Derrick G. Parker represents management in civil rights including race, gender, national origin, disability, equal pay, harassment and retaliation, wrongful discharge, employment tort, defamation and slander, and other employment-related charges. He also represents employers in federal and state court and before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

Derrick’s practice also includes disputes involving employment contracts, covenants not to compete and confidentiality agreements. He has also defended clients in disputes involving wage and hour law (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and a variety of other labor standard matters.

In addition to his employment practice, Derrick also defends nonprofit organizations, primarily homeowner and condominium associations in various litigation disputes. Prior to joining Thompson Coe, Derrick clerked as in-house counsel with the Oakland Raiders and was employed by the Boeing Company (Space and Communications Division) as an Engineer/Scientist.

• Obtained a defense jury verdict in 2009 for an employer in a pregnancy discrimination suit.
• Obtained summary judgment for an employer in a Sabine Pilot claim; including recovery of attorneys fees.
• Obtained summary judgment for an employer in a lawsuit alleging race discrimination and retaliation.
• Obtained summary judgment for an insurance carrier in a FLSA claim.
• Negotiated favorable settlements for several employers in lawsuits in state and federal court involving breach of contract, defamation and complex employment disputes alleging discrimination, retaliation, and harassment.
• Negotiated favorable settlements for several homeowner and condominium associations involving declaratory actions, defamation, and negligence.

• State Bar of Texas
• Houston Bar Association
• Houston Association of Young Lawyers
• The Coalition of Tomorrow’s Hope, board member, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to underrepresented youth to attend higher educational institutions.

• Permissible Limits of Monitoring or Regulating Employee Off-Duty Conduct (Thompson Coe's Fourth Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar), October 2009
• Dealing with the TWC and/or EEOC: Cooperate, Mediate, or Litigate? (Thompson Coe's Third Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar), October 2008
• Overtime Issues: Avoiding FLSA Pitfalls (Thompson Coe's Second Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar), February 2007
• Employee Handbooks in Texas: Policies Designed to Assist or Benefit Employees, Lorman Educational Services, October 2006
• Human Resource Fundamentals in Texas: Violence in the Workplace, Lorman Educational Services, June 2006

Certified Mediator, The University of Texas School of Law