Serving Greater South Texas
Located in San Antonio
Telephone 210.734.7092
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Plunkett & Gibson, Inc.
- John A. Heller -
John A. Heller

Practicing law is a matter of trust. Trust in your discretion, your judgment, your skills and your reputation. You can be the best lawyer in the world and you can give the best legal advice there is but if clients do not know whether to trust you, they are uncertain whether to follow your advice.

Attorneys are confidants, counselors and advocates. Clients share their secrets and count on you to protect those confidences. Clients ultimately make the decisions but you have to give them the best information and opinions you can. They don't have to take your advice but they have to hear it from you. It's your responsibility to give it.

It is so much better to help clients prevent problems than to defend them after problems occur. You hope to protect your clients so they won't need you to defend them. But when trouble does find them, clients have to be confident that you can both be their champion and you will provide them good counsel.

In this profession, you earn your reputation every day with your clients, your colleagues and the judges before whom you practice. Clients buy your time and talents but they enjoy the benefits of your reputation for competency and honesty. A lot of people trust you to zealously protect the quality of that reputation. You have to develop and protect that trust every day you practice.

Telephone: 210.734.7092   ext. 1117

Practice Areas: Employment Law, Mediation

Qualified Impartial Third Party pursuant to Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §154.052 (2006).

Position

Shareholder

Litigation

50% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Courts of Practice

Licensed to practice before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas, and the State Courts of the State of Texas.

Education

St. Mary's University School of Law, San Antonio, TX, 1975
J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence

St. Mary's University, San Antonio, TX, 1973
B.A., History and Political Science

Areas of Practice

Labor and Employment Law - Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor and Employment Law

Mediation - Completed Basic 40 hour Mediation Training

Represent and defend clients before governmental agencies and in civil litigation in both state and federal courts against claims for violations of state and federal civil rights laws, discrimination statutes and associated state torts. Provide clients with advice on employment actions, investigations, compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. Provide training to managers, supervisors and employees concerning good employment practices.

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in all areas of practice.

Board Certification

Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Past Positions

Sawtelle, Goode, Davidson & Trolio, Associate/Partner, 1976 - 1984

Foster, Heller, Kilgore & Holland, Partner, 1984 - 1998

Plunkett & Gibson, Inc. Shareholder, 1998 - Present

Classes / Seminars Taught

Frequently speaks to various groups about topics related to employment, legal issues and other aspects of human resource management.

Regular presenter at continuing education seminars directed to human resource professionals, attorneys and employers.

Past / Present affiliations

Member San Antonio Bar Association; State Bar of Texas (Section of Labor and Employment); State Bar of Texas (Section of Alternative Dispute Resolution); Texas Bar Foundation; Society for Human Resource Management (1985); San Antonio Human Resource Management Association (1981)

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