Leslie Selig Byrd
Partner
Janet Willson
210.299.3446
Leslie Selig Byrd has almost 30 years experience exclusively representing employers in labor and employment issues and controversies.
Ms. Byrd represents national and local clients before state and federal agencies. She has been involved in hundreds of administrative investigations, as well as administrative proceedings before the NLRB and the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and OSHA.
Ms. Byrd is uniquely qualified in wage and hour matters under the FLSA. In addition to her office and administrative practice, she has represented employers in a growing number of complex FLSA collective actions involving misclassification, deduction/salary status and hours of work issues in federal court as well as arbitration. Mrs. Byrd represents Texas employers in state payday claims, and has also represented California employers before the Industrial Welfare Commission involving its Wage Orders. She routinely performs detailed wage and hour audits and provides proactive advice for minimizing potential liability.
Ms. Byrd's experience includes affirmative action compliance with Executive Order 11246 and related federal statutes. In her national practice, she has handled complex jurisdictional, hiring and other issues before the Office of Administrative Law Judges and the Appeal Review Board. Ms. Byrd and Bracewell's compliance and audit team also guide affirmative action employers through OFCCP compliance reviews and provide federal contractors with innovative compliance and risk adverse strategies. Ms. Byrd's OFCCP practice includes both construction and general service and supply contractors and also involves affirmative action training for managers; preparation of affirmative action plans, pre-review "mock" compliance audits with a focus on outreach efforts, compensation and hiring statistical analyses and pre-enforcement negotiations.
In NLRB related matters, Ms. Byrd represents employers in collective bargaining agreements negotiations, unfair labor practices, grievances and arbitrations. Ms. Byrd has experience in effectively guiding employers through organizational campaigns, elections and post-election proceedings.
Ms. Byrd's office practice includes counseling and advising managers and executives in creative, preventative measures, and she has been very successful over the years in guiding employers to avoid potential litigation. She frequently advises on preparation of legally compliant policies, wage and hour practices, union avoidance; harassment investigations and counseling and termination. She provides training to managers on all employment laws, union avoidance, affirmative action and wage and hour compliance, always with a focus on the importance of respect and dignity of the individual.
While focusing her practice on administrative matters, Ms. Byrd has participated in a variety of federal and state motion practice and litigation involving Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Texas Commission on Human Rights (TCHR), and Chapter 451 of the Texas Labor Code.
Ms. Byrd is a frequent speaker and has published papers on a variety of labor and employment issues. She is also is a qualified mediator and limits her work as a mediator to labor and employment litigation.
Ms. Byrd regularly represents clients before administrative agencies and the U.S. Department of Labor. She has been involved in hundreds of administrative investigations and audits with the U.S. Department of Labor involving wage and affirmative action program compliance.
Education
J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, 1979
B.A., magna cum laude, Tulane University, 1977
Bar Admissions
Texas
Court Admissions
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 5th and 11th Circuits
U.S. District Court for the Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas
Certifications
Labor and Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Affiliations
Federal Bar Association
San Antonio Bar Association
San Antonio and Federal Attorney Mediation Association
Noteworthy
Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment Law, 2008-2011
San Antonio Best Lawyers
Ms. Byrd serves on a number of non-profit, community Boards and provides pro bono services to a variety of non-profit organizations addressing the educational, medical and social concerns of children in poverty and the needs of the terminally ill. Ms Byrd is the immediate Past President of Temple Beth-El.