Lauren L. Mitchell is a partner in the complex litigation/dispute resolution group. Lauren focuses her practice on the efficient and effective resolution of employment disputes. She defends employers against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims in EEOC investigations through civil litigation involving claims under Title VII, Section 1981, ADA, as amended, ADEA, FLSA, Texas Labor Code, and Illinois Human Rights Act claims and employment-related tort claims.

Lauren prosecutes claims for breach of covenants not to compete and she represents clients regarding confidentiality and non-solicitation agreements. She also provides advice and counsel to assist clients in minimizing the risk of litigation, including: evaluating and executing employee terminations and reductions-in-force, drafting employment agreements, separation agreements, policy handbooks, and conducting FLSA classification audits.

Lauren graduated cum laude with a J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. While in law school, she was selected as an articles editor for the International Law Review Association and she worked as a student attorney in the Southern Methodist University Civil Clinic where she represented clients in consumer law matters.

  • Represented financial institution in AAA Employment Arbitration and prevailed on claim that employee breached his contractual obligation to repay his sign-on bonus to his employer when he resigned before a certain date. The arbitrator rejected the former employee’s claim that the bonus repayment provision constituted an unenforceable covenant not to compete and a forfeiture and upheld the repayment provision as enforceable.
  • Represented Parkland Health and Hospital System in its defense against a former contractor’s claims that the hospital discriminated and retaliated against him by failing to directly hire him and interfered with his direct employment. The Dallas Court of Appeals opinion upholding the trial court’s dismissal in favor of Parkland created pro-employer precedent limiting the ability of contractors to bring employment discrimination claims under a theory of indirect employer liability against entities with whom their direct employer contracts.
  • Represented a book publisher that was sued in federal court for defamation and various torts by an individual depicted in a book that documented an anti-government militia. Ms. Mitchell immediately moved to have the case dismissed on multiple grounds. The Court agreed and dismissed the lawsuit only a few months after Ms. Mitchell made the request.
  • Represented Parkland Health and Hospital System in its defense against a former employee of Parkland’s IT Group who brought claims for discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Ms. Mitchell achieved a complete reversal in the Dallas Court of Appeals of the trial court’s order denying Parkland’s Plea to the Jurisdiction, resulting in dismissal of the plaintiff’s lawsuit in its entirety.
  • Obtained favorable ruling from the Texas Supreme Court Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on a motion to consolidate four separate, but related employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuits, resulting in the first multidistrict litigation treatment of employment discrimination claims in Texas and significant savings to client from consolidated discovery and pretrial proceedings.
  • Represented clients and obtained or defended injunctions and litigated numerous cases involving misappropriation of trade secrets, covenants not to compete, unfair competition, and related torts.
  • Represented numerous companies in Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action lawsuits and government investigations alleging failure to pay overtime wages to hundreds of employees.

Press Releases

Nine Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Selected as Texas Rising Stars

Dilbeck and Howison are newly honored this year as Texas Rising Stars and Lopano and Strauss are recognized among the prestigious Up and Coming 50: 2022 Women in Texas Rising Stars.  Lopano was also listed among the Up and Coming 100: 2022 Texas Rising Stars.  The MWM attorneys were selected in the categories of intellectual

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Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Elects Susan Hogan, Lauren Mitchell, Will Howison, and Keith Harden as 2022 Partners

“Lauren, Susan, Keith and Will have brought tremendous success to our firm and demonstrated zealous work ethic,” said managing partner William A. Munck.  “They excel as attorneys in corporate law, IP, and litigation and they have impressed all of us with their commitment to their practice, their clients, and our law firm.” Hogan practices in

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In the News

Munck Wilson Mandala is pleased to announce Lauren Mitchell as our newest litigation partner

Lauren received her J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, graduating cum laude. While in law school, she was selected as an articles editor for the International Law Review Association and she worked as a student attorney in the SMU Civil Clinic where she represented clients in consumer law matters. A little

| 2 minute read

Press Releases

Nine Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Selected as Texas Rising Stars

Arvesen, Harden, and Plagens are newly honored this year as Texas Rising Stars and Lopano was recognized among the prestigious Up and Coming 50: 2021 Women in Texas Rising Stars.  The MWM attorneys were selected in the categories of intellectual property, business/corporate law, business litigation, employment litigation, and intellectual property litigation. Published by Thomson Reuters,

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Press Releases

Seven Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Selected as Texas Rising Stars

Seven Munck Wilson Mandala attorneys have been recognized as Texas Rising Stars for 2020.  The attorneys were selected in the categories of intellectual property, business/corporate law, business litigation, employment litigation, and intellectual property litigation. Published by Thomson Reuters, the Texas Rising Stars listing recognizes the top young lawyers in the state based on a multiphase

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Press Releases

Seven Munck Wilson Mandala Attorneys Selected as Texas Rising Stars

Published by Thomson Reuters, the Texas Rising Stars listing recognizes the top young lawyers in the state based on a multiphase process that includes nominations, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. Three of the recognized Rising Stars, Sarah Lopano, Lauren Mitchell and Jordan Strauss, will be included in the

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Press Releases

23 Munck Wilson Mandala Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyers List

Munck Wilson Mandala is pleased to announce that 23 lawyers have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic

| 2 minute read

Press Releases

Munck Wilson Mandala Ranked Among 2024 Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms”

In Dallas, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in commercial litigation, copyright law, corporate law, employment law/management, insurance law, labor law/management, litigation/construction, litigation/intellectual property, litigation/labor and employment, litigation/patent, mergers and acquisitions law, patent law, sports law, technology law, trademark law, and venture capital law. In Austin, MWM ranked as a Best Law Firm® in

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Press Releases

29 Munck Wilson Mandala Lawyers Named to 2025 Best Lawyers List

Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.  MWM is proud to have lawyers listed in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and

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Client Alerts

Texas Judge Blocks FTC’s Ban on Noncompetes, But Appeals and State Action Are Ongoing

In April 2024, the Federal Trade Commission issued a broad rule banning most noncompetes in for-profit businesses, subject to limited exceptions, including an exception for senior executives (defined as workers earning more than $151,164 annually who are in policymaking roles). Existing noncompete agreements would not need to be formally rescinded under the ban, but employers

| 4 minute read

Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, JD, 2010

cum laude

University of Texas at Dallas, BA, 2005

Crime and Justice Studies

cum laude

  • State Bar of Texas
  • Dallas Bar Association

  • Best Lawyers in America
    2024-2025
  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, Fellow
  • Texas Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters
    2018-2022

Texas, 2010

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

Illinois, 2021

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois