Dustin A. Paschal

dustin@simonpaschal.com
972.893.9341

Dustin has always had a passion for employment law. He attended Baylor University where he graduated in 2002 with a B.B.A. in Human Resource Management. While at Baylor, Dustin interned with the Vice President of Human Resources at a national manufacturing company where he experienced first-hand the employment issues facing companies and individuals today. After graduating from Baylor, Dustin attended Baylor School of Law and graduated with a J.D. in 2005. Since graduating, Dustin has practiced exclusively in the area of Employment Law and Business Law.

Dustin represents corporations, small businesses, and individual employees and executives. He handles a variety of employment matters, including discrimination and harassment cases, lawsuits involving non-compete agreements, and multi-state collective actions involving wage and hour issues. In addition to his litigation practice, Dustin also reviews individual employment contracts, drafts employee handbooks, and assists companies on a variety of general contractual issues. Dustin takes great pride in helping his clients avoid litigation through proper planning but when his clients need it, Dustin provides aggressive and principled litigation counsel.

Dustin is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association. As a former active member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Dustin served five terms on the Board of Directors and served as a Co-Chair for numerous committees. Dustin also is a Sustaining Life Fellow of the DAYL Foundation, a Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation and a former Associate Member of the Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court.

Dustin also formerly served as the President of DallasHR, the Dallas chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees.  DallasHR is the premier organization in Dallas serving Human Resources professionals.  Prior to his term as Chair, Dustin served multiple terms on the Board of Directors.  Dustin also serves as the Texas SHRM District 1 Director.

Dustin regularly speaks on a variety of Human Resources and employment law topics to many different organizations, including local SHRM Chapters, Chambers of Commerce, the Dallas Society of CPAs, and many more.

D Magazine honored Dustin as a 2018 Best Lawyer Under 40 and twice as a D Magazine Best Lawyer.  He also is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating.  Dustin was selected annually from 2012 to 2019 as a Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers. Dustin’s peers nominated him for this achievement and he is part of only 2.5% of Texas lawyers classified as Rising Stars. It is this high honor that Dustin strives to match on a daily basis.  He has also been selected multiple times as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.

 

 
10.0Dustin Alan Paschal

Education:

  • Baylor University, B.B.A.
  • Baylor University School of Law, J.D.

Bar Admissions:

  • State Bar of Texas
  • US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • US District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas
  • US Court of Federal Claims

Recognitions:

Speeches (representative):

  • Life After Cancer: Employment Issues, Baylor Hospital Cvetko Cancer Center, April 2009 and April 2010
  • FLSA: What You Don’t Know Might Hurt You, Urban League of Dallas, September 2009
  • Investigating Unlawful Harassment, Heart of Texas SHRM, October 2010
  • Protecting Trade Secrets & Enforcing Noncompetition Agreements, Lorman Employment Law Update in Texas, January 2012
  • Conducting Investigations, Lorman Employment Law Update in Texas, January 2012
  • HR Compliance Audits That Prevent Legal Fees, DallasHR Legal Exchange Conference, September 2014
  • Say What?! How Your Handbook Differs From the Law and Is It Helping or Hurting You, HR Southwest, October 2014
  • Preparing for Trial: Insight From an Employment Litigator, HR Southwest, October 2014
  • FLSA Update, HR Southwest, October 2014
  • HR Investigations Even a Lawyer Would Be Proud Of, HR Southwest, October 2015
  • Workplace Investigations: Law, Procedure & Best Practices, HR Southwest, October 2015
  • The Jan Brady of HR: Documents Other Than the Handbook You Absolutely Must Address, HR Southwest, October 2015
  • Workplace Investigations: Law, Procedure & Best Practices, DallasHR, June 2016
  • Off to HR Law School: Don’t Forget Your Employee Handbook, HR Southwest, October 2016
  • HR in an Hour: The Employee Life Span, HR Southwest, October 2016
  • The Great Handbook Debate: Pros, Cons & All the Law, HR Southwest, October 2016
  • 1-15-20-50: Why These Numbers Should Be Important to Your Business, Dallas CPA Society, December 2016
  • Sensitive Employee Relations Matters, Frisco Chamber of Commerce HR Summit, March 2017
  • HR in an Hour: The Employee Life Span, Brazos Valley SHRM, May 2017
  • Elementary My Dear Watson: A Step-by-Step Guide to Workplace Investigations, North Texas SHRM Conference, May 2017
  • Top 5 Mistakes That Cause HR Lawsuits, HR Southwest, October 2017
  • Salary Schmalary: Don’t Forget the White Collar Exemptions Job Duties, HR Southwest, October 2017
  • Top 5 Mistakes That Cause HR Lawsuits, Collin CountyHR, January 2018
  • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Employment Law Overview, DallasHR Legal Exchange Conference, February 2018
  • How to Stay Cool Without Getting Burned, Frisco Chamber of Commerce HR Summit, March 2018
  • Sensitive Employee Relations Matters, Central Texas HR Management Association, April 2018
  • Stopping and Preventing Workplace Harassment, North Texas SHRM Conference, May 2018
  • Say What?! How Your Handbook Differs From the Law and Is It Helping or Hurting You, North Texas SHRM, September 2018
  • Stopping and Preventing Workplace Harassment, East Texas Human Resources Association, October 2018
  • An Employment Mock Trial (Presentation), HR Southwest, October 2018
  • Paul Simon, Elton John & Lynyrd Skynyrd: Your Employees’ Farewell Tour, HR Southwest, October 2018
  • Consequences of Failure to Discipline and Failure to Discipline Properly, HR Southwest, October 2018
  • Gender Stereotyping Issues, HR Southwest, 2018
  • ELEVATE Your Board (Panel Speaker), SHRM Volunteer Leaders Summit, November 2018
  • Risky Employee Behavior & Unintended Consequences, PCMA Gulf States Chapter Risk Mgt Symposium, November 2018
  • Consequences of Failure to Discipline and Failure to Discipline Properly, North Texas SHRM, February 2019
  • Consequences of Failure to Discipline and Failure to Discipline Properly, Red River Valley SHRM, May 2019
  • Consequences of Failure to Discipline and Failure to Discipline Properly, Rose City SHRM, May 2019
  • Paul Simon, Elton John & Lynyrd Skynyrd: Your Employees’ Farewell Tour, Permian Basin SHRM, June 2019
  • Consequences of Failure to Discipline and Failure to Discipline Properly, Big Country SHRM, September 2019
  • Off to HR Law School, HR Southwest Conference, October 2019
  • The HR Detective: Workplace Investigations, HR Southwest Conference, October 2019
  • Trial (and Error): HR Lessons from the Courtroom, HR Southwest Conference, October 2019
  • Consequences of Failure to Discipline and Failure to Discipline Properly, East Texas HRA, December 2019
  • COVID-19: What Employers Need to Know, Florida Association of Insurance Agents, April 2020
  • COVID-19: What Employers Need to Know, Texas CPA Society, April 2020
  • COVID-19: Bringing Texans Back to Work, SHRM, May 2020
  • Consequences of Failure to Discipline and Failure to Discipline Properly, TX Municipal HR Assn., August 2021
  • Lawyer Leadership: A Trial Lawyer’s Guide to Leadership, HR Southwest Conference, October 2021

Professional and Community Involvement:

  • Member, State Bar of Texas
    • Member, Labor and Employment Law Section
  • Member, Dallas Bar Association
    • Member, Labor and Employment Law Section
    • Member, Vision 2020 Commission (Past)
    • Member, Bench Bar Committee, 2013 – Present
      • Co-Chair, DAYL Liaison Subcommittee, 2013
    • Member, Entertainment Committee, 2013
  • DallasHR
    • Board of Trustees (DallasHR’s Governing Body, DHRMA, Inc.), 2019 – Present
      • Chair, 2020 – Present
    • President, 2018
    • Member, Board of Directors, 2015 – Present
    • Director, Employment Law & HR Compliance Committee, 2016
    • Member, Governmental Affairs Committee, 2014 – 2015
      • Co-Director, 2015
  • Texas SHRM
    • District 1 Director, 2020 – Present
    • Co-Director, Governmental Affairs/Advocacy, 2019 – 2020
  • North Texas Community Giving Foundation
    • Trustee, 2016 – Present
    • Chair, 2020 – Present
    • Vice Chair, 2018 – 2020
    • Secretary, 2017 – 2018
    • Texas Big Star Half Marathon & 5K Assistant Race Director & Logistics Chair, 2017 – Present
  • Sustaining Life Fellow, DAYL Foundation
  • Fellow, DBA Foundation
  • Member, Frisco ISD Legislative Leadership Committee, 2021 – Present
  • Member, Frisco ISD District of Innovation Committee, 2021 – Present
  • Member, National Breast Cancer Foundation Advisory Council, 2019 – Present
    • Chair, 2021 – Present
  • Member, City of Frisco Parks & Recreation Board (Place 3), 2019 – 2021
  • Member, Frisco ISD Long Range Planning Committee, 2019 – 2021
  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, 2006 – 2016
    • Member, Board of Directors, (5 Terms)
    • Co-Chair, Technology Committee
    • Co-Chair, Food for Thought Committee
    • Co-Chair, Teen Leadership Committee
    • Co-Chair, Social Committee
    • Member, 2008 DAYL Leadership Class
      • Member, Steering Committee
    • Co-Chair, Ties That Bind Committee, 2008
  • Texas Young Lawyers Association, 2006 – 2016
  • Associate Member, Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court, 2011
  • Member, Big Thought Board of Directors, 2010 – 2012