With more than three decades of experience and the recipient of numerous honors by prominent publications and ranking agencies, Dennis Duffy concentrates exclusively on representing management in all aspects of labor and employment law matters.

Viewing prompt responsiveness and thorough preparation as the hallmarks of his practice, Dennis ensures that he is always available to provide salient approaches to clients’ workplace challenges.

Dennis provides strategic advice and advocates for clients in a variety of industries including energy, construction, technology, and financial services, representing them in Texas and other states throughout the country. In addition, he handles many executive employment issues, advising management and boards on legal issues related to hiring, contracts, and other employment issues involving high-level executives. He draws on a rich professional background that includes serving as general counsel and in roles in government and academia. In addition to his labor and employment law expertise, Dennis is a nationally recognized speaker and author in the area of evidentiary privileges and legal ethics.

Dennis constantly monitors the ever-changing employment law landscape to anticipate how to best apply new developments and cutting-edge strategies to his clients’ particular problems. He believes in frequent and effective communication and explains issues in plain English rather than legalese so clients thoroughly understand their options and any potential consequences. In the courtroom, Dennis crafts narratives that juries find both clear and compelling.

When defending clients in litigation, Dennis always takes their overall strategic goals into account in advising them about whether to fight or settle matters. He works diligently to help clients reduce the overall incidence of claims, assess the probability that any claims brought will be successful, and increase the likelihood that issues can be resolved efficiently, with the smallest amount of legal spend possible to get a favorable outcome.

Away from the Office

Dennis loves to spend time with his family and large, close-knit extended family. He is also a fan of biographies and a New York Times crossword puzzle addict.

Practice Areas

• Labor & Employment
• Litigation
• OSHA Defense

Credentials

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of California (1984)
• 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, Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California

Education

• University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1982
• Princeton University, B.A., 1979

Experience

• Obtained defense award in AAA arbitration proceeding in race harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wage claims case against a major hospitality company.
• Obtained TRO and permanent injunction in trade secrets claim on behalf of a leading custom building concern.
• Obtained summary judgment in a AAA arbitration proceeding in a gender harassment, discrimination, and retaliation case against a major energy services company.
• Obtained dismissal in federal court and on appeal of False Claims Act retaliation claims against a leading engineering and construction services company.
• Obtained summary judgment in state court in a workers’ compensation retaliation case against a leading engineering and construction company.
• Obtained summary judgment in federal court in disability, hostile work environment and retaliation case against a major multinational energy corporation.
• Defeated conditional certification in federal court of a company-wide Fair Labor Standards Act putative collective action against an energy services company, and obtained summary judgment in favor of the company on plaintiff’s individual claims.
• Obtained defense award in AAA arbitration proceeding in a Fair Labor Standards Act retaliation case against a leading financial services company.
• Obtained defense judgment in state court trial of breach of contract and fraud case by former executive against a leading power transmission, construction and services company.
• Obtained summary judgment in state court in workers’ compensation retaliation claims against a leading engineering and construction services company.
• Defeated conditional certification in federal court of a company-wide Fair Labor Standards Act putative collective action against a leading energy products and services company.
• Obtained summary judgment in state court in a race and gender discrimination claims against an energy and construction services staffing agency.
• Obtained summary judgment and dismissal in federal court of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims brought by multiple plaintiffs against a leading engineering services company.
• Obtained summary judgment in AAA arbitration in a race and gender harassment, discrimination and retaliation case against a leading financial services company.
• Obtained a unanimous jury verdict in state court for a major restaurant chain in an age discrimination hiring case.
• Obtained defense jury verdict in state court on age discrimination claim brought by former outside counsel claiming status as an employee for a leading seismic services company.

Presentations

• “Navigating the Legal Limits and Protections for Employee Speech,” Practising Law Institute Employment Law Institute (October 15, 2024)
• “Free Speech and the Unique Challenges Facing Government Employers When Trying to Protect First Amendment Rights,” National Employment Law Institute 2024 Public Sector EEO & Employment Law Update (August 13-15, 2024)
• "Ethics and Attorney-Client Privilege Issues," National Employment Law Institute Mid-Year Program (June 5, 2024)
• Presiding Officer, University of Texas Law CLE's 2024 Labor and Employment Law Conference (Austin, Texas -May 30, 2024)
• "Ethics and Professionalism Update Panel," National Employment Law Council Conference (Chicago, Illinois, May 3, 2024)
• "Conducting Lawful and Effective Internal Investigations and Harassment Update," National Employment Law Institute (St. Pete Beach, Florida March 27, 2024)
• “Ethics in Labor and Employment Law,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Briefing (St. Pete Beach, Florida – March 26, 2024)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Conference (New Orleans, December 2023)
• “Ethics and Privilege Panel,” ABA Labor and Employment Law Conference (Seattle, November 2023)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Conference (Chicago, November 2023)
• “Employee Free Speech” (Panel, Practicing Law Institute (New York, October 2023)
• “Privilege and Ethics Update,” ABA Trial Institute (Chicago, September 8, 2023)
• “Conducting Lawful and Effective Internal Investigations,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Conference Webinar (August 2023)
• “Ethics in Labor and Employment Law,” National Employment Law Institute Webinar (June 2023)
• “Privilege and Ethics Panel,” National Employment Law Council 2023 Conference (May 2023)
• "We've Been Sued. Now What? Strategy and Tactics for Defending High Profile Employment Disputes and Litigation," KRCL Labor & Employment Seminar - Employment Law Legal Developments, Trends and Challenges. (May 10, 2023)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Update for Labor and Employment Lawyers,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Briefing (South Beach, Florida, March 2023)
• “Year-End Ethics and Professionalism Teleconference,” National Employment Law Institute (November 2022)
• “Ethical and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Conference (Chicago, November 2022)
• “Ethical and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Conference (New Orleans, December 2022)
• “First Amendment Issues for Public and Private Employers,” (Panel) PLI Conference (New York, October 2022)
• “Legal Issues in Sexual Harassment and Internal Investigations in the ‘Me Too’ and ‘BLM’ Era,” National Employment Law Institute, Public Sector EEO and Employment Law Update (Remote– July 2022)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Mid-Year Teleconference (Remote June 1, 2022)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Issues,” National Employment Law Council (Remote April 28, 2022)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Employment Law Briefing (St. Pete Beach, Florida March 28, 2022)
• “Legal Issues in Sexual Harassment and Internal Investigations in the ‘Me Too’ and ‘BLM’ Era,” National Employment Law Institute, Public Sector EEO and Employment Law Update (Remote, July 2022)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Mid-Year Teleconference (Remote, June 1, 2022)
• “Ethics and Professionalism Update,” National Employment Law Institute Year-End Conference (Remote December 9, 2021)
• “Conducting Lawful and Effective Internal Investigations,” National Employment Law Institute Public Sector EEO and Employment Law Update – Webinar (August 25, 2021)

Publications

• Ethics and Professionalism Handbook for Labor and Employment Lawyers, 26th Ed. (2023)
• Media Mention, SHRM.org, "Should Earbuds Be Allowed in the Workplace?," May 12, 2023.
• Media Mention, Law60 Employment Authority, "4 Mistakes Employers Make When Handling Worker Activism," April 11, 2023.
• Media Mention, Bloomberg Law, "Uber Fighting That Would Nix #MeToo Nondisclosure Pacts," September 29, 2022.
• Law in the Workplace, “Fifth Circuit Declares Day-Rate Workers, even Those Earning over $200K/Year, Not Exempt—Unless the Employer Also Pays a Weekly Guaranteed Amount,” September 2021.
• Law in the Workplace, "Texas "Anti-Vaccination Passport" Law," June 2021.
• Law in the Workplace, "Tips for Conducting Effective Internal Investigations – Including "Zoom" Investigations – Part II," March 2021.
• Law in the Workplace, "Tips for Conducting Effective Internal Investigations —Including “Zoom” Investigations — Part I," February 2021.

Honors

• Board Certified, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Labor and Employment Law (1990)
• Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters (2008 - 2023)
• Best Lawyers in America©, U.S. News & World Report (2009 - Present)
• Ranked in Chambers USA Guide, Labor & Employment (2012-Present)
• Lawdragon 500: Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyer, 2020 - Present
• Chambers Global: Labor & Employment (USA), 2019 – 2021; Band 2, 2019 - 2021
• Chambers USA: Labor & Employment in Texas, 2011 – Present
• The Best Lawyers in America©, 2009 – Present
  – Texas: Employment Law – Management
  – Texas: Labor Law – Management
  – Texas: Litigation – Labor and Employment
• Texas Super Lawyers “Top 100”, 2019

Associations

• College of Labor and Employment Lawyers - Fellow
• National Employment Law Institute - Chair, Board of Directors

“My clients say they appreciate my responsiveness and my encyclopedic knowledge of labor and employment law. The breadth and depth of the insights I am able to give my clients on legal issues comes from a lot of hard work over 30-plus years of practice. Each morning I come into the office early to spend at least a couple of hours reading recent court opinions, agency updates, and other sources to keep myself up to date on current developments and to anticipate trends that may impact employers. Clients around the country know that if they have a difficult issue they can call me first and are quite likely to get the answer they need immediately.”

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