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Fred Gaona III
Partner
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Partner
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Fred practices in all types of labor and employment disputes, including claims under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and numerous state statutes. Fred also handles disputes involving unfair competition issues, including non-competition agreements, non-solicitation agreements, confidentiality agreements and misappropriation of trade secrets. He has successfully defended employers against a variety of high-stakes claims through dispositive motions, skillful negotiation and aggressive litigation when necessary. Fred has worked with clients in many different industries, including transportation, energy, retail, and construction.
He often steps outside of his employment practice to handle general litigation matters, including cases involving breach of contract, collections and premises liability. Fred has handled workers compensation matters and successfully argued and won a workers compensation matter before an administrative law judge. Fred also has significant experience defending class action and collection action lawsuits. Fred has successfully represented clients in arbitration including matters involving a collective bargaining agreement.
He is certified in alternative dispute resolution and available to help individuals and businesses reach a compromise in all types of labor and employment disputes.
Fred is a regular speaker on a variety of employment law issues, including the numerous federal and state regulations impacting employers, Texas arbitration law, workers compensation law, sexual harassment and electronic issues in the workplace.
Regularly conducts workplace investigations
Counsel and represent employers in litigation in employment-related matters including age, race, national origin, disability and sex discrimination charges, and sexual harassment claims, wrongful termination suits, defamation actions, family leave issues, employee benefits, health and safety matters, and wage-hour disputes
Represents corporate clients in arbitrations brought pursuant to collective bargaining agreements
Frequently trains executives and managers on compliance issues related to labor and employment law
Successfully represented corporate client on appeal before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
Won workers compensation matter before administrative law judge
First chair trial experience
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D., 2000
ABA negotiation team
CALI Award recipient
University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1995
cum laude
The Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2024-2026; Employment Law – Management, 2025-2026
Texas Minority Counsel Program (TMCP) Trailblazer Outside Counsel of the Year award (2016)
Texas Super Lawyer (2014)
Texas Super Lawyer “Rising Star” (2007 – 2012)
American Bar Association
State Bar of Texas, Employment Law Section
Board of Directors, Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation (2012-2013)
Co-Chair, Texas Minority Counsel Program (2011-2012)
Board of Directors, Dallas Hispanic Bar Association (2009-2010)
Elected Secretary of the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas (2008-2009)
Notre Dame Club of Dallas
November 19, 2024 | Publications
In State of Texas v. United States Department of Labor, et al., the U. S. District Court for the Eas...
August 21, 2024 | Publications
On August 20, 2024, a Texas federal court set aside the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Final Rul...
August 7, 2024 | Publications
Only a few weeks after a Texas federal court found the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Final Rule...
July 8, 2024 | Publications
On July 3, 2024, in the case of Ryan LLC et al. v. FTC, the United States District Court for the Nor...
August 28, 2023 | Publications
For decades, federal courts in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi have restricted liability for emplo...
July 6, 2023 | Publications
The U.S. Supreme Court Increases the Burden to Deny a Religious Accommodation Because of Undue Hards...
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Free Webinar
November 1, 2021 | Coronavirus Response Team
With the federal government and several states taking opposing positions on workplace vaccine mandat...
September 8, 2021 | Blogs
In employers’ urgency to ensure proper procedures are in place to create a safe and healthy workpl...
August 24, 2021 | Coronavirus Response Team
As the Delta variant spreads and positive cases continue to rise, employers are yet again questionin...
August 5, 2021 | Coronavirus Response Team
On July 29, 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-38, which prohibits governmen...
March 4, 2021 | Coronavirus Response Team
On March 2, 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA-34, which lifts most of his p...
February 11, 2021 | Publications
In Swales v. KLLM Transp. Servs., L.L.C,[1] the Fifth Circuit outright rejected the traditional Lusa...
September 22, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
On September 17, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued two new executive orders modifying the limi...
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Webinar 3 of 5
July 3, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
Two days before the Fourth of July holiday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered new statewide restric...
June 26, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
As the numbers of hospitalizations and positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise across Texas, Govern...
June 22, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
On June 19, 2020, Dallas County implemented a new Order requiring all commercial entities within the...
June 15, 2020 | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
In a landmark decision, Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the United States Supreme Court held tod...
May 20, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
On May 18, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the “Phase Two” reopening of the Texas econo...
May 8, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
On May 5, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a new executive order continuing the reopening of ...
April 23, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
Frost Brown Todd’s Coronavirus Response Team continues to closely monitor state-by-state shelter-i...
April 17, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
Weeks ago, no one – especially Texans – could have expected the effects COVID-19 would h...
March 26, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
Frost Brown Todd’s Coronavirus Response Team continues to closely monitor state-by-state actions t...
March 19, 2020 | Coronavirus Response Team
The House of Representatives passed the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (H.R. 6201) la...
February 4, 2020 | Press Releases
Labor and Employment attorney Fred Gaona is now a Member of Frost Brown Todd’s (FBT) Dallas office...