Haynes Boone’s Labor and Employment Practice Group has expanded with the addition of Partner Michael Lombardino in Houston. A board certified trial lawyer, Michael has more than 13 years of legal experience, including the last three as counsel and partner at Reed Smith.
He represents large and mid-size companies, many in the transportation, staffing, real estate and energy sectors, in an array of workplace disputes. Michael brings a wealth of knowledge in wage and hour work, misappropriation of trade secrets, theft of company property, noncompete disputes, discrimination cases, employment-related torts, breach of contract, high-risk termination and leave-of-absence issues.
In recent months, he successfully represented a client sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), earning dismissal with prejudice and a retracted press statement by the EEOC. He also earned summary judgment on an affirmative defense in a Fair Labor Standards Act case.
Michael chose to join Haynes Boone at this juncture of his career largely due to the firm’s business structure and cooperative culture.
“Labor and employment work is often the gateway to full-service client relationships, and I’m thrilled that Haynes Boone is aligned with that vision,” he said. “There is clearly so much collaboration and mentorship at the firm. I had a great experience with Matt Deffebach as opposing counsel in the past, and I’m excited to now call him a colleague.”
Deffebach, L&E partner in Houston and chair of the chair of the firm’s OSHA and Workplace Disasters Practice Group, echoed that, saying, “Michael will be a great resource to our clients and team of employment lawyers. We are excited to have him aboard.”
Michael earned his B.A. in history from The University of Texas and his J.D. magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University School of Law. He is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Haynes Boone is an international corporate law firm with 19 offices spanning Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Virginia, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With about 650 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It was recognized in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2022 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.
