Raquel has practiced in the areas of labor and employment and personal injury defense for over 20 years. She also provides counsel and advice to management on a full range of employment and labor law matters, including:
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Discrimination
• Wage and Hour Compliance
• Investigations
• Medical Leaves of Absence
• Non-Competition Agreements
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs
She presents employment and labor seminars and conducts human resource trainings upon request. She has handled complex removal issues involving Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and Labor in Management Relation Act (LMRA) preemption. Raquel has litigated cases in federal and state courts, and arbitration, and has appeared before federal and state administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Texas Workforce Commission, and the Department of Labor. She has obtained numerous positive results for clients in arbitration and court proceedings, including dismissals and summary judgements.
Her litigation experience includes in part:
• An 8-4 defense verdict as second chair in a four-week jury trial regarding a workers’ compensation discrimination/retaliation claim
• An arbitration award for the employer as first chair in a two-day arbitration involving claims of race and sex discrimination under Title VII
• Summary judgements in an American with Disabilities Act and intentional infliction of emotional distress case; a Title VII race discrimination and defamation case; a Title VII retaliation case; and a Title VII race discrimination and hostile environment case
• Dismissals of an age discrimination case and a national origin discrimination case
Selected Speaking Engagements
Workplace Investigations:
• 12th Annual San Antonio Human Resource Management Employment Law Conference, San Antonio, TX
• The Wage & Hour Update - Critical Developments in Federal and State Laws and Regulations 9th Annual Symposium - South Texas Human Resources, San Antonio, TX
• Controlling Employee Personal Behavior in the Age of Social Media & Personal Technology Employment Law Update - San Antonio Manufacturers Association, San Antonio, TX
• So You Are Thinking About Being an Employer in Texas - Visita De Empresarios A Houston State of Texas NAFTA Office-Mexico, Houston, TX
