Michael H. Bell

Mike has successfully litigated numerous disputes on behalf of employers involving a wide variety of employment law issues, including discrimination and retaliation, sexual harassment, unfair labor practices, collective bargaining agreements, covenants not to compete, trade secret misappropriation, and alleged violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act and Fair Labor Standards Act. He also has broad experience in developing employee handbooks and employment contracts, training managers, reducing potential liability, addressing problematic employee relations situations, and responding to EEOC and state agency charges of discrimination.

Representative cases:

• Martinez v. Startek USA, Inc., No. 18-cv-01792-MSK-KLM, 2020 WL 4448717 (D. Colo. Aug. 2, 2020)
  Order granting motion for summary judgment in case involving claims for hostile work environment, race discrimination, and retaliation.
• Seastrunk v. Entegris, Inc., No. 3:16-cv-2795-S-BN, 2018 WL 4328020 (N.D. Tex. Aug. 20, 2018)
  Order granting motion for summary judgment in race discrimination and retaliation case.
• Gomez v. Ericsson, Inc., 828 F.3d 367 (5^th Cir. 2016)
  Fifth Circuit opinion unanimously affirming summary judgment grant in ERISA severance case following oral argument.
• Bishop v. Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, No. 05-13-00107-CV; 2014 WL 2921620 (Tex. App. – Dallas June 25, 2014, pet. denied).
  Opinion affirming district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of employer in a workers’ compensation retaliation case.
• Askew v. Raytheon Co., No. 3:13–CV–4220–G; 2014 WL 1567916 (N.D. Tex April 17, 2014)
  Order granting motion to dismiss as to most of employee’s discrimination and retaliation claims, including all claims against officers of the company.
• Taylor v. Bailey Tool & Manufacturing Co., 744 F.3d 944 (5th Cir. 2014)
  Opinion affirming district court’s grant of motion to dismiss federal claims on relation-back issue that was a matter of first impression for the Fifth Circuit.
• Bell v. Raytheon Co., No. 3:08-CV-0702-G, 2009 WL 2365454 (N.D. Tex. July 31, 2009)
  Order granting summary judgment motion in first Northern District of Texas age discrimination case after Supreme Court’s revision of the standard of proof in age discrimination cases in Gross v. FBL Financial Services.

Education

• J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 2003
• B.A., summa cum laude, Appalachian State University, 2000

Admission to Practice

• Colorado
• New Mexico
• Texas
• U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
• U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico
• U.S. District Court, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma
• U. S. District Court, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Tenth Circuits

• Dallas Bar Association
• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers

• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “No More Secrets? The Growing Illegality of Noncompetes and Confidentiality Agreements” – Washington, D.C. – May 2, 2024
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Equal Pay Day Series: Part 3—Managing the Multitude of Multistate Pay Transparency Laws” – April 17, 2024
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Colorado’s Newly-Amended Pay Transparency Law: Compliance Requirements Review” – January 8, 2024
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Pay Transparency Update: New York’s Pay Transparency Law and Cross-Jurisdictional Compliance Strategies” – September 12, 2023
• Association of Corporate Counsel – “Crystal Clear: Compliance Strategies for the Growing Pay Transparency Trend” – May 18, 2023
• Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Pay Transparency Proliferation: Keeping Up and Staying Compliant” – San Diego – May 12, 2023
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Equal Pay Day Series: Part 3— Pay Transparency and Other Hot Topics in Pay Equity” – March 15, 2023
• Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “Blackmail, Slaps, and More? Lessons Learned From GCs (Allegedly) Behaving Badly” – Colorado Springs – September 23, 2022
• Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “Recession Refresher: Preparing for an Economic Slowdown” – Colorado Springs – September 23, 2022
• Workplace Strategies Seminar – “The Rise of Pay Transparency Laws and Strategies for Cross-Jurisdictional Compliance” – Phoenix – May 6, 2022
• Workplace Strategies Virtual Seminar – “Reductions in Force in a Pandemic: Lessons for Employers” – June 25, 2021
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Revolution in the Rockies: Compliance With Colorado’s Sweeping Employment Law Changes in 2021” – January 8, 2021
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Pay Equity in Colorado: Complying with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act” – December 17, 2020
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Reopening Colorado Workplaces: Navigating the Transition and Understanding State and Local Orders ” – June 10, 2020
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Everything I Need to Know about Ethics in the Workplace I Learned at the Movies” – Chicago – May 6, 2016
• Ogletree Deakins Briefing – “Reel Ethics” – Dallas – November 5, 2015
• 21st Annual State Bar of Texas Labor and Employment Law Update – “Reductions in Force” – San Antonio – September 18, 2010
• Ogletree Deakins Breakfast Briefing – “Right-Sizing Your Workplace” – Dallas – November 5, 2009

• October 20, 2022 – SHRM Online – “Colorado Gears Up for Paid Family and Medical Leave Program”
• November 30, 2021 – SHRM Online – “Colorado Enacts New Wage Protection Rules”
• July/August 2008 – Journal of Corporate Recruiting and Leadership – “What You Do Know Can Hurt You: Potential Legal Pitfalls of Using Social Networking Websites in the Recruiting Process”
• May 2008 – Journal of Corporate Recruiting and Leadership – “Avoiding Discrimination Claims Stemming from Pre-employment Physical and Psychological Testing”
• November 2006 – Journal of Corporate Recruiting and Leadership – “When Johnny Comes Marching Home…and Needs a Job: Employment Discrimination Against Veterans”
• October 2006 – Journal of Corporate Recruiting and Leadership – “Considering Personal Appearance in the Recruiting Process”

• April 5, 2024 – Law360 – “Tweak To Colo. Sick Leave Rule Helps Ease Compliance”
• January 10, 2024 – Law360 – “High Bar Remains As Colo. Eases Crackdown On Unpaid Work”
• June 8, 2023 – Denver Business Journal – “Critics say Colorado’s new workplace harassment law could backfire”
• January 9, 2023 – Denver Business Journal – “Businesses face a great unknown as 2023 legislative session begins”
• November 14, 2022 – Law Week Colorado – “‘Best Law Firms’ on the Latest in Labor and Employment Law”
• August 17, 2022 – Law Week Colorado – “New Labor Laws, Guidance Has Major Impact on Colorado Employees and Employers”
• May 27, 2022 – Law Week Colorado – “As Noncompete Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk, Employers Should Review Notice Requirements, Pay Thresholds”
• January 2, 2021 – The Colorado Sun – “What’s Working: Small business funding available, back to business in 2021, Colorado unemployment updates and more”

• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Employment Law – Management (2019-2025)
  • Litigation – Labor and Employment (2019-2025)
• “Rising Star” by Texas Monthly Magazine (2009 – present)