Michael Kelsheimer Partner Mediation should not be a push to settle, but to make the most educated decision possible about what to do next.
Michael Kelsheimer is a mediator focused on complex business and employment disputes. He brings to that work 25 years as a litigator and years of experience as outside general counsel to Texas businesses — which means he has sat in every chair in the room.
Lawyers who work with Michael know he has read the briefs, understands the exposure, and will not waste their time. His experience in the courtroom and in the boardroom gives him a working knowledge of what disputes cost, what they’re worth, and what it actually takes to resolve them — for the lawyers and for the businesses behind them.
Michael has studied the psychology of how people get stuck in high-stakes decisions — the cognitive biases that distort risk assessment and derail settlements even when resolution makes obvious sense. He has presented on these topics to the Advanced Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas and has a forthcoming article on decision science in the ABA Litigation Journal. In mediation, he uses those frameworks to help parties see their situation clearly and make the most educated decision possible about what to do next.
Before practicing, Michael served as a briefing attorney for the Honorable Sam R. Cummings of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas — an early education in how disputes look from the bench rather than counsel table. He is also the author of the , a plain-English guide to employment law for business owners.
Representative Experience Mediation Experience
Commercial Litigation
- Trade secret disputes — from large-scale data theft across multiple states to disputes over recreating a former employer’s business
- Ownership and partnership disputes — among business partners who must remain together and those working to extract themselves from each other
- Contract disputes — employment agreements, leases, and complex multi-party commercial arrangements
Employment
- FLSA litigation — minimum wage, overtime, and collective actions
- Discrimination claims — prosecution and defense at all stages, across protected classes, in state and federal courts
- Non-compete and trade secret litigation — non-competition, non-solicitation, TUTSA, DTSA, and related claims in both expedited and extended proceedings
- Executive compensation and employment agreements
Honors
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Labor and Employment Litigation (2026)
- Selected as a Best Lawyer in Dallas by D Magazine (2025)
Related Employment
- Briefing Attorney, United States Federal District Court Judge Sam R. Cummings (2000 - 2001)
Organizational Involvement Professional Activities, Memberships & Affiliations
- Texas Association of Mediators, Association of Attorney-Mediators, Dallas Bar Association
- Chair of U.S. Employment Section, Lexwork International (2013 - 2016)
- State Bar of Texas
Community Activities, Memberships & Affiliations
When I Feel Most At Home
- History Buff – “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat . . .”
- Track Day – Straight roads are for fast cars. Corners are for fast drivers!
- Sporting Clays – Pull! Aim . . . Shoot . . . Smash!
- Dog Walker – I aspire to be the person my dogs think I am.
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