Dawn S. Holiday

Partner, Houston
713.752.4273
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Biography

Dawn Holiday is an experienced litigation attorney representing clients in a wide variety of labor and employment matters. Dawn is no stranger to the courtroom and she primarily represents employers in state and federal courts, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings in various jurisdictions. Dawn’s unfair advantage is her ability to tackle the day-to-day issues in the workplace setting and provide zealous advocacy in the courtroom setting. Because of her knowledge and years of experience, she equips employers with sound legal counsel throughout the entire employment life cycle. The bottom line: When employers face workplace challenges involving employees, they call Dawn for solutions.

Dawn is a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion in the legal profession. Dawn has personally mentored law students and young lawyers on navigating the complexities faced by racially, socio-economically, and gender diverse lawyers. Internally, Dawn is a member of Jackson Walker’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and externally, she is a frequent speaker on issues related to hiring, retaining and advancing people of color. Dawn is also a Fellow of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Having obtained a Diversity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University, Dawn has been asked to provide DEI trainings and workplace culture assessments for organizations throughout the US.

Dawn is also passionate about exposing young students in under-served communities to the possibility of choosing a legal career and is a sought-after Career Day presenter for primary and secondary schools. Dawn has volunteered countless hours of her time teaching 5th and 7th grade classes about the Texas civil and criminal court systems and prominent diverse legal leaders through the Houston Bar Association’s Constitution Day and Teach Texas programs.

In addition to her commitments to diversity, community service and future generations, Dawn brings leadership to her practice. Dawn is a graduate of the Houston Young Lawyers Association’s Leadership Academy and Leadership Montgomery County. Dawn served on the Board of Directors for Northland Christian School. Currently, Dawn is a Board Member of the University of Houston Alumni Association Foundation.

Education

B.A., magna cum laude, University of Houston
M.A., summa cum laude, Moody Bible Institute
J.D., South Texas College of Law Houston

  • South Texas Law Review, Articles Editor

Diversity and Inclusion Certification, Cornell University

Bar Admissions

Texas

Court Admissions

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court for Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas
United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas

Labor & Employment (Advice and Counsel, Investigations and Litigation)

  • Frequently called upon to conduct workplace investigations for public and private sector employers, governmental agencies, and educational institutions.
  • Experience initiating injunction proceedings, trade secret litigation, and obtaining injunctive relief on behalf of employers against former employees for violation of non-competition agreements.
  • Successfully defended claims against employers for violations of the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and state law equivalents.
  • Won AAA arbitration in 2022 on claimant’s wrongful termination claim; prevailed on counter-claim and recovered all costs and attorneys’ fees.
  • Conducted investigation of retaliation and harassment complaints for city police department.
  • Successfully conducted Title IX investigation for community college system.
  • Successfully represented national staffing agency in contractual dispute related to staffing agreements, employee compensation and commissions
  • Obtained dismissal of lawsuit against a national healthcare company in class action suit for unpaid wages under the FLSA
  • Successfully defended Texas school district in FLSA retaliation suit brought by former employee
  • Settled numerous suits against national employers for wrongful termination, harassment, hostile work environment and discrimination based on race, age, disability and gender
  • Counseled and represented employers on issues implicating the Family Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities, Act, Workers’ Compensation, paid/unpaid sick leave, and Families First Coronavirus Response Act
  • Successfully obtained injunctive relief for employers in non-competition litigation involving forensics investigation of computer systems, virtual environments and electronic devices

Trial & Appellate

  • Successfully defended corporations in class action lawsuits under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), including state law equivalents of the TCPA.
  • Served as lead appellate counsel for appeals at the state and federal court levels on professional liability matters
  • Successfully defended multi-million claims against intermediate care facilities on Chapter 74 Health Care liability claims for wrongful death and survival, traumatic brain injuries and catastrophic personal injury claims
  • Negotiated settlements in multi-party suits involving professional negligence and breach of fiduciary duty claims against lawyers, accountants, realtors, insurers and healthcare facilities
  • Represented licensed professionals before respective state boards for ethics investigations, disciplinary rule violations, state board rule violations and grievances

  • Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2020-2024
  • Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2023-2024
  • H Texas Top Lawyers of Houston, 2020
  • “Top 100,” The National Black Lawyers, 2019-2024
  • Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
  • Life Fellow, Houston Young Lawyers Foundation
  • Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
  • Life Member, University of Houston Alumni Association
  • Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Class of 2018
  • Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
  • AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Texas Rising Star, Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2012-2018
  • Selected, Who’s Who in Black Houston
  • Selected, International Women’s Leadership Association
  • Houston Young Lawyers Association Leadership Academy Graduate
  • Leadership Montgomery County Class of 2017
  • Selected, National Bar Association’s Top 40 Under 40

Publications

Speaking Engagements

  • “Protecting IP and Endpoints with Remote or Departing Employees,” Intellectual Property in Energy Mini-Conference by The Center for American and International Law (2023)
  • “Leaders of Color: The Changing Landscape,” Centerforce USA’s The Women in Legal & Corporate Leadership Summit: Houston (2020)
  • “Buried Silver: Confidentiality Orders and Issues with Sealed Documents,” Houston Bar Association’s 2019 Civil/Appellate Bench Bar Conference (2019)
  • “Trust Me, I’m A Lawyer: Ethical Considerations of Attorney Marketing,” Texas Minority Attorney Program CLE (2018)
  • Women in Law and Leadership Houston, Speaker (2018)
  • “Confusion Amongst Texas Courts: When Can Insureds Recover Policy Benefits for Statutory Violations?” Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC First Look – Winter Issue 2018
  • “When Lawyers Get Sued, Who’s Got Your Back: The Ends and Outs of Legal Malpractice in Texas,” The Woodlands Bar Association Ethics CLE (2017)
  • How Does the New Texas Open Carry Law Affect Employers? (2016)
  • Texas Supreme Court Examines Liability for Property Owners (2016)
  • Texas Supreme Court Rules that General Contractor is Not a Seller Entitled to Statutory Indemnity (2016)
  • “Enforcing Mediated Settlement Agreements,” Texas State Bar CLE (2014, 2015)
  • “Legal Malpractice in Texas,” Texas State Bar CLE (2014)
  • Don’t Be a Vegan at the Courthouse: Drafting Orders that Stick (2013)
  • The Surveyor’s Guide to Contract Law in Texas (2013)
  • Don’t Let the Data Byte You in the ASCII: Discovering E-Discovery in Texas (2012)

  • The University of Houston Alumni Association Foundation, Board of Directors
  • Houston Bar Association’s Teach Texas, Volunteer
  • Houston Bar Association’s Constitutional Day Reading Program, Volunteer
  • The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce
  • The Woodlands Bar Association
  • Houston Bar Association, Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee
  • Texas Young Lawyers Association
  • University of Houston Alumni Association Foundation, Board Member (current)
  • Northland Christian School, Former Board Member
  • South Texas College of Law Black Alumni Chapter, Charter Member
  • Houston Young Lawyers Foundation’s Adopt-An-Angel Program, Coordinator
  • Greater Houston Partnership, Business Resource Group–Talent Resources Group
  • Greater Houston Partnership, Business Resource Group–Women’s Business Alliance

May 30, 2025
Newsletters

JW Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter – May 2025

View Jackson Walker’s May 2025 Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.

March 27, 2025
Insights

DEI Under Scrutiny: What Employers Must Know About New EEOC and DOJ Guidance

By Jamila M. Brinson, Dawn S. Holiday, and Ariel Perez

Following multiple executive orders from President Donald Trump concerning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), employers have been eagerly awaiting agency guidance to clarify the scope and implications of what is considered “illegal DEI” in the workplace.

Dawn Holiday

February 27, 2025
Spotlight

Dawn Holiday Shares Her Legal Journey With ‘The Texas Lawbook’ in Honor of Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month, Jackson Walker attorney Dawn Holiday shared her legal journey and inspirations with The Texas Lawbook.

January 28, 2025
Insights

DEI in the Spotlight: Employer Strategies for a Shifting Landscape

By Dawn S. Holiday

On January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order titled, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” (the “Order”). The Order instructed all executive departments and federal agencies to “terminate all discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements.”

JW Diversity & Inclusion 2022 Report theme

December 16, 2024
Newsletters

JW Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter – December 2024

View Jackson Walker’s December 2024 Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.

October 30, 2024
Podcasts

Jackson Walker’s Diversity & Inclusion Counseling on Navigating the Post-Harvard Corporate Landscape

JW Fast Takes Podcast | ~10 minutes

In this episode of Jackson Walker Fast Takes, Houston partners Jamila M. Brinson and Dawn S. Holiday join host Courtney White to discuss the significant shifts in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) landscape following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

September 23, 2024
Attorney News

Jackson Walker Congratulates 12 Attorneys Named to ‘Lawdragon 500 Corporate Employment Lawyers’ List

Jackson Walker announces the selection of 12 attorneys to Lawdragon‘s lists of the 500 leading practitioners in corporate employment law.

Texas Super Lawyers 2024

September 17, 2024
Attorney News

Jackson Walker Congratulates Its “Texas Super Lawyers” of 2024

Jackson Walker proudly announces the selection of 71 attorneys to Thomson Reuters’ 2024 “Texas Super Lawyers” list.

Each year, less than 5% of attorneys in Texas are named to the list. Selection is based off of peer nominations that are then reviewed by a research team. Each nominee is evaluated on his or her professional accomplishments, peer recognition, and community involvement.

JW Diversity & Inclusion 2022 Report theme

August 23, 2024
Newsletters

JW Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter – August 2024

View Jackson Walker’s August 2024 Belonging & Inclusion Newsletter, Perspectives.

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