Lloyd S. van Oostenrijk

Mr. van Oostenrijk’s practice focuses on labor and employment litigation.  Before becoming an attorney, Mr. van Oostenrijk was employed as a paralegal in the Houston District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Corpus Christi Army Depot as well as an investigator with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.  Mr. van Oostenrijk utilizes that unique experience when representing employers in federal and state court and before local, state, and federal administrative agencies.

Mr. van Oostenrijk has represented management in employment cases filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Equal Pay Act, ERISA, and other employment-related charges and litigation.

Mr. van Oostenrijk also counsels clients on compliance with the host of federal and state regulations including regulations governing public contracts including the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act, the Walsh Healy Public Contracts Act, the Davis-Bacon Act, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.  He also performs training seminars, prepares and reviews personnel handbooks and policies, conducts workplace investigations, and advises clients regarding employee retention and termination.  Mr. van Oostenrijk counsels clients regarding developing policies and procedures to deal with document retention and electronic discovery concerns.

Representative Experience

  • Obtained dismissal on behalf of client defending against claims of sexual harassment based on an employee’s sexual orientation
  • Second-chaired a jury trial in an age discrimination case in which the jury returned a favorable verdict within one hour
  • Successfully argued to exclude an EEOC cause determination from evidence in the same age discrimination trial
  • Obtained a transfer of venue in a commercial dispute based on the convenience of the witnesses despite contractual provisions waiving the right to file motions to transfer venue and stating that venue was proper in federal court in Houston
  • Represented employers before state unemployment agencies, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the United States Department of Labor

Professional Activities

  • “Dealing with Injured or Disabled Workers,” speech, 2009
  • “The Inside Track to EEOC Investigations,” speech, 2008
  • Co-Author: “Avoiding Mass Tort Liability in Acquisitions: Practical Tips & Techniques,” Analysis & Perspective, 10 Mergers & Acquisitions L. Rep. (BNA) 701 (Sept. 3, 2007)
  • Co-Author: “Disclosure of Privileged Material: Waive Your Expert Goodbye,” Analysis & Perspective, 7 Expert Evid. Rep. (BNA) 427 (Aug. 20, 2007)
  • Author: “Paper or Plastic?: Electronic Discovery and Spoliation in the Digital Age,” 42 Hous. L. Rev. 1163 (2005).
  • Member: American Bar Association (Litigation and Labor & Employment Sections), Houston Bar Association (Labor & Employment Section), and the Houston Young Lawyers Association.

Educational Background

2005 - J.D., magna cum laude, University of Houston

2001 - B.L.S., with distinction, Iowa State University

  • While in law school, Mr. van Oostenrijk was a member of the Houston Law Review and served as an Articles Editor.  He is a member of the Order of the Coif and Order of the Barons.  Mr. van Oostenrijk’s law review article was awarded the Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP Award and has since been cited by the New Zealand Court of Appeals.

Admissions

Lloyd was admitted to practice law in Texas in 2006 and is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas.