Christopher E. Howe

BIOGRAPHY

With over 30 years of experience in representing employers in various legal settings, Christopher E. Howe has built a strong foundation in labor, employment, and ERISA law. He has been involved in state and federal trials, both jury and non-jury, state and federal appellate courts, labor and employment arbitration, and administrative agencies such as the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board.

Mr. Howe, who holds degrees from Yale University and The William & Mary Law School, specializes in representing management. His expertise covers a wide range of labor and employment issues, including defending discrimination, harassment, and retaliation lawsuits, handling claims brought under federal whistle-blower statutes, interpreting and enforcing trade secret and non-compete agreements, and obtaining temporary injunctions to prevent the breach of contractual duties. He also assists with the preparation of employment agreements, represents management in employment benefit litigation under ERISA, defends unfair labor practice charges, negotiates collective bargaining agreements, and advocates for management decisions in labor arbitration.

Moreover, Mr. Howe handles administrative actions brought by the Department of Labor, OSHA, and the Texas Workforce Commission, respectively, under wage and hour, whistleblower, and Texas Payday Act laws. He advises and counsels management on various employment-related issues and helps them avoid employment litigation. As part of his practice, Mr. Howe and his colleagues in the Labor and Employment practice group frequently conduct in-house seminars on these issues to keep their clients informed.

EXPERIENCE AND HIGHLIGHTS

• Lead counsel at trial and on appeal of significant covenant-not-to-compete case in which both the trial and appellate courts found enforceable 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 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 claims
• Lead counsel in obtaining successful jury verdict for client against an entity for theft and deceptive trade practices
• Lead counsel at trial in successfully defending against a claim of whistleblower retaliation in a case brought under a federal whistleblower statute
• Lead counsel in jury trial successfully defending against claims of workers’ compensation retaliation
• Lead counsel in jury trial that succeeded in obtaining full damages for client against a service vendor who engaged in deceptive trade practices
• Successfully obtained summary judgment in favor of a client against the claims of two employees discharged for inappropriate postings on social media
• Has successfully represented employers in matters before the National Labor Relations Board, including unfair labor practice proceedings
• Has advised employers in union elections leading to votes against the union
• Experience under both the National Labor Relations Act and Railway Labor Act

AFFILIATIONS

• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Tarrant County Bar Association
• Fort Worth Academy, Board Member
• Guardian Services of Tarrant County, Texas, Board Advisor on Employment Law Issues
• Jesuit Volunteer Corp: South, Past Board Member
• Governor’s office, Assistant Director of Appointments, Past Board Member, 1991-1995
• The State Bar of Texas Standing Committee on Paralegals, Past Board Member and Vice-Chair

HONORS

• Top Attorney, 360 West magazine, 2017-2024
  • Labor & Employment Law
  • Worker’s Compensation

EDUCATION

• William and Mary Law School, J.D., 1986
• Yale University, B.A., 1980

ADMISSIONS

• State Bar of Texas, 1986
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

SPEECHES & PUBLICATIONS

• Speaker, “New Developments in Social Media Law”, Webinar, 2012
• Speaker, “The National Labor Relations Act – What the Non-Union Employer Needs to Know,” Labor and Employment Law Conference, Fort Worth, 2001
• Speaker, “Sexual and Other Forms of Harassment,” Labor and Employment Law Conference, Fort Worth, 2001