleged employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage-and-hour violations and American Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation issues. Ann Marie frequently represents employers seeking to enforce or defend noncompete agreements and protect against trade secret theft. She routinely works with computer forensic specialists to establish data recovery and preservation protocols and to investigate claims of trade secret theft or other violations. In addition to litigating, she leads high-profile internal investigations for employers across the country related to workplace harassment and discrimination allegations and established a multidisciplinary working group within the firm to help employers address issues associated with such investigations.

When helping employers reduce their litigation vulnerabilities, Ann Marie provides day-to-day strategic counsel on executive and employment agreements, social media policies and use and employment-focused policies supportive of successful corporate transitions and restructurings. She regularly protects clients' interests before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state workforce agencies, including the Texas Commission on Human Rights. Ann Marie represents employers in a wide range of industries, including high tech, defense contracting, manufacturing, hospitality, retail and finance.

Recognized repeatedly as a leading lawyer by D Magazine and ranked for several years by Chambers USA, Ann Marie is a frequent speaker and contributing author to various employment CLE programs and publications. Ann Marie has been a frequent speaker and media commentator on the #MeToo movement and related issues. She has co-chaired several committees of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation, including the Employment and Labor Relations Committee, and maintains an active profile in key professional and industry associations.