Derrick Reed is a founding partner of Stephens Reed &Armstrong, PLLC. His practice focuses on all areas of employment and labor law, commercial litigation, and general business matters.
Legal Experience
During the first years of his legal career, Derrick focused his experience on intellectual property law and civil litigation in the private sector at an Am Law 250 firm. His practice ranged from preparing and prosecuting patent applications to representing clients in complex commercial litigation matters. He then served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for over four years. As a Prosecutor, he handled thousands of cases, ranging from minor misdemeanor matters to serious felonies, including capital murder. He also gained first chair jury trial experience trying over 35 cases to verdict in County and District Courts.
Derrick then went to work as a Senior Associate for a labor and employment law firm in Houston where he vehemently defended companies accused of various employment violations, including but not limited to, Title VII, Title IX, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) related matters. He also represented plaintiffs and defendants in various complex commercial litigation matters involving a wide range of financial, shareholder, and trade secret issues. He resigned his position with that firm in 2016 to become a founding partner of Stephens Reed & Armstrong, PLLC.
Locations
- Houston
- Dallas (By Appointment Only)
Areas of Practice
- Employment Matters, Disputes & Litigation
- Commercial Disputes & Litigation
- General Business Matters
- Government/Public Affairs
- Intellectual Property Disputes & Litigation
- Real Estate and Property Disputes
- Independent Internal Investigations
Representative Experience
- Defended Fortune 100 corporations with various employment disputes, including alleged FMLA, FLSA, and Title VII violations.
- Successfully advocated a Title VII matter for large pet store chain resulting in no money verdict to Plaintiff.
- Regularly conduct independent investigations for clients and advise executives as to how to proceed with accusations of misconduct, including but not limited to, investigations related to the Department of Labor complaints, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and general internal complaints.
- Represented numerous state governmental entities, municipalities, and corporate entities to various extents, including acting City Attorney, political liaison, and general counsel.
- Represented a construction management company with contract negotiations in connection with a $1.9 billion government project.
- Represented an international offshore ship construction company in connection with contractual disputes regarding timeliness of deliveries and quality of equipment.
- Represented several Fortune 500 corporations in patent infringement, enforcement and licensing matters and patent application filings and responses.
Education
- The University of Texas at Austin – Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering
- Thurgood Marshall School of Law - Juris Doctor
Professional Licenses and Admissions
- State Bar of Texas
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
- United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of Texas
Other Interests
In addition to his law practice, Derrick was elected to Pearland City Council, Position 2, in 2015 and reelected in 2018. He devoted many years to serving the citizens of the City of Pearland, Texas before stepping down to run for U.S. Congress. He also functions on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations, including Houston L.E.A.D., the Texas Black Expo, and Houston Community Toolbank. He enjoys spending time with his family, working out and fantasy football.
