Stephen E. Irving

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Stephen E. Irving

Co-Vice Chair - Labor & Employment Practice

Senior Counsel

Houston, TX

P +1 713.568.1500

F +1 713.568.1490

P 713.568.1500

F 713.568.1490

Biography Practice Areas Highlights

“Coaches say the best offense is a good defense. I have found that the best courtroom strategy in employment matters is to have well drafted, legally-sufficient employment policies executed and implemented by expertly-trained managers.”

Bio

Stephen regularly works with clients facing government investigations, including OSHA, MSHA, EEOC, and the Wage-Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. Stephen is also experienced in employment immigration matters such as temporary/non-immigrant worker visas and visas for employment-based lawful permanent residents (LPRs).

Stephen is an experienced advisor across the spectrum of employment law, training HR and management personnel in a variety of employment law topics, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Americans with Disabilities Act; Family and Medical Leave Act, sex, age, national origin, and race discrimination; sexual harassment; racial and other harassment; employee discipline and performance evaluation; HIPAA/private health information; wage and hour law; and other related matters.

Stephen’s experience also includes construction law and corporate/transactional law, including drafting, editing, and negotiating commercial construction contracts, commercial leases, and mergers and acquisitions.

Highlights

Admissions

• State of Texas

• State of Maryland

• United States District Courts for the Southern District of Texas

• United States District Courts for the Northern District of Texas

• United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Texas

• United States District Courts for the Western District of Texas

• United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Memberships

• Houston Bar Association (Labor & Employment Section, Litigation Section, Construction Law Section)

• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM); HR Houston

• Texas Bar Association (Labor & Employment Section, Litigation Section, Construction Law Section)

Education & Courses

• Boston College, BA Speech Communications

• Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, JD

Awards & Recognitions

• Labor & Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2007 – present

• Texas Bar College

Publications & Presentations

• “Preserving Confidentiality: Strategies for Employers Amid the FTC Ban on Noncompetes,” Texas Lawyer’s Employment and Labor Law Special Section, July 2024 (Author)

• “EEOC Focuses on Eliminating Harassment, Recruitment and Hiring Barriers in the Construction Industry,” P&A Client Alert, July 2024 (Co-Author)

• “OSHA 2024,” Georgia Tech’s Safety Speaker Series Webinar - Professional Master’s in Occupational Safety and Health (PMOSH), March 2024 (Speaker)

• “United States Department of Labor Finalizes Independent Contractor Rule,” P&A Client Alert, January 2024 (Co-Author)

• “2023 Update on Labor & Employment Law for Texas Contractors,” a P&A and AGC of South Texas Lunch N Learn, May 2023 (Speaker)

• “Beat the Heat: Heat Stress Safety Tips for Homebuilders.” a P&A and Core Safety Group Webinar, March 2023 (Speaker)

• “Fall Protection in Residential Construction: Risks and Best Practices,” a P&A and Core Safety Group Webinar, November 2022 (Speaker)

• “Utilizing Technical Mediation and Other Alterative Dispute Resolution Measures to Resolve Complex Construction Disputes,” Risk Management in Underground Construction Course, February 2023 (Co-Presenter)

• “The Status of OSHA’s Impending Heat Stress Standard,” ConsensusDocs Newsletter, May 2022 (Author)

• “Can You Stump HCA Employment Lawyers?,” Houston Contractors Association (HCA) Q&A seminar, March 2022 (Speaker)

• “OSHA Regulations in 2022,” National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) Webinar, February 2022 (Speaker)

• “OSHA: What to Expect in 2022,” Construction Executive, December 2021 (Author)

• “Remote Working, Vaccines and Employment Obligations,” DRI, December 2021 (Co-Author)

• “Remote Working, Vaccines and Employment Obligations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act,” P&A Client Alert, October 2021 (Co-Author)

News & Events

• Houston Contractors Association – “Hot Topics in Labor and Employment Law”

• 2024 HR & Safety Professionals Day – “Workplace Violence Risk Assessment”

• Georgia Tech Safety Speaker Series – OSHA 2024

• AGC South Texas & P&A Seminar: “2023 Update on Labor & Employment Law for Texas Contractors”