Firm Continues Growth of Houston Office

Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced today the arrival of partner Scott Nelson to the Labor & Employment department in Houston. Nelson joins from Baker McKenzie LLP, where he was a partner in Houston and also served until recently as leader of the firm’s domestic U.S. Employment Counseling and Litigation practice.

Nelson brings significant experience with domestic and international labor and employment matters, as well as complex commercial litigation, to Seyfarth’s growing Houston office. Earlier this month, former AccessHealth general counsel Janice Suchyta joined Seyfarth in Houston, further bolstering the region’s second largest health care practice as ranked by the Houston Business Journal.

“We are excited to welcome Scott to our growing platform in Houston,” said Mark Coffin, managing partner of Seyfarth’s Houston office. “He is a trusted counselor and dynamic leader in employment law with experience handling matters around the globe.”

“As both a veteran litigator and advisor, Scott has grown into one of the region’s top authorities on employment and compliance-related issues facing clients in jurisdictions around the world,” said Laura Maechtlen, chair of Seyfarth’s Labor & Employment department. “He’s a natural fit as we expand our Labor & Employment team in Houston, where we’ve long had a strong presence and look forward to serving more clients in the future.”

Among Nelson’s more notable cases, he successfully defended multinational chemical companies in one of the largest employee trade secrets cases to ever go to a jury trial, a case in which plaintiffs sought $800 million through economic espionage-type trade secrets claims. He also achieved a total bench trial victory in a large ERISA § 204(h) notice class action in which plaintiffs sought a recovery in excess of $200 million.

Texas Monthly magazine has recognized Nelson as a Texas Super Lawyer and the Texas Board of Legal Specialization has board certified him in labor and employment law.
An accomplished litigator, Nelson has prevailed in a wide variety of cases before trial courts, appellate courts, arbitrators, and government agencies. He has litigated all major types of employment law claims, wage and hour claims, ERISA claims, whistleblower claims, non-compete and trade secrets cases, class actions, collective actions, traditional labor law (union-related) matters, and complex commercial litigation matters.

Nelson also serves as a trusted, regular advisor on compliance and strategy issues, and frequently manages large international legal matters. In addition, he supervises internal company investigations and often trains groups of executives.

Nelson received his J.D., cum laude, from the Creighton University School of Law and earned his B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, from Creighton University.