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We understand that the representation of employers requires unique expertise and appreciation of the complex network of laws relating to employees, former employees, and applicants for employment. The team of employment litigation specialists at Lorance & Thompson represents employers in administrative hearings, at trial in federal and state courts, and on appeal. Moreover, our services extend to assistance with proactive measures, including the preparation of employee handbooks, employment contracts, and confidentiality agreements. Our experienced attorneys help employers meet legal obligations in every employment area and comply with local, state, and federal employment laws including:
§ Wrongful discharge, retaliation and tort claims; § Employment discrimination and sexual harassment; § Employment contracts; § Employee benefits; § Privacy in the workplace; § Defamation claims; § The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other whistleblower protections; § The Americans with Disabilities Act; § The Family Medical Leave Act; § The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act; § Occupational Safety and Health Act; and § Special considerations relating to public sector employment.
Lorance & Thompson attorneys are routinely retained to handle matters, not just in the Houston/Southeast Texas area, but all over the state of Texas. We are regularly asked to litigate in such diverse locales as El Paso, Laredo, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and all along the Gulf Coast. Our attorneys practice in Texas state and federal district courts. We are further admitted to all Texas courts of appeal and the Texas Supreme Court, and federal appellate courts in the U.S. Fifth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court.
AREAS OF FIRM PRACTICE EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION. With the growth of employee lawsuits involving torts for various employer practices, this area has been a rapidly developing area of practice. Representative matters include sexual harassment, sexual discrimination cases, and administrative proceedings. TRANSPORTATION LITIGATION. We have long been involved in the representation of transportation companies, including bus and trucking companies, and their insurance carriers in matters ranging from minor collisions to catastrophic disasters involving commercial vehicles and the coverage issues which arise from such accidents. Additionally, we actively represent and defend other modes of transportation; such as intermodal, NVOCC, air, surface, rail, ocean small package and expedited. We also represent warehouse and third-party logistic companies. TRANSPORTATION CORPORATE. The firm has extensive experience in creating companies to perform in all modes of carriage and third-party logistics. Establishing new corporations, obtaining additional financing to expand existing services or buying transportation companies are all areas where the firm has experience. TRANSPORTATION INTERNATIONAL. Whether a client needs to begin operating in Mexico or Canada or anywhere in Central or South America, Europe or the Pacific Rim, our attorneys can be of assistance negotiating with the agency responsible for foreign investment or contracting with agents to interline your freight. The firm has particular expertise with cross-border transportation into Mexico and represents not only U.S. carriers, but also Mexican carriers. INSURANCE LITIGATION. The firm has long been established in handling various insurance matters such as contract coverage and interpretation; casualty and personal injury related litigation, both first party and otherwise, fraud and arson cases, and, workers' compensation cases. The firm has developed a specialty in "Bad Faith" litigation involving the handling of insureds' claims. COMMERCIAL/CORPORATE LITIGATION. The firm regularly represents business entities in a variety of business-to-business contract and tort disputes, involving local, and national and foreign clients on subjects including contracts, Deceptive Trade Practices, fraud, insurance, state and federal regulatory matters, and oil and gas industry issues. The firm also assists clients with pro-active counseling by drafting contracts, such as employment contracts, non-competition agreements or franchise agreements and assisting with the creation of employment manuals and policies and corporate compliance procedures. ENVIRONMENTAL/TOXIC TORT LITIGATION. The firm has expertise in this rapidly expanding specialty area. Representative litigation has involved significant property damage claims due to seepage from hazardous waste sites, silicosis cases, and personal injury claims resulting from exposure to toxic chemicals. DISASTER LITIGATION. The firm has developed an uncommon specialty through handling some very unusual and complex cases involving massive disasters. For example, such cases have involved the explosion and collapse of a salt dome, a chain of explosions at a large oil storage facility, and the explosion of a Titan Missile. MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LITIGATION. The firm has long been established in this field of practice, acting on behalf of all types of health care providers. Representative matters include the defense of cases against doctors, hospitals, emergency room practitioners, nurses, and dentists. The firm is also involved in the defense of products liability cases involving medical and pharmaceutical products. MANAGED CARE. With the revolution in healthcare in this country, the firm has rapidly developed expertise in all areas involving managed care. Recognizing this expertise, the Texas Medical Association has asked Larry Thompson, Senior Partner in the firm, to lecture physicians throughout Texas in 1997 on the liability of physicians and managed care organizations. LEGAL MALPRACTICE LITIGATION. Our firm has handled legal malpractice cases throughout South Texas. Representative matters include cases involving securities fraud, bad faith, real estate transactions, and maritime law. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY LITIGATION. As more non‑medical professionals are being sued, the firm has developed expertise in defending claims against architects, accountants, and engineers, insurance agents, and other licensed professionals. CIVIL APPELLATE. Another major area of recent growth has been representing new and existing clients on this rapidly expanding specialty area. Representative matters include appeals both on the State and Federal levels, on a wide variety of legal issues including employment medical and professional malpractice, insurance coverage, employment discrimination, premises liability, construction and commercial law.
EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEYS BRIAN T. COOLIDGE represents management in a wide variety of workplace claims including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, covenants not to compete, tortious interference and breach of contract. He has defended employers against claims alleging violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and various Employee Retirement Income Security Act matters. Brian received a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Science degree from the University of North Texas. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from South Texas College of Law, where he served as Assistant Managing Editor of the South Texas Law Review. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas. Memberships in the Houston Bar Association and State Bar of Texas. He is a former member of the College of the State Bar. Before joining Lorance & Thompson, he served as staff counsel for a major commercial-lines insurance carrier and as a senior associate with a private law firm, where he handled general civil litigation, employment law matters, trucking claims, and defense of governmental entities. RYAN HAND holds a Bachelor of Science in business from Eastern Illinois University and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Indiana University School of Law. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. District courts for the Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the American Bar Association. Lloyd S. VanOostenrijk began his legal career working as a paralegal and investigator with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. He later worked as a paralegal at the Houston District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). While working at the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and the EEOC, Lloyd gained a unique insight into how complaints of discrimination are investigated by both state and federal agencies and what factors those agencies consider when making a cause or no-cause determination. Lloyd served as an Articles Editor for the Houston Law Review. He was awarded the prestigious W. St. John Garwood scholarship and was elected to membership in the Order of the Barons and Order of the Coif. Since joining Lorance & Thompson, Lloyd has focused his practice on labor and employment law, while continuing to handle other transportation, commercial litigation, premises, debt collection, and insurance matters. His civil litigation work primarily involves defending major commercial and household goods motor carriers in all areas of litigation including, but not limited to, personal injury, cargo, collections and contract disputes. |
Lorance & Thompson has provided outstanding representation to clients faced with claims by their current and former employees dating back to when the firm was founded in 1971.