Celeste R. Yeager

Celeste Yeager maintains a vibrant labor and employment practice litigating and consulting on behalf of management regarding a variety of employment topics. She defends employers against labor and employment law claims, including helping federal contractors with compliance efforts. Celeste has prepared hundreds of AAPs and led dozens of audits, including both desk and on-site audits.  She has worked with both public and private companies, including smaller operations and multi-state employers.

Her practice also includes consulting and litigating on behalf of clients on a range of HR and compliance issues, including:​

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
• The Equal Pay Act
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Wrongful discharge

This broad experience allows Celeste to give practical, “real life” advice regarding the implementation of policies, procedures and affirmative action plans across the spectrum, from recruiting and obtaining applicant data through the termination of protected employees, helping to identify not only potential risks that could generate an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Charge, but could also create areas of underutilization or a red flag to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). Her goal in assisting clients is to add value to the process by taking each client’s unique business practicalities into consideration while placing the client in the best possible position to prevent and/or defend its employment decisions.   

A skilled litigator, Celeste has successfully secured numerous defense verdicts in court for her clients, including:

• An oil and gas company whose former president claimed a breach of his employment agreement
• Workers compensation retaliation lawsuit at a waste management company
• Race and gender discrimination lawsuit filed by multiple former employees at a convenience store
• Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower lawsuit  filed against a securities investment firm 

Celeste has also prevailed on summary judgment for her clients in the following types of cases:

• Lawsuit alleging sex harassment, rape, and racketeering – harboring illegal aliens to depress the market wages for a hotel chain
• Sex harassment and rape case at a retail company
• Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower lawsuit for a restaurant and gaming complex
• Lawsuit alleging Family and Medical Leave Act violations at an electronics manufacturer

Celeste routinely advises and consults with clients about human resource policies and procedures. She provides management training on various employment-related topics, from anti-harassment to union avoidance.  She also maintains an active traditional labor practice representing clients, both unionized and non-unionized, before the National Labor Relations Board. 

Celeste is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a graduate of the Leadership Arts Institute, a program of Business Council for the Arts.