Danielle K. Herring
Shareholder at Littler Mendelson, P.C
Practice Areas
ERISA and Benefit Plan Litigation
Discrimination and Harassment
Wage and Hour
Healthcare
Financial Services
Overview
Danielle K. Herring focuses her practice on a variety of employment litigation matters as well as client counseling. She represents employers in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Texas Workforce Commission, the Department of Labor, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Danielle also regularly counsels employers on issues involving federal, state and local statutes and regulations, as well as the common law. She has represented employers in administrative charges, litigation and disputes related to:
• Discrimination on the basis of age, race, sex, national origin, religion, and disability
• Retaliation
• Harassment
• The Employee Retirement Income Security Act
• Wage and hour disputes
• The Family and Medical Leave Act
• Employment tort claims
Danielle’s litigation practice includes a particular focus on denial of benefits claims filed under ERISA. She has experience defending plan sponsors, fiduciaries and claims administrators in a wide range of ERISA cases across the country.
Danielle serves as the firm’s Women’s Leadership Initiative liaison for the Houston office and is co-chair of the ERISA and Benefit Plan Litigation Practice Group.
Professional and Community Affiliations
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Houston Bar Association
• Member, Asian American Bar Association of Houston
• Member, State Bar of Texas
• Council member, Labor & Employment Section, Houston Bar Association, 2012-2015
• Dean, Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity International, Baylor University School of Law
Recognition
• Named, Rising Star, Texas, Super Lawyers, 2016-2017
• Named, Rising Star, Texas Monthly Magazine, 2012-2015
• Named, Top Lawyer, Houstonia Magazine, 2015
Education
J.D., Baylor University School of Law, 2003
B.A., Baylor University, 1998, With Honors
Bar Admissions
Texas
Courts
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
Publications and Press
• Two Littler Shareholders Named as Practice Group Co-Chairs, Littler Press Release, June 2, 2017
• Workplace Equity: Striving to Become Gender-Neutral in the Office, Texas Lawyer, November 1, 2016
• Claims Review Procedures Must Be in Plan Document (Not Just SPD) Post-Amara, District Court Holds, Littler ASAP, January 11, 2012
• Littler Mendelson Announces 13 Newly-Elevated Shareholders, Littler Press Release, January 19, 2010
Events & Speaking Engagements
• Human Resource Law from A to Z, NBI Seminar, Houston, TX, May 2, 2017
• 2016 Houston Employer Conference, Houston, TX, August 11, 2016
• Chutes and Ladders: Tips for Winning When Faced with Wage/Hour Challenges Under the FLSA , October 22, 2015
• 2015 Houston Employer Conference, Houston, TX, August 13, 2015
• Hiring, Performance Management and Termination, Labor & Employment Webinar Series – Littler Mendelson and BB&T, September 18, 2014
• The 2014 Houston Employer Conference, Houston, TX, August 14, 2014
• Ethical Issues for Corporate Counsel, Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX, August 22, 2013
• The Shifting Landscape of Employee Benefits – Imperatives for 2012 and Beyond, Los Angeles, CA, October 11, 2012
• The 2012 Houston Employer Conference, Houston, TX, August 2, 2012
• Controlling Employee Personal Behavior in the Age of Social Media and Personal Technology, Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX, August 2, 2012
• Top Ten Mistakes Employers Make, and How to Avoid Them, 2012 Annual Meeting – State Bar of Texas, June 14, 2012
• The 2011 Houston Employer Conference, Houston, TX, August 11, 2011
• Retaliation: How Do You Stop It, What Does It Mean and Why Are Claims Still Growing?, Littler Mendelson, Houston, TX, August 12, 2010
• The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: How to Walk the Minefield, Houston, TX, June 30, 2009
• Federal Discrimination Update – Recent Decisions of Interest from the Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit, Advanced Employment Law CLE – University of Houston, Houston and Dallas, TX, March 2009
• Avoiding Employment Law Claims: Top Ten Ways to Avoid Getting Sued by Employees, University of Houston Law Foundation, Houston and Dallas, TX, June 2008
• Don’t Say FMLA Unless You Mean It, Legal Update, Labor and Employment Section – Houston Bar Association, June 2006
• Managing Human Resources: A Legal Perspective, University of Houston Continuing Education, Houston, TX, 2006
• Legal Fundamentals for Employers , Houston, TX, November 16, 2005
• Top Ten HR Issues, Nonprofit Law Institute, Houston, TX, March 3, 2005
Books & Book Chapters
• Employee Benefits Law, Third Edition, 2015 Cumulative Supplement, Contributing Author