Employment Attorney - Ved Chitale
As a Board-Certified Labor & Employment attorney, Ved Chitale regularly advises clients on various labor and employment issues such as discrimination, trade secrets, non-competes, non-solicits, unfair labor practice charges, FMLA leave, benefits policies, employment manuals and policies, wage and hour laws, employment contracts, worker’s compensation, WARN Act, OSHA, and more. Ved routinely drafts employment manuals, employee wage and hour classification policies, employment contracts, severance agreements, bonus agreements and more in a manner that best protects his clients’ interests. A significant portion of Ved’s practice involves dealing with government agencies such as the EEOC, the Department of Labor, the NLRB, the DHS, OSHA and even the IRS.
A problem solver by nature, Ved anticipates issues prior to litigation and mitigates their impact. When litigation is imminent, Ved is quick to focus on the key issues to implement the best solution for his clients, whether that is settlement, dispositive motion practice, or trial. Ved has litigated several dozens of wage and hour cases under the Fair Labor Standards Act, dozens of non-compete and non-solicit cases under the Covenants Not to Compete Act on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants, and dozens of employment discrimination cases under the Texas Labor Code and Title VII. Ved has also litigated several trade secret cases on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants to resolution. He litigates breach of employment contract cases, fiduciary duty cases, and more in state court. Ved has substantial experience litigating ERISA disability cases and defending wage and hour collective and class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Class Action Fairness Act.
Ved is fluent in Hindi and Marathi.
- Employment Litigation
- Employment Counseling and Transactions
- University of Houston Law Center, Houston, Texas
- J.D. – 2016
- Mock Trial Team
- UHLC Honor Court
- Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Labor & Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- State Bar of Texas
- Houston Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section
- South Asian Bar Association
- Associated General Contractors, Houston Chapter
- Helped clients comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and mitigated impact of potential fines for alleged violations of recordkeeping, hours worked, and essential processes
- Secured Temporary Injunction in favor of construction client allowing the client to compete freely in construction activities in Austin, Texas
- Won summary judgment motion on behalf of several defendants in a breach of contract/tortious interference case
- Steered a class action filed by plaintiff under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to a favorable settlement by reducing damages exposure from the nine figures to six figures
- Settled dozens of wage and hour collective action lawsuits on terms favorable to the clients
- Settled a pregnancy discrimination case by reducing damages to less than one third of initial demand
- Defeated proposed nationwide Title VII sex discrimination and sex harassment class action in Southern District of Texas District Court on behalf of one of the country’s largest agricultural equipment dealerships
- Settled several discrimination claims filed with the TWC and EEOC efficiently in the pre-litigation phase on terms favorable to client
- Won final judgments on three Rule 52 Motions on the Administrative Record in ERISA cases in the Southern District of Texas
- Co-wrote winning dispositive summary judgment motion in the Western District of Texas District Court in an ADEA case on behalf of major airline company
- Won Motion to Reconsider Denial of Collective Treatment in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas under the new legal standard in the Fifth Circuit for notice to putative Opt-In Plaintiffs under the FLSA
- Drafted appellate briefs in class and collective action cases in the Ninth Circuit and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in several wage and hour cases under the FLSA and state wage laws
- Defending individuals and management in FLSA, Title VII, ADEA, ADA, ERISA, and other cases in federal court
- Representing individuals and companies as plaintiffs or defendants in non-compete, non-solicit, trade secret misappropriation, employment contract, and other cases in state court
- Litigated wage and hour class actions, collective actions and hybrid class/collective cases for a national plaintiff’s firm through all phases of litigation: pleadings, motions, discovery, research, summary judgment practice, dispute resolution
- Won Motion to Reconsider Denial of Collective Treatment in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas under the new legal standard in the Fifth Circuit for notice to putative Opt-In Plaintiffs under the FLSA
- Defended a medical spa facility against wage and hour claims from former employees
“Will the New Overtime Rule be Implemented,” AM Monthly Law Alert, August 2024
“A Closer Look at the FTC Final Rule,” AM Monthly Law Alert, May 2024
“Department of Labor is Trying to Raise Salary Thresholds Again,” AM Monthly Law Alert, March 2024
“Will the FTC Enact a Ban on Non-Competes?,” AM Monthly Law Alert, February 2024
“Adverse Employment Actions May Not Need to Be Materially Adverse,” AM Monthly Law Alert, January 2024
“First Right of Refusal Under the Service Contract Act,” Am Monthly Law Alert, January 2024
“Labor Relations Training & Update” Associated General Contractors Houston Chapter Safety Meeting, October 2023
“Pregnant Workers Fairness Act,” AM Monthly Law Alert, April 2023
“PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act,” AM Monthly Law Alert, April 2023