Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC

317 Best Lawyers awards

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management Labor Law - Management

Biography

Bruce A. Griggs manages Ogletree Deakins’ Labor and Employment practice in Austin. Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1996, Mr. Griggs’ practice focuses on all aspects of labor and employment law, including defending employers in complex employment litigation in state and federal courts across Texas. Mr. Griggs has defended employers in class actions, FLSA collective actions, ERISA actions, non-compete and other business-related litigation, and has conducted numerous jury and non-jury trials involving claims under federal and/or state discrimination statutes.

Mr. Griggs also represents and counsels employers in union avoidance, collective bargaining and arbitrations, and defends employers in unfair labor practice proceedings before the NLRB. Mr. Griggs also routinely represents employers in non-labor arbitration proceedings, including the arbitration of occupational injury claims and discrimination claims of all types.

Mr. Griggs frequently speaks at employment-related seminars and has authored numerous articles on employment-related topics. Mr. Griggs has been recognized by Texas Monthly magazine as a Texas “Super Lawyer” in labor and employment law for every year since 2003. Mr. Griggs was elected as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation in 2005. Mr. Griggs graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1989, and served as a judicial clerk to federal district judge Sydney A. Fitzwater in Dallas immediately following graduation from law school.
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC

317 Best Lawyers awards

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC logo

Overview

  • University of Virginia, J.D., graduated 1989
  • University of Arkansas, BSBA, graduated 1986

  • Texas, State Bar of Texas

  • American Bar Association - Member
  • Austin Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section - Member
  • Texas Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section - Member

  • United States District Court
  • Texas, State Bar of Texas
  • American Bar Association - Member
  • Austin Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section - Member
  • Texas Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section - Member
  • University of Virginia, J.D., graduated 1989
  • University of Arkansas, BSBA, graduated 1986
  • United States District Court

Client Testimonials

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Employment Law - Management
  • Labor Law - Management
Special Focus:
  • Employment
  • Labor
  • Management

Case History

Cases
  • Madere v. Compass Bank
Obtained a defense verdict for Compass Bank in the retrial of an FMLA retaliation claim in federal district court in Austin in March 2013. The case involved substantial E-Discovery and related issues.
  • Bolton v. Dallas County Community College District
Obtained unanimous opinion from the Texas Supreme Court reversing a multi-million dollar judgment entered against the DCCCD in a class action consisting of over 200,000 class members. Handled the matter from beginning to end, including a jury trial on some of the contested claims. The case involved substantial potential financial exposure, and also novel legal issues.
  • Waggoner v. City of Garland
Obtained a decision from the Fifth Circuit affirming summary judgment in an age discrimination case. The Fifth Circuit's decision established the legal proposition that a plaintiff's denial that he engaged in improper conduct is not sufficient to create a fact question precluding summary judgment provided that the decision makers reasonably relied on the information provided at the time of the challenged decision. The case is often cited, and remains the seminal case in the Fifth Circuit for this proposition.

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