Theanna Bezney

Overview Experience Accolades Affiliations Insights News Overview Theanna advises employers on a wide range of employment matters and aggressively represents clients in litigation surrounding federal and state employment discrimination claims and wage and hour issues. Theanna has extensive experience defending employment discrimination cases against employers across multiple industries, as well as significant experience mediating and negotiating settlements. She has defended employers in state and federal courts, both at the trial and appellate level, and in arbitration under a number of statutory schemes, including Title VII, FMLA, ADA, and various state-law counterparts. Theanna has comprehensive motions practice experience and has drafted several dispositive motions that she defended on appeal. Moreover, she has guided clients through difficult interactions with administrative agencies and claimants to resolve disputes before lawsuits are ever filed. Theanna also regularly advises employers on their rights and obligations under federal and state employment laws; drafts employee handbooks, other workplace policies and practices, and employment agreements, including arbitration agreements and restrictive covenants; and provides strategic employment advice to avoid litigation. Read More Read Less Experience Defended multiple summary judgment dismissals before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for employment discrimination and retaliation claims. Secured judgment on breach of contract claim. Obtained dismissal of pleadings on employees breach of contract claim in state court. Secured dismissal of race, gender, and national origin discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims against client on the pleadings, after removing case to federal court. Secured full dismissal of race and color discrimination, hostile work environment, failure to hire, and retaliation claims under Title VII, and discrimination and retaliation claims under Section 1981, after multiple amended pleadings. Litigated and defended management in numerous state and federal civil lawsuits and agency investigations. Litigated multiple class and collective actions in federal and state courts under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws. Regularly engaged in transactional matters for publicly traded and privately held businesses to create employment and contractor agreements, non-disclosure agreements, non-compete agreements, severance and retention agreements, and confidentiality agreements. Accolades Honors & Recognitions Recognized for work in Labor and Employment Law - Management, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, 2024-2025 Affiliations Professional Member, American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section Member, Texas Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Member, Dallas Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section Member, Texas Restaurant Association Events Committee Member, Texas Restaurant Associations Greater Dallas Chapter Participant, Business Council for the Arts Leadership Arts Institute (Class of 2022) Insights Publications Time 4 Minute Read April 2, 2025 Publication Co-author Federal Courts Raise the Bar on Employee FMLA Retaliation Claims, Bloomberg Law February 24, 2025 Publication Co-author Revised OSHA Hazard Communication Standard: Upstream Risks for Downstream Uses, Chemical Engineering January 30, 2025 Year in Review2024 Retail Industry Year in Review Time 5 Minute Read December 16, 2024 Publication Co-author Overtime Rewind: Texas Court Ruling Unravels FLSA Salary Level Increases, Texas Lawyer Time 9 Minute Read December 11, 2024 Publication Co-author Justice on the Move: The Impact of Bristol-Myers Squibb on FLSA Forum-Shopping, Law.com October 2024 Publication Co-author Evolution of the Two-Step Certification Process for FLSA and ADEA Collective Actions, AELC August 5, 2024 Publication Co-author The Unwitting Employer: Individuals Who May Be Liable for FLSA Violations, Texas Lawyer May 29, 2024 Publication Co-author DOL Weighs-In (Again) With Final Rule on Independent Contractors, HR Daily Advisor May 7, 2024 Publication Co-author FDIC seeks to restrict noncompete agreements, Bank Beat May 1, 2024 Publication Co-author Understanding the DOLs New Salary Requirements for FLSA-Exempt Employees, FSR Magazine May 9, 2023 Publication Co-author3 Major Points to Consider When Deciding Whether to Sue Over Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secret Violations, JDSupra May 26, 2022 Publication Co-author Gender Transitioning in the Workplace: An Employers Guide, JDSupra June 23, 2021 Publication Author Creating a Trans-Inclusive Workplace One Year After Bostock, Law360 August 20, 2019 Publication Author Fifth Circuit Affirms Enron Broker Not Liable to Employee Stock Option Holders for False or Withheld Information, The National Law Review May 20, 2019 Publication Co-author Are No-Poach Agreements Becoming Extinct?, Texas Lawyer March 6, 2019 Publication Author Calif. Justices Stress Employers Wage Statement Duties, Law360 February 13, 2019 Publication Author California Supreme Court Announces a Win for Payroll Outsourcing Industry, JDSupra View More View Less Posts April 2, 2025 Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives Co-author The DEI Dilemma: New EEOC Guidance on DEI Initiatives January 28, 2025 Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives Co-author The High Courts Low Bar: FLSA Exemption Disputes and the Standard of Review December 2, 2024 Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives Co-author Overtime Rewind: Texas Court Ruling Unravels FLSA Salary Level Increases November 14, 2024 Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives Co-author Justice on the Move: The Impact of Bristol-Myers Squibb on FLSA Forum-Shopping June 25, 2024 Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives Co-author The Unwitting Employer: Individuals Who May Be Liable for FLSA Violations April 30, 2024 Hunton Employment & Labor Perspectives Co-authorDollars and Sense - Understanding the DOLs New Salary Requirements for FLSA-Exempt Employees News Time 17 Minute Read August 15, 2024 News Best Lawyers in America 2025 Recognizes 291 Hunton Andrews Kurth Attorneys