Demetri Economou practices in the Energy Group and focuses on labor and employment law and litigation matters. He regularly advises clients on unfair employment practices under the FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADEA/OWBPA, and state employment laws, as well as handling special issues for reductions in force. His experience includes practice in state and federal courts and before administrative bodies (DOL, EEOC, TWC).
Demetri also counsels clients in drafting company documents, employee handbooks and policies, pay schemes, employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, offer letters, severance/termination documents and releases, and advises clients on the enforcement and defense of covenants not to compete, non-solicitation clauses, assignments of invention and other trade secrets and restrictive covenants. His litigation experience includes preparation of pleadings, complex motions and memoranda, as well as research, discovery, alternative dispute resolution, and settlement negotiations. In support of KRCL’s Cybersecurity practice group, Demetri advises clients on data security and privacy, employer/employee relations with respect to data use, and protection of trade secrets. Demetri represents clients in a counseling role developing best practices for data use, incident management and reporting, and incident remediation, as well as in litigation under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act, federal Defend Trade Secrets Act, and other applicable laws.
Demetri’s experience interfacing with HR and business leaders dates back to his career prior to law school, when he worked as a recruiter for a global executive search firm.
Scope of Practice:
Comprehensive employment-based practice encompassing counseling and litigation, primarily advising HR leaders, general counsel, and business principals.
Experience
Representative Employment Law Experience
- Represented shale shaker screen manufacturer and distributor against former employee and new employer for violations of Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act and non-disclosure agreement, reaching favorable mediated settlement.
- Represented Texas downhole completions company in overtime litigation, including allegation of manager liability, obtaining favorable mediated settlement (co-counsel).
- Represented two Louisiana well intervention services providers in overtime litigation, obtaining favorable mediated settlement (co-counsel).
- Represented international well completions company in overtime collective action under the FLSA and multiple state law causes of action (co-counsel).
- Represented Texas directional drilling company in overtime litigation, obtaining favorable mediated settlement (co-counsel).
- Represented regional staffing company in enforcing non-compete and confidentiality agreement against former employee, obtaining favorable mediated settlement (co-counsel).
- Represented oilfield hauling company in overtime lawsuit brought by former employee, including allegation of manager liability, obtaining favorable negotiated settlement.
- Represented regional security company in overtime and FLSA retaliation lawsuit, including allegation of manager liability, obtaining favorable negotiated settlement.
- Advised global bank in drafting employee handbook and policies and procedures manuals for U.S. subsidiary (co-counsel).
- Advised regional financial services firm with respect to compensation structuring for part-time and seasonal employees (co-counsel).
- Assisted numerous companies and individuals in drafting and review of employment agreements, compensation plans, severance agreements, and other employment documents.
- Administrative Actions: Represented regional oilfield transportation company in retaliation action before OSHA and appeal to administrative law judge (co-counsel); co-counsel to multiple companies in audits before the DOL for wage and hour issues; represented maritime logistics company in discrimination and retaliation lawsuit before VETS (co-counsel); represented manufacturer of specialty chemicals in Title VII retaliation action before EEOC (co-counsel).
Representative Commercial Law Experience
- Obtained complete dismissal of defamation claims over $200,000 under the Texas Citizens Participation Act (anti-SLAPP), plus award of attorney’s fees and sanctions (co-counsel).
- Represented regional auto dealerships in consumer identity theft litigation under federal and state law, obtaining complete dismissal of claims (co-counsel).
- Represented oilfield valve distributors in complex case involving $2.6 million in debt claims, and $8+ million in breach of warranty, breach of contract, and negligence counterclaims, obtaining dismissal of a number of counterclaims and favorable mediated settlement of the remainder (co-counsel).
- Represented national retail chain on successful, first impression appeal before the First Court of Appeals of Texas, reversing summary judgment against client for wrongful withholding of a security deposit under a commercial sublease (co-counsel).
- Represented shareholder of law firm against former partners for claims of fraud and breach of contract through jury trial, and obtaining summary judgment on declaratory judgment counterclaims (co-counsel).
- Represented national distributor of oilfield services products in breach of contract dispute, obtaining favorable summary judgment; as well as several favorable negotiated settlements for the same company.
- Represented shareholder of law firm against former partners for claims of fraud and breach of contract through jury trial, and obtaining summary judgment on declaratory judgment counterclaims (co-counsel).
- Represented global bank in collection of notes and guaranties, obtaining favorable summary and default judgments (co-counsel).
- Represented national automotive lender in collection of notes and guaranties, obtaining favorable summary judgment (co-counsel).
- Represented individual investor in recovery of disputed proceeds from sale of Texas real estate (co-counsel).
- Represented real estate lender in favorable negotiated settlement of assumpsit litigation (co-counsel).
- Represented national realty company in defense of copyright litigation, obtaining favorable summary judgment (co-counsel).
Notable Decisions
Thymes v. Gillman Companies, No. CV-H-17-2834, 2018 WL 3025045 (S.D. Tex. June 18, 2018), and 2018 WL 1281852 (S.D. Tex. Mar. 9, 2018) (co-counsel obtaining complete dismissal of consumer identity theft claims).
FP Stores, Inc. v. Tramontina US Inc., 513 S.W.3d 684 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2016, pet. denied) (co-counsel on successful appeal in first impression case regarding good faith of a commercial sublessor).
In re Otto, 509 B.R. 566, 568 (S.D. Tex. 2014) (co-counsel on successful appellee in first impression bankruptcy appeal concerning the right to setoff).
Danet v. Bhan, 436 S.W.3d 793 (Tex. 2014) (co-counsel to amicus curiae in support of successful Supreme Court appeal).
Publications
- Author, The Ninth Circuit’s Employee ‘Password Sharing’ Decision Applying the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Business Law News, State Bar of California, Feb. 2017, at 12.
- Co-Author, Fifth Circuit Decisions, Recent Developments in Business and Corporate Litigation, Intellectual Property (2016 ed.), American Bar Association, at 106-117.
- Co-Author, The Best Kind of Lawyer, The Houston Lawyer, Jun. 2014, at 29-31.
- Co-authored amicus curiae brief before the Supreme Court of Texas, on behalf of a national child advocacy organization (2013).
- Contributor, KRCL Blogs (www.krclblogs.com)
Presentations
- Presenter, “Legal Considerations When Recruiting Locally and Nationwide,” 1st Annual HR Maximizer Member Conference (August 2018).
- Presenter, “Trump’s Energy Initiatives: What Are They and Where Do They Stand” (2018).
- Presenter, “National Labor Relations Act and First Amendment Speech Concerns in the Workplace” (2016).
- Co-Presenter, “Advanced Overtime Training for Human Resources, C-Suite Managers and In-House Lawyers” (2015).
- Presenter, “Attorney Development in the Internet Age” (2015).
Associations
- Houston Bar Association – Co-Chair, Speakers Bureau, 2015-2016.
- Greek Energy Group of North America (GEG) – Executive Board, 2016-present.
- HR Houston, Society for Human Resources Management – Professional Member.
- State Bar of Texas – Labor and Employment Law Section; Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources Law Section.
Community
- ASPIRE Houston, volunteer
- Houston Volunteer Lawyers, pro bono
- Special Olympics of Texas, volunteer
