Kerry O’Brien

Representing employees, executives, and independent contracts in Texas compensation and contract disputes.

Employment lawyer Kerry O'BrienScreen Shot 2016-01-15 at 8.52.41 PM

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O’Brien’s Avvo Lawyer Reviews
Welcome to the O’Brien Law Firm!

I’m Kerry O’Brien, a former Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Texas, litigating work injury cases at all court levels from El Paso to Amarillo to Houston, and everywhere in-between. I have seen a lot of Texas and have become familiar with local courts around the state. I’m also a former unemployment hearing officer with the Texas Workforce Commission, and a former city prosecutor and assistant city attorney for a group of cities around Austin.

For the past 14 years, I have been running the O’Brien Law Firm, taking great pride and pleasure in representing Texas employees, executives, and independent contractors who need to leverage the value of a great lawyer in their employment compensation and contract disputes. I have been Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2016. That means that I have demonstrated expert-level knowledge and substantial courtroom experience in the employment law arena. In 2023, Thomson Reuters selected me as a 2023 Super Lawyer.

For 4 years, I was the featured speaker on Employment Law for the annual People’s Law School, sponsored by the Austin Bar Association. I have spoken to many lawyer and public groups on employment law issues through the years, and love educating Texans employees, executives, and independent contractors on their legal rights and obligations so that they can make the best decisions to improve their lives.

I am a 2002 graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, where I was active in mock trial competitions that taught me how to win cases at trial before I entered the “real world” of practicing law. I also have an undergraduate degree in Music Theory with a concentration in classical guitar from the UT Austin Butler School of Music.

To stay connected with my great colleagues around my city and state, I’m a member of the Texas Bar Foundation (by invitation only), the State Bar of Texas Employment Law Section, the Texas Employment Lawyers Association, and the Austin Bar Association’s Labor & Employment and Solo/Small Firm Sections. I also volunteer to judge mock trial and debate competitions when I can.

I’m licensed to practice in all Texas state trial and appeals courts, all four Texas federal court districts, and the 5th Circuit federal appeals court.

For 7 years, I was a youth mentor for children with a parent in prison through the Seedling Foundation, and still continue to financially support that great organization today. I’m still active as a musician and songwriter. I post my music projects on Soundcloud under my Toro Real solo project moniker, and I currently play in the instrumental rock band Book of Change while remaining active as a classical guitarist as well. I also love hiking and traveling and hearing about unique places people have visited.

My law firm is also a monthly financial supporter of CRU, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, the Semper Fi Fund, Refugee Services of Central Texas, the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Austin Mobile Loaves & Fishes Community First homing initiative, and WorldVision (with our family sponsoring a precious girl in Tanzania for many years). Using the firm’s successes for its clients to help great organizations in the community and the world is one way to make good things come from difficult situations. That’s the goal with every client that we help.

From our blog

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O’Brien Law Firm sues global SAP consulting firm Cognitus Consulting for former employee’s substantial unpaid commissions and profit share

On April 5, 2023, the O’Brien Law Firm filed suit against Cognitus Consulting, LLC, a global firm specializing in SAP consulting (Systems, Applications, and Processes) for companies to help those companies find and implement the software applications that are right for their operations. O’Brien’s client T.S. is a highly-skilled consultant and practice manager whose compensation […]

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Kerry O’Brien quoted in Harvard Crimson for article about non-payment to workers

Texas employment attorney Kerry O’Brien was recently interviewed for and quoted in an article by the Harvard student-run newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, concerning a company’s failure to pay and communicate with its workers after an acquisition. That article is ‘Ghosted’: Clients, Mentors Seek Money and Answers from Harvard Dropout’s College Admissions Startup, published March 24. […]

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