Felicity A. Fowler has more than 27 years of experience representing employers in all facets of employment law, including litigation, arbitrations, injunctive relief, administrative proceedings, counseling and trainings throughout the United States.

She has been certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1998 as a specialist in the field of Labor and Employment Law, and chaired a multitude of lawsuits on behalf of employers in state and federal courts (including class and FLSA collective actions), arbitrations, and agency proceedings at the EEOC, DOL, OFCCP and TWC, among others. Felicity also regularly works with clients on complex employment matters such as wage and hour (FLSA and state law equivalents), discrimination and harassment (Title VII, Section 1981), retaliation, leaves of absence (ADA, FMLA), employee terminations, accommodations (ADA – both Title I & Title III), affirmative action plans (AAP), pay equity, trade secrets, non-competition and non-solicitation covenants, whistleblowers and reorganizations/reductions in force (WARN Act). Additionally, Felicity often conducts complex, sensitive and significant investigations on behalf of her clients. Felicity is also a frequent lecturer on numerous employment law topics, including FMLA, ADA, FLSA, harassment, diversity, conducting investigations and social media.

After graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Industrial and Labor Relations, Felicity earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center where she also focused on employment/labor law.  Throughout Felicity’s career, she has received numerous awards including Best Employment Lawyer in Texas, Top 50 Women Lawyers in Houston (2017, 2019), Top 15 Women in Business in Houston, Super Lawyers Top Women Attorneys in Texas (2020), Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star (2019), and a Most Powerful and Influential Woman of Texas. She has been selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, in Employment and Labor, for the years 2003-2004, 2007-2019.

Honors and Awards

• Selected as the Exclusive Featured Attorney for Houston Premier Employment Lawyers (2020)
• Recognized among Top Women Attorneys in Texas 2020 – Super Lawyers
• Recognized by The National Diversity Council as one of Houston’s Top 15 Women in Business (2016); Top 50 Women Lawyers – Houston (2017, 2019)
• Recognized as a Benchmark Litigation Labor & Employment Star (2019)
• Selected as a 2013 Most Powerful and Influential Woman of Texas by the National Diversity Council (2013)
• Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, in Employment and Labor (2003-2004, 2007-2019)
• Recognized among the Top 50 Women Super Lawyers in Texas and Top 100 Houston Super Lawyers (2010-2011)

McGinnis Lochridge

Managing your workforce is a complex and ever-changing challenge, and our Employment Law Practice Group can guide you through it all. McGinnis Lochridge lawyers provide legal representation and counsel to employers of all sizes, both private and public. We help employers manage and avoid risks by providing current information on changes to federal and state employment laws, as well as practical guidance on compliance.

Our Employment Law Practice Group has extensive experience across the full spectrum of employment laws and issues including:

• Federal and state discrimination laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Amendments Act,  Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and Texas Commission on Human Rights Act.
• Wrongful termination, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other common law claims.
• Classification of workers as employees or independent contractors under federal and state laws.
• Exempt and non-exempt employee classification, and overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
• The Texas Labor Code, Chapter 61 (commonly known as the Texas Payday Act) and the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act.
• Terminations and nonrenewals under Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code.
• Laws pertaining to leave policies, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• Employment contracts, non-disclosure/non-competition/non-solicitation agreements, severance and separation agreements.
• Performance evaluations and disciplinary matters.
• Compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
• Compliance with Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requirements and those of other laws pertaining to plant closings and reductions-in-force.
• Drafting and review of employee handbooks and policies.
• Counseling on employee privacy rights, background checks, drug testing and social media policies.
• Employee theft investigations and litigation.
• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) matters.
• Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, workers compensation retaliation, and workers compensation nonsubscriber plans and options.
• Whistleblower actions.

In addition, our Employee Benefits Practice Group offers expertise in compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), COBRA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).