Amanda M. Inabnett
Counsel

My ability to write well-reasoned and persuasive legal arguments helps clients defuse investigations and obtain successful, cost-effective outcomes in litigation. I enjoy researching the law and pulling all the facts and elements together to tell my client’s story.

Amanda Inabnett focuses her practice on advising clients in every aspect of the employer-employee relationship, primarily involving the hiring, firing, training, discipline, investigation and compensation of employees. Whether she’s guiding HR managers through a variety of day-to-day decisions or responding to an EEOC discrimination charge, Amanda helps clients make the best decisions in real time, maintain compliance and avoid litigation when possible. Her clients come from a wide range of industries, including automotive, healthcare, energy, construction and many more.

Amanda has protected employers in the courtroom as well. She has successfully defended claims of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wage and hour violations under various federal and state statutes, including Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act and Texas Commission on Human Rights Act. In addition, Amanda helps employers navigate a variety of regulatory investigations, including wage and hour audits initiated by the Department of Labor.

Amanda represents employers with unionized workforces in arbitration proceedings under collective bargaining agreements and prepares employee handbooks and arbitration agreements. Additionally, Amanda represents employers and executives in the negotiation, preparation and enforcement of employment, confidentiality, non-competition, non-solicitation and severance agreements.

Amanda is the firm’s best resource for clients seeking to properly structure and manage staff leasing companies in compliance with the numerous technical requirements in the Texas Occupations Code. She guides clients through every aspect of the process, from entity structuring and agreement drafting to licensing and ensuring compliance with strict employee notice requirements.

In addition to her employment practice, Amanda has experience defending claims for breach of disability, health, life and title insurance policies, as well as other general business disputes.

Representative Experience
  • Obtained a favorable opinion from the Texas Supreme Court in In re AutoNation, Inc., 228 S.W.3d 663 (2007), which held that a forum selection clause in a covenant not to compete, designating another state as the appropriate forum, is enforceable in Texas.
  • Obtained favorable jury verdicts or arbitration awards, completely vindicating her clients, in Pichardo v. Rockwell Semiconductor Systems, Inc. (W.D. Tex. 2000); Jennifer Swinford v. Houston Auto Imports North Ltd. et al. (Matter in Arbitration 2005); Janice L. Mace v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (Matter in Arbitration 2006); Joseph Capasso v. Bankston Ford of Frisco Ltd. Co. (Matter in Arbitration 2007); Reyes v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. (Matter in Arbitration 2007).
Thought Leadership / News
Honors
  • Named a Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers (a Thomson Reuters business) as published in Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines (2005, 2009, 2011 - 2013)
Organizational Involvement
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
Education
  • J.D., cum laude, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, Associate Editor, The International Lawyer, 1998-99; Vice President, Student Bar Association, 1998-99 (1999)
  • B.S., Economics, Texas Christian University (1996)
Bar Admission
  • Texas
Court Admissions
  • United States Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas
  • United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Texas
  • United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • United States Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas
  • United States District Court, Western District of Texas