TEXAS EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS - Key Persons

Bryant S. Banes - CEO

Job Titles:
  • Managing Partner
  • PARTNER
  • Adjunct Professor at Both George Mason University
  • Houston TX Labor Law Attorney, Government Contracts Lawyer Managing Partner
  • Labor Law Attorney, Government Contracts Attorney
  • Managing Partner of Neel
Houston TX Labor Law Attorney, Government Contracts Lawyer Managing Partner Phone: (713) 629-1800 Fax: (713) 629-1812 E-Mail: bbanes@nhblaw.com Bryant Banes has been the managing partner of Neel, Hooper & Banes, P.C. since September 2006. In 2012, Chambers USA recognized Mr. Banes as a leading lawyer in labor and employment law […] Bryant Banes has been the managing partner of Neel, Hooper & Banes, P.C. since September 2006. In 2012, Chambers USA recognized Mr. Banes as a leading lawyer in labor and employment law with a special emphasis in government contracts. He is the only attorney in Houston, Texas who is a member of the Wage & Hour Defense Institute, and regularly litigates FLSA collective actions on behalf of employers. Mr. Banes is also the only lawyer listed nationally as a 2013 BTI Client Service All-Star in government contract compliance and is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. Bryant Banes litigates all types of civil matters before federal and state courts and boards, and has briefed and argued numerous times before U.S. and State Courts of Appeal. He has unique and extensive expertise in all matters arising out of government contracts, including business development and teaming, performance and workforce issues, compliance, audits and investigations, and litigation. Before joining Neel, Hooper & Banes as a shareholder in 2006, Bryant defended complex litigation of all types, including nationwide class actions, in private practice. From 1998- 2002, Bryant was with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was a trial attorney representing the United States government. While at the Department of Justice, he successfully prosecuted or defended multimillion dollar government con-tract and employment claims. He has extensive experience, and is a frequent author and lecturer in the areas of government procurement law and federal employment law. Prior to his stint with the Justice Department, Bryant served his country as a JAG officer in the U. S. Army for eight years on active duty, and retired in 2010 at the rank of lieutenant colonel. As a military attorney, Lieutenant Colonel Banes has led and conducted complex and diverse contract litigation before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals and protests before the Government Accountability Office, the Small Business Administration, and the Federal Courts. He served as the Pentagon's expert on consumer law and estate planning during his tenure there, and drafted regulations and legislation regarding same. He also supervised a legal office responsible for meeting the legal needs of 60,000 soldiers, retirees, and their family members. He prepared numerous troops prior to their deployment overseas in Operation Desert Storm, participated in the relief effort for civilians in Hurricane Andrew, and led a team of attorneys providing free probate assistance to the families of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon. During 2004, he served a one-year tour as the Chief of Procurement and Fiscal Law and the Legal Advisor to the Chief Engineer in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Unit Citation, and the Combat Action Badge. Bryant Banes has taught as an adjunct professor at both George Mason University and the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's School, and earned the Parachute Badge from the U.S. Army Airborne School. He is a member of the American Bar Association's Public Contract Law Section, and the National Contract Management Association's Space City Chapter. Education JD - Louisiana State University, 1990 BS - Kansas State University, 1987 NHB has been a legal force in Houston, Texas for over 35 years. We have been a Member of the WorkLaw Network of premiere boutique management-side labor and employment firms since the group was formed in the 1980s. In 2006, Bryant Banes assumed management of NHB, and was Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization that same year. Bringing this and his extensive government experience to bear, Mr. Banes expanded NHB's labor management practice into the arena of government contracts. Beginning in 2011 and continuing through the present, Mr. Banes was listed in Chambers USA as a "leading lawyer in labor and employment law with a unique expertise in government contract-related matters." In 2012, Mr. Banes was named a Fellow with the Litigation Counsel of America and Member of the Wage & Hour Defense Institute. NHB's membership in both WorkLaw and WHDI provides established relationships and access to local counsel in every state in the Union; there are two affiliated firms located in the Washington, D.C. area; NHB is the primary advisor on government contract-related labor and employment matters.

Sarah P. Harris

Job Titles:
  • Associate With Neel
Sarah P. Harris is an Associate with Neel, Hooper & Banes. Prior to joining Neel, Hooper & Banes, Sarah earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and graduated Cum Laude from South Texas College of Law Houston. While in law school, Sarah served as an Assistant Executive Editor of the South Texas Law Review, Managing Editor of the Corporate Counsel Review, and was inducted into the Phi Delta Phi Honor Society. Sarah received the CALI Award for receiving the highest grade in the course for Legal Research and Writing II, Texas Trial and Appellate Procedure, State Constitutional Law, and Texas Bar Prep. Sarah also served as a judicial intern for Justice Huddle in the First Court of Appeals and the Honorable David Hittner in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. At Neel, Hooper & Banes, Sarah provides representation and guidance to government contractors at all stages, as they navigate the complex government contracting process. Sarah also provides counsel and advice to employers in creating workplace policies and mitigating potentially disruptive litigation issues, as well as defending claims arising from employment-related litigation. Education JD, cum laude - South Texas College of Law Houston, 2018 BA - University of Houston, 2015 Houston, TX. Labor Law Attorney, Government Contracts Attorney Associate Phone: (713) 629-1800 Fax: (713) 629-1812 E-Mail: sharris@nhblaw.com Sarah P. Harris is an Associate with Neel, Hooper & Banes. Prior to joining Neel, Hooper & Banes, Sarah earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and graduated Cum Laude from South […]

Sean D. Forbes

Job Titles:
  • PARTNER
  • Houston TX Employment Lawyer, Government Contracts Attorney / Partner
  • Houston TX. Employment Lawyer, Government Contracts Lawyer Partner
Sean Forbes concentrates his practice in government contracts (including litigation, proposal development and contract management), government relations, and labor and employment law. Sean has experience in a wide variety of civil cases arising out of both commercial and public contracting relationships Prior to joining Neel, Hooper & Banes, Sean was Of Counsel to The Law Office of Bryant S. Banes, P.L.L.C. and Weitinger & Dressler. While serving in that capacity with those firms, Sean defended and prosecuted complex commercial litigation of all types. He has experience in litigation matters as diverse as nationwide class-actions, construction defect claims, landlord/tenant disputes, shareholder disputes, premises liability claims, non-subscriber claims, consumer credit disputes, and insurance coverage disputes. Sean also has experience in the formation and structuring of entities, the structuring and coordination of private placement securities transactions, compliance with State and Federal securities laws, the preparation and negotiation of contracts, and advising management on corporate compliance issues. In his government contracts practice, Sean has assisted clients in the areas of business development and proposal development, as well as defending and prosecuting protests of government contract solicitations and awards before the United States Court of Federal Claims. In addition to his involvement in traditional courthouse litigation, Sean has been involved in prosecuting and defending administra tive protests before regional offices of the Small Business Administration, the Small Business Administration's Office of Hearings and Appeals, the Government Accountability Office, and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. He has taken part in arbitrations involving the interpre tation and application of collective bargaining agreements. He also actively advises clients on day-to-day matters in an effort to avoid litigation. This includes advising clients with respect to: the administration of collective bargaining agree ments, the protection of proprietary information, the management of wage and hour matters, and the maintenance of their government contracts. Education JD - South Texas College of Law, 2003 BA - University of Texas, 1999 Sean Forbes has been listed as a Rising Star in government contracts from 2009-2016 by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters publication, and Linda Evans was selected as a Super Lawyer in labor and employment law by Thomson Reuters from 2012-2015.