Michael Gaston-Bell
Michael Gaston-Bell serves a Counsel in Haynes Boone’s Dallas office and his practice focuses primarily on sophisticated employment matters.
Michael’s practice focuses on representing clients in federal and state courts, as well as state and local agencies, on matters related to Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Michael also provides employers with guidance on the interpretation and implementation of Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA and FLSA issues in the workplace.
Additionally Michael advises top level corporate leadership - boards of directors, in-house counsel and chief executives - on unique, complex and often crisis-level employment affairs, including: executive transitions, internal investigations, unfair competition, and major transactions.
Wage and Hour
- Represented several national clients in FLSA collective actions and assisted in obtaining favorable settlements of the plaintiffs’ claims
Employment Litigation
- Successfully argued for summary judgment for national freight company in multi-plaintiff race discrimination, harassment, and retaliation case in Tennessee State Court.
- Assisted in obtaining summary judgment for global defense company on sex harassment and discrimination claims in New Jersey state court.
- Assisted in obtaining reversal of $50 million dollar punitive damage award for a global defense company on age discrimination claim under ADEA in New Jersey Federal court.
- Assisted in obtaining summary judgment for national shipping company in multi-plaintiff race discrimination, harassment, retaliation case in the Eastern District of Virginia.
- Assisted in obtaining summary judgment for personally named individuals employed by government entity on race discrimination and harassment claims filed in Tennessee state court.
Administrative Charges
- Obtained over ten no cause findings and dismissals from the EEOC, after conducting investigations of the charging party’s claims and submitting a position statement to the EEOC.
Investigations
- Conducted high-level, sensitive and complex workplace investigations for global automotive manufacturer.
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation 2020-2021
- Director, Texas Young Lawyers Association
- Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Leadership Class, 2018
- Legal Council on Legal Diversity, Pathfinder, 2017
- American Bar Association Labor and Employment Trial Institute, Participant, 2017
- National Employment Law Council, Member
- Missouri Bar Association, Member
- Missouri Bar Association Legislative Review Subcommittee
- Indianapolis Bar Association, Member
- Indiana Bar Association, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- Dallas Bar Association Member, Member
- Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Judiciary Committee
- Featured in D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers Under 40” directory, D Magazine Partners, 2021
- Included in Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars directory, Thomson Reuters, 2022-2023
- Included in the "Ones to Watch" category of Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., 2021-2024
- “Sticky Employee Leave Issues,” presenter, Employment Law Updates, Dallas, TX, April 4, 2023.
Education
J.D., Indiana University Maurer School of Law, 2013
B.S., Truman State University, 2010
Admissions
Indiana
Missouri
Texas
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars has included 27 Haynes and Boone, LLP lawyers in its 2023 directory. Published by Thomson Reuters, the Texas Rising Stars directory includes only 2 percent of young lawyers in Texas, selected through peer nominations and research. To be eligible, lawyers must be 40 or younger or practicing less than 10 years. The following Haynes Boone lawyers are featured as 2023 [...]
