Julia M. Peebles
Biography
Julia is the first call many clients make when facing complex legal challenges, seeking pre-litigation or employment counseling, or transitioning a matter bound for trial. Her docket spans federal and state court litigation nationwide, mediations and arbitrations in front of the AAA and JAMS, and matters before federal agencies, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
A significant portion of Julia’s practice is also devoted to leading sensitive internal investigations for private and public companies, board committees, and nonprofit organizations. These matters frequently involve highly confidential issues and require discretion, sound judgment, and strategic guidance.
Whether providing tailored advice and counsel, arguing a pivotal motion, preparing a case for trial, or trying a case to verdict, Julia leverages her extensive oral and written advocacy skills to achieve favorable outcomes in commercial disputes, sensitive employment issues, energy-related cases, and other high-stakes matters. Julia’s diverse practice has shaped her unique ability to synthesize complex facts and distill them into clear, persuasive narratives that resonate in both the courtroom and the boardroom.
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- Served as lead counsel in wage and hour, FMLA, workplace discrimination, and employment contract disputes pending in federal courts nationwide.
- Served as co-lead defense counsel for wage underpayment class action pending in California state court.
- Served as lead counsel in JAMS proceeding, securing no-liability findings on all claims for a communications-industry client in an employment dispute.
- Secured summary judgment for a national commercial driving education institute on of retaliation and discrimination claims in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
- Obtained $4.1 million summary judgment on a breach of contract claim on behalf of a boutique consulting and advisory firm in the Southern District of Texas, which was subsequently affirmed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Secured a temporary restraining order on behalf of energy client in a high-stakes trade-secret case in the Southern District of Texas.
- Obtained favorable rulings on Daubert/Robinson motions and motions for summary judgment on behalf of an energy client in the 143th District Court (Texas), resulting in dismissal of all claims.
- Successfully dissolved a temporary injunction and received take-nothing judgment on behalf of an energy client in the 267th District Court (Texas).
- Served as a key member of the trial team that secured a defense verdict for an energy client following a three-week jury trial involving claims for breach of an oil and gas lease’s implied covenant to accommodate surface use.
- Obtained more than thirty-five no-cause determinations and dismissals from the EEOC on behalf of a national commercial driving education institute.
- Served as trial counsel for an athletic association defending against novel theories of negligence and liability in Texas state courts.
- Conducted multiple internal investigations for a nonprofit managed care organization involving sensitive workplace allegations, including claims of harassment, retaliation, and leadership misconduct asserted against senior personnel and organizational leaders.
- Led an internal investigation for a public, community-owned healthcare and hospital network involving anonymous allegations of self-dealing, conflicts of interest, and governance concerns relating to senior executives.
- Served as lead investigator in an internal investigation for a nonprofit organization concerning allegations of discrimination and hostile work environment conduct by members of its governing board, providing independent findings and recommendations to leadership.
- Assisted a national athletic association in successfully defeating requests for preliminary injunctive relief in multiple Texas state and federal courts, in litigation challenging the enforceability and application of collegiate eligibility rules.
- Served as key briefing counsel on pro bono team that received rare re-sentencing from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for client on death row.
- Obtained a take-nothing summary judgment for a key industry defendant in a potential nuclear verdict wrongful death case arising from wellsite accident, after previously securing a highly favorable settlement for a co-defendant.
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- Dallas Bar Association, Member
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD), Law Student Mentor (2024–Present)
- University of Houston Law Center, Adjunct Professor: Appellate Advocacy (2020–2023)
- State Bar of Texas, Texas Young Lawyers Association, Board Member, District Director 6, Place 2 (2022–2024)
- Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Rising Star (2023–2024)
- Institute for Energy Law, Leadership Class (2022–2023)
- State Bar of Texas, Appellate Advocate, Former Co-Managing Editor
- Association of Women in the Law, Former President
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- “The Future of Work: Legal Trends and Takeaways for 2026 – AI in the Hiring Process,” speaker, SMU Corporate Counsel Symposium, October 2025.
- Haynes Boone OSHA Toolbox Tuesdays Webinar, speaker, February 2025.
- Haynes Boone OSHA Toolbox Tuesdays Webinar, speaker, September 2024.
- "The Intersection of the Accommodation Doctrine and the Endangered Species Act," speaker, 74th Annual Energy Law Conference.
- "Texas Court Blocks DOL’s White-Collar Salary Rule: What's Next?," co-author, Haynes Boone client alert, December 2, 2024.
- "North Dakota Supreme Court Solidifies Surface Owners’ Rights to Profit From and Seek Damages for Unauthorized Use of Pore Space," co-author, Haynes Boone client alert, August 10, 2022.
- "Plaintiffs with Hopeless Causes: Idiopathic Causes in Toxic Tort Litigation – Analyzing How Courts Address Scientific Uncertainty," author, Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy – Health Law Perspectives.
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Education
- J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 2017, Notes and Comments Editor, Houston Journal of Health Law and Policy; Dean’s List; Moot Court; The Order of Barristers
- Master of Health Law, University of Houston Law Center, 2017, Dean's List
- B.A., Texas Christian University, 2014, Dean's List
- B.S., Texas Christian University, 2014, Dean's List
Admissions
- Texas
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas