Demetri Economou practices in the Energy Group and focuses on complex commercial litigation and employment law matters.
Within the Energy Group, Demetri focuses primarily on issues facing KRCL’s upstream, midstream and oilfield services clients, including high-dollar royalty litigation, lease interpretation and contract disputes, trade secrets litigation, transportation issues, anti-SLAPP / Texas Citizens Participation Act litigation, and sequestration and collections related to oilfield equipment purchases and leases.
In support of the KRCL’s labor and employment practice, Demetri regularly advises both energy and non-energy 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.
Demetri represents clients in a counseling role developing best practices for data use, data breach 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.
Scope of Practice:
Mixed energy litigation and labor and employment practice, primarily advising general counsel and business principals.
Experience
Representative Energy and Commercial 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.
- 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 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 regional auto dealerships in consumer identity theft litigation under federal and state law, obtaining complete dismissal of claims (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 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 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).
Representative Employment Law Experience
- 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).
Notable Decisions
- Judon v. EP Energy, L.L.C., — Fed.Appx. —-, 2019 WL 1092630 (5th Cir. Mar. 6, 2019) (appellate co-counsel obtaining affirmation of dismissal of FMLA, ADA and hostile work environment claims).
- 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
- State Bar of Texas – Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources Law and Labor and Employment Law Sections.
- Houston Bar Association –Oil and Gas and Labor and Employment Sections.
- Greek Energy Group of North America (GEG) – Executive Board, 2016-present.
- HR Houston, Society for Human Resources Management – Professional Member.
- Houston Bar Association – Co-Chair, Speakers Bureau, 2015-2016.
Community
- ASPIRE Houston, volunteer
- Houston Volunteer Lawyers, pro bono
- Special Olympics of Texas, volunteer
