Overview

Andrea Y. James is a Houston attorney and a member of the firm's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. Ms. James focuses her practice in the areas of general civil litigation and labor and employment.

Ms. James represents clients in a broad range of commercial litigation, healthcare litigation and regulatory matters, as well as labor and employment matters. These include cases involving breach of contract, fraud, misappropriation, covenants not to compete, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action disputes, employment discrimination claims and traditional labor matters.

In addition, Ms. James' practice includes conducting investigations into internal business or employment complaints. Her experience includes assisting in the defense of clients during federal and state investigations conducted by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Ms. James counsels companies and their management teams on their obligations during such investigations and provides strategies for minimizing risks of litigation.

Ms. James has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, including mediations and arbitrations of healthcare and employment-related disputes.

In addition, Ms. James also enjoys the challenge of fast-paced litigation. She has a strong understanding of the procedures involved in a request for injunction, and regularly represents clients in obtaining and defending against requests for injunctive relief. Her ability to immediately analyze and quickly respond to complex issues allows clients to turn to her when the stakes are high.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. James was an attorney in the Honors Program with the NLRB. In her role there, Ms. James conducted numerous investigations and served as lead counsel in multiple unfair labor practice trials. In addition she handled drafting motions, pleadings and briefs, oral argument, decision writing and settlement negotiations.

While in law school, Ms. James was a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Susan M. Chehardy of Louisiana's Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, and she served as a student attorney in the Civil Litigation Clinic. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, Tulane University Law School, where she teaches a course in the online Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law Program.

Representative Experience

  • Represented an oil and gas company as defendant in obtaining victory in a single plaintiff employment discrimination trial in a Texas state court
  • Represented a nonprofit client in obtaining a victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit involving a race discrimination case brought against them; won summary judgement in the case earlier in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • Represented a nonprofit client in obtaining a victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit involving a pregnancy discrimination case brought against them; won summary judgement in the case earlier in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • Handled healthcare coverage and payment disputes between providers and managed-care entities as well as insurers in multiple venues across Texas
  • Secured multiple temporary injunctions for a celebrity client in unconscionable contract litigation
  • Secured a temporary injunction for an oil pipeline company in a right-of-first-refusal matter that resulted in a favorable out-of-court settlement
  • Secured an injunction and favorable settlement on behalf of a crude oil pipeline company in a regulatory matter concerning interstate pipeline rates
  • Counseled numerous healthcare clients on matters concerning non-compete and non-solicitation clauses
  • Represented an employer in non-compete litigation resulting in favorable settlement

Credentials

Education
  • Tulane University Law School, J.D.
  • University of Houston, M.Ed., summa cum laude
  • University of Michigan, B.B.A.
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Texas
Court Admissions
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Memberships
  • LeadershipSBOT, Class of 2023-2024
  • Leadership Houston, Class XL Fellows
  • Teach for America, Alumni
  • Teach for America, Junior Board Member
  • Houston Young Lawyers Association
Honors & Awards
  • Outstanding Diversity Champion, Houston Business Journal Diversity in Business Awards, 2024
  • One to Watch, The Best Lawyers in America guide, Houston Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2024
  • Holland & Knight Rising Star, Class of 2024
  • Leadership Council on Leadership Diversity (LCLD), Pathfinder Program, 2023
  • Holland & Knight Pro Bono All-Star, 2020, 2021

Publications

Speaking Engagements

News