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O’Brien Law Firm obtains federal jury verdict for two workers against federal contractor

On March 11, 2014, a unanimous federal jury in San Antonio found that federal contractor Stobil Enterprises had engaged in unlawful retaliation under federal law when it fired employees Reyes and Houston for filing a complaint for unpaid overtime. Reyes and Houston worked as cooks in the kitchen of a veterans’ rehab facility in San Antonio. Stobil Enterprises is a d/b/a of Bille Odell Stone with a federal contract to service the facility. The evidence showed that Stone had attempted to cover up his retaliatory motive with other, bogus claims as to why he fired these two men on the same day.  The jury awarded Mr. Houston all of his back wages and $10,750 of emotional distress damages. Mr. Reyes, who did not have lost wages due to an ongoing work injury, was awarded $5,000 in emotional distress damages.  O’Brien has petitioned for the Court to double the awards as liquidated damages under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Stobil Enterprises may appeal the verdict.

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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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Kerry O’Brien selected as a 2023 Texas Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters is the premier attorney recognition publication in the legal profession. Kerry O’Brien of the O’Brien Law Firm was just named a 2023 Texas Super Lawyer. The Super Lawyers organization selects lawyers based on a multi-step process, which includes nominations by other lawyers, peer ratings, and research by the organization to […]

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