Bar Admissions
State Bar of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. District Courts:
Southern District of Texas
Eastern District of Texas
Northern District of Texas
Memberships & Associations
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Houston Bar Association
- Harris County Mayors and Councilmembers Association
Career Highlights
Brian has devoted more than 33 years to the challenges of municipal and local government law and is Board Certified in Labor and Employment by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He began his career in the City of Houston’s Legal Department and, for the past 25 years, has been advising and defending governmental clients with various types of lawsuits, personnel issues, and administrative hearings. Brian has successfully defended various local governmental entities in lawsuits involving discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower claims, etc., and has represented those clients in arbitrations, mediations, EEOC investigations, grievances, unemployment hearings, and civil service commission hearings. He has also served as an advisor to department heads and managerial teams on a wide range of employment related issues.
Education
Doctor of Jurisprudence
University of Houston Law Center, 1992
Bachelor of Science (Public Affairs)
Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana), 1983
Professional Legal Experience
Olson & Olson, LLP | Houston, Texas | 2022 – present | Of Counsel
Olson & Olson, LLP | Houston, Texas | 2018 – 2021 | Managing Partner
Olson & Olson, LLP | Houston, Texas | 2012 – 2017 | Partner
Olson & Olson, LLP | Houston, Texas | 1997 – 2012 | Attorney
City of Houston | Houston, Texas | 1992 – 1997 | Assistant City Attorney
City of Houston | Houston, Texas | 1984 – 1992 | Legal Assistant
Concentration
Brian specializes in employment and labor law. He represents governmental entities at arbitration hearings, unemployment hearings, EEOC investigations, and regularly defends clients in lawsuits involving matters such as sexual harassment, discrimination, property rights, civil rights, whistleblower claims, personal injury, tort claims, and other employment related claims.
Articles, Publications, Presentations
- Breaking Up is Hard to Do, presented at the Texas Municipal League Annual Conference, October 11, 2013, Austin, Texas
- Termination of “At-Will” Employees, presented to Texas City Attorneys Association, June 14-16, 2006, South Padre Island, Texas
- Consistency in Disciplinary Matters/Preparing for Civil Service Hearings, presented to Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association/Civil Service Workshop, February 9, 2006, Dallas, Texas
- Disparate Impact and the ADEA, presented to the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool, August 19, 2005, Austin, Texas
- Personnel Issues For The Governmental Employer, presented at Riley Fletcher Basic Municipal Law Seminar, February 25, 2005, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, Texas
- Selecting an Arbitrator and Other Tricks of the Trade, presented to the Texas Public Employer Labor Relations Association, February 5, 2003, South Shore Harbour Resort, League City, Texas
- A Trio of Management Issues: Leave, Return to Work, and Reasonable Accommodation, presented to the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool, July 15, 1998, El Campo, Texas
- Selecting A Third Party Hearing Examiner, presented at the Texas Municipal League Civil Service Workshop, March 7, 1996, Austin, Texas
Cases
- Reese v. City of Hunter’s Creek Village, 95 S.W.3d 389 (Tex. App. – Houston [1st Dist.], pet. denied)
- City of Madisonville v. Murders, 10-13-00234-CV, 2014 WL 1518244 (Tex. App.—Waco Apr. 17, 2014, no pet.)
- Cities of Friendswood, League City, & Dickson v. Adair, 01-03-00205-CV, 2003 WL 22457996 (Tex. App.-Houston 1st Dist. Oct. 30, 2003, pet. denied)
- Graves v. Mack, 246 S.W.3d 704 (Tex.App. – Houston [14th Dist.] 2007, no pet.)
- Alcala-Garcia v. City of La Marque, 2012 WL 5378118 (Tex. App. — Houston [14th], Nov. 1, 2012, no pet. history)
- Mills v. City of Port Arthur, Tex., No. CIVA 1:05-CV-298, 2006 WL 3531460 (E.D. Tex. Dec. 4, 2006), aff’d, 234 F. App’x 285 (5th Cir. 2007)
- Lewis v. San Jacinto County Appraisal Dist., 2010 WL 3784492 (S.D.Tex. Sept. 23, 2010)
- Benningfield v. City of Houston, 157 F.3d 369, 376 (5th Cir.1998)
- Tharling v. City of Port Lavaca, 329 F.3d 422, 428 (5th Cir. 2003)
Community Involvement
- Church
- Youth Softball League
