BakerHostetler Adds Pair of Prominent Dallas Trial Attorneys to Its Labor and Employment and Litigation Practice Groups
Courtney Barksdale Perez and Joshua Bennett have joined BakerHostetler’s Dallas office as partners. Perez will be a member of the Labor and Employment Practice Group and Bennett will become part of the Litigation Practice Group.
Perez is an accomplished trial lawyer with extensive experience representing individuals, corporations and government entities in state and federal courts in commercial and employment-related disputes, from the risk-management phase through trial and on appeal.
Perez is a seasoned and highly regarded trial attorney with significant experience representing clients in high-stakes employment-related disputes and commercial litigation, including matters involving allegations of fraud, negligence, breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation. Board certified in labor and employment law, Perez also advises clients on compliance with employment statutes and handles cases involving claims under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other federal and state laws. She also regularly conducts internal investigations, drafts workplace policies and provides training for employers.
Perez is a leader in the Dallas legal community. In 2014, she cofounded The NEW Roundtable, a nonprofit organization in Dallas formed to drive the inclusion and advancement of Black women attorneys through targeted relationship-building, professional development initiatives and mentoring.
Perez received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and her B.A. from Wake Forest University.
Bennett is a highly regarded trial and appellate lawyer who focuses his practice on high-stakes litigation, including federal law areas such as trademark, copyright, patent infringement, antitrust, theft of trade secrets, First Amendment and civil rights, and data security. Bennett is an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer who represents individuals and businesses in complex and high-stakes disputes covering all phases of litigation. His practice encompasses a wide range of federal law areas, including trademark, copyright, patent infringement, antitrust, theft of trade secrets, First Amendment and civil rights. Additionally, he has represented clients in numerous significant state-law matters involving claims for breach of contract, breach of warranty, breach of fiduciary duty, deceptive trade practices, defamation and anti-SLAPP actions.
In his appellate work, Bennett has served as lead appellate counsel in numerous matters before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 5th and Federal Circuits and appellate courts across Texas, including the Supreme Court of Texas.
Bennett received his J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and his B.A. from the University of Utah.
Perez and Bennett’s courtroom experience is an immediate asset to BakerHostetler’s labor and employment and litigation practices in Texas and across the United States, and will help provide clients with bespoke legal counsel on their most high-stakes legal matters.