214-736-1347 phone / 214-265-7411 fax
Karen Fitzgerald
Karen Kohler Fitzgerald Dallas, Texas,
| phone | 214-265-9958 (Direct Dial) |
| fax | 214-265-7411 |
| Email Me | |
vCardKaren Fitzgerald is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Karen engages in a litigation practice with an emphasis on employment and commercial litigation. In her employment practice, Karen represents both employees and employers in regard to employment disputes of all types, including the following:
- discrimination claims
- retaliation
- overtime/wage and hour claims
- equal pay claims
- unpaid wages, bonuses and commissions
- severance agreements
- non-competition agreements
- non-disclosure agreements
- drafting of employment contracts
- Family & Medical Leave Act claims
Karen also is a Neutral on the American Arbitration Association's Employment Law panel. www.adr.org
In addition to employment matters, Karen's broad based commercial litigation and business dispute practice includes contract disputes, financial institution litigation, fraudulent and forged checks or negotiable instruments, insurance litigation, libel and slander claims, legal malpractice claims, and fidelity insurance litigation.
Karen was named as a Super Lawyer in the Texas Monthly Super Lawyer's Edition for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010. In 2004 and 2005, Karen also was featured as a Rising Star in the Texas Monthly Super Lawyer's Edition.
- Areas of Practice:
- Litigation
- Employment and Commercial Litigation and Disputes
- Discrimination Claims
- Overtime/Wage and Hour Claims
- Equal Pay Disputes
- Unpaid Wages, Bonuses and Commissions
- Severance Agreements
- Non-Competition Agreements
- Non-Disclosure Agreements
- Employment Contracts
- Contract Disputes
- Family & Medical Leave Act Litigation
- Financial Institution Litigation
- Fraudulent and Forged Checks or Negotiable Instruments
- Insurance Litigation
- Libel and Slander Claims
- Fidelity Insurance Litigation
- Bar Admissions:
- Texas, 1989
- 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
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- Education:
- The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
J.D.
Honors: Graduated with Honors - Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
B.A.
Major: Journalism
- Published Works:
- Salvage and Recovery Under the Commercial Crime Policy, Annotated Commercial Crime Policy (2d Ed), American Bar Associate, (Editors Cole S. Kain & Lana M. Glovach), 2006
- She Works Hard for the Money; Equal Pay Act of 1963 Update (Co-Author), HR Southwest Conference, October, 2004
- Check Fraud and the Fidelity Insurer (Co-Author), VII Fid. L. J., 2001
- Times May be Changing for Texas Employers (Co-Author), Texas Building Trends, March/April, 2001
- The Dow Has Gone Crazy: What is an Insurer To Do?, Fidelity Law Association Meeting, Boston, October, 1999
- Claims Asserted Against Insurance Professionals, Dallas Association of Insurance Women, April, 1999
- The Loan Exclusion: Allocating Business Risks to the Banker, American Bar Association, National Institute on Financial Institution Bonds, November, 1998
- Making the Case for Recovery Under the Financial Institution Bond, American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, January, 1998
- Wrongful Repossession and Personal Property Foreclosure: When Things Go Wrong, Advanced DTPA/Insurance/Consumer Law Course (Co-Author), State Bar of Texas, May, 1995
- The Loan Exclusion: The Predominant Risk Allocator (Co-Author), American Bar Association, National Institute on Financial Institution Bonds, 1995
- When is a Third Party Loss a Covered Claim? (Co-Author), American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, August, 1994
- Staying Out of the Courthouse: The Pros and Cons of Agreements to Arbitrate Employment Disputes, Personnel Law Update 1993, Council of Education Management, March, 1993
- Recoveries Chapter, First Supplement to the Commercial Blanket Bond Annotated (Co-Author), TIPS Commercial Blanket Bond Annotated, 1991
- Defending Insurers and Their Agents, Advanced DTPA - Consumer Law Course (Co-Author), State Bar of Texas, May, 1990
- Representative Cases:
- American Airlines Employees Federal Credit Union v. Martin, 29 S.W.3d 86 (Tex. 2000)
- Knights of Columbus Credit Union v. Stock, 814 S.W.2d 427 (Tex. App. -- Dallas 1991)
- FDIC v. Firemens Ins. Co. of Newark, New Jersey, 109 F.3d 1084 (5th Cir. 1997)
- FDIC v. U.S. Fire Insurance Co., 50 F.3d 1304 (5th Cir. 1995)
- Fidelity Bank National Association v. Aldrich, 998 F.Supp. 717 (N.D. Tex. 1997)
- Classes/Seminars Taught:
- Speaker, Co-Exist: Current Religious Discrimination Issues, Dallas Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section, 2008
- Panelist, Winning Strategies and Case Presentation in Employment Arbitrations---A Conversation with Arbitrators, Tarrant County Bar Association Employment Arbitration Program, 2008
- Co-Speaker, She Works Hard for the Money; Equal Pay Act of 1963 Update, North Texas Compensation Association, 2005
- Speaker, Check Fraud and the Fidelity Insurer, Fidelity Law Association 2001 Meeting, Baltimore, 2001
- Speaker, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Employment Law But Were Afraid to Ask, National Association of Women in Construction, Dallas Chapter, 2001
- Speaker, The Dow Has Gone Crazy: What is an Insurer To Do?, Fidelity Law Association Meeting, Boston, 1999
- Speaker, Claims Asserted Against Insurance Professionals, Dallas Association of Insurance Women, 1999
- Speaker, The Loan Exclusion: Allocating Business Risks to the Banker, American Bar Association, National Institute on Financial Institution Bonds, 1998
- Speaker, Making the Case for Recovery Under the Financial Institution Bond, American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee Mid-Winter Meeting, 1998
- Co-Speaker, When is a Third Party Loss a Covered Claim?, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, 1994
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Dallas Bar Association
- Member
- American Bar Association
- Member
- State Bar of Texas
- Member
- American Arbitration Association
- Employment Law Panel
