Kathleen M. Cruz

Kathleen M. Cruz has successfully represented her clients in litigation across Texas and the U.S. Her primary practice areas are complex commercial litigation, employment, and products liability disputes. Kathleen is experienced in handling all aspects of civil litigation, from inception to trial. She represents domestic and international companies in state and federal courts.

Kathleen has experience advising her clients and handling litigation in employment matters under the Texas Labor Code and Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA). Kathleen has represented clients across different industries, from oil and gas companies to interstate transportation companies. Kathleen specializes in commercial and business litigation, including non-solicitation and non-compete agreements and partnership disputes. Kathleen also has experience with appeals, including drafting appellate briefs in employment and commercial litigation matters.

During law school, Kathleen served as a Judicial Extern with the Honorable Irma C. Ramirez, Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. In the community, Kathleen serves as committee co-chair with the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. She is also an active member of the Dallas Asian American Bar Association.

Representative Matters:

Employment Dispute, Discrimination, Hostile Work Environment, Western District of Texas, Midland-Odessa Division. Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Defendant employer, dismissing claims by former employee under Title VII

Construction Law, Premises Liability, Negligence, Tarrant County, Texas. Successfully argued summary judgment motion for general contractor client against premises liability and negligence claims by plaintiff injured on construction site

Oil & Gas, OSHA Investigation, representing oil and gas company in OSHA investigation regarding fatalities at tank battery site

Products Liability, Medical Devices, representing medical device company against defect allegations

Products Liability, Automobile Dealership, represented automobile dealership in products liability case involving car explosion at residential apartment building

Products Liability, Vaping and E-Liquid Companies, representing vaping and eliquid companies in products liability case against claims of manufacturing, marketing, and design defect

Breach of Contract, Tortious Interference of Contract, Security Alarm Industry, representing security alarm company in breach of contract and tortious interference of contract against security alarm dealer and competitor

Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation, represented clients in non-compete and nonsolicitation disputes with former employees

Discrimination, Employment Disputes, Wrongful Termination, represented employers in wrongful termination disputes with former employees before state agencies such as the EEOC and TWC and in state and federal court

Published Works

• FMLA Leave Requests: Survival Tips for Employers, TYL (2018)

Professional Associations

• Alumni, DAYL Leadership Class, 2019 to 2020

• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers

• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Leadership Class, 2019-2020

• Dallas Bar Association