Our Practice

Cornell Smith & Mierl was formed by a group of experienced labor and employment lawyers who had practiced for years at large national firms. They joined together to form what has become the largest labor and employment law firm based in Austin, Texas. In a more focused boutique environment, Cornell Smith & Mierl continues to provide excellent specialized legal representation, but with even greater cost effectiveness. As attorneys committed to the finest legal representation available, each of our attorneys adapts to the clients' individual needs -- whether that means defending a discrimination, retaliation, or wrongful discharge lawsuit, advising on day-to-day questions that arise under employment laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act or Family & Medical Leave Act, or providing discrimination and sexual harassment training. Cornell Smith & Mierl's depth of legal experience combined with a practical, business approach to employment law issues has earned the loyalty of our clients.

Our Clients

Cornell Smith & Mierl's clients span a broad range of businesses from large publicly held companies to small non-profit organizations and start-ups. Many of our clients are multi-state and even multi-national employers with operations in Texas. Our client base reflects a multitude of industries: high-tech, health care, call centers, restaurant, finance, trucking distribution, manufacturing, construction, and many others. We take particular pride in the number of law firms that call on us for expertise when they need to advise their clients on complex employment issues such as responding to union organization efforts, audits by the United States Department of Labor Wage & Hour Division, Pay Day Act claims filed with the Texas Workforce Commission, or charges of discrimination investigated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. We work with general counsel, executives, business owners, and human resource professionals who bring various levels of insight and internal resources to the table, and we adjust to each client's level of need for external employment law support from advising on the applicability of the Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) in a mass layoff or plant closing to drafting an employee handbook.

Our Reputation

We pride ourselves on our reputation for excellence and professionalism. The majority of us are native Austinites, and all of us are members of the Austin and Texas Bar Associations. Our most senior attorney has been named in Austin Business Journal's "Best of Business Law" as one of only two attorneys in the field of labor and employment law. This year's judges included representatives from the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism, the Texas Bar Foundation, the Austin Bar Association, and the State Bar of Texas. Two of our attorneys are Board Certified in Labor & Employment law by the Texas State Board of Legal Specialization. Three of our partners have been identified by Texas Monthly magazine as "Texas Super Lawyers" in the areas of Labor and Employment Law and Employment Litigation. Two of our attorneys with fewer than ten years of experience have been similarly identified by Texas Monthly magazine as "Texas Rising Stars."

Among our attorneys are the current and two former Presidents of the local Labor and Employment Section of the Austin Bar Association. Two of our attorneys are former Board Members of the Austin Bar Association, and one is currently a Board Member. Collectively, our attorneys are frequently invited to speak on a variety of employment law topics to industry associations, human resource professionals, and at continuing education programs for attorneys, addressing a wide variety of employment related topics. Our commitment to professionalism is best reflected in the many referrals we receive from both our opposing counsel and competitors.