Jackson Walker L.L.P. is pleased to welcome partners John V. Jansonius and Stephanie K. Osteen, and Senior Counsel Christina A. Jump to the firm. These attorneys add considerable strength and prestige to Jackson Walker’s Labor and Employment practice, making it one of the largest among Texas-based firms.

Mr. Jansonius, Ms. Osteen, and Ms. Jump join the firm’s Dallas office from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P. They bring considerable expertise in handling labor and employment matters for clients that include Fortune 100 companies in transportation, hospitality, energy, and manufacturing.

With more than 30 years’ experience, Mr. Jansonius is one of the premiere labor and employment attorneys in the field. He has been named one of the top five labor and employment lawyers in the state by Texas Lawyer, and he has been recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for the past three years. Board certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1987, Mr. Jansonius has successfully defended clients in numerous jury and non-jury trials in state and federal court and has presented oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court and several federal courts of appeals.

Mr. Jansonius serves on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas, is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. He has chaired the Labor and Employment Section of the State Bar of Texas as well as the North American Transportation Employee Relations Association. He is also a prolific author and speaker on labor and employment law topics. Mr. Jansonius’ articles have been published in The Labor Lawyer and The Labor Law Journal; he was editor of the Texas Bankers Association’s Employment Law Guide for Financial Institutions; and he is a contributing author on the American Bar Association treatise on The Railway Labor Act.

Ms. Osteen has spent the last 15 years litigating complex and high-exposure employment cases in federal and state courts and before arbitrators and administrative tribunals. She has extensive experience defending individual and class-action discrimination and harassment lawsuits and protecting employer proprietary interests through enforcement of noncompetition and confidentiality agreements. She has handled cases involving all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as whistleblower claims, wage and hour issues, misappropriation of trade secrets, and wrongful termination suits. She also advises businesses in connection with a wide range of strategic employment decisions, including reductions in force, labor union relations, employment investigations, and disability and family leave issues.

Ms. Osteen currently serves as a Director at Large for the Dallas Women Lawyers Association and is a member of the State Bar of Texas Pro Bono College.

Ms. Jump is board certified in Labor and Employment by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and focuses her practice on employment litigation. She has counseled and defended employers on matters related to discrimination and harassment issues; workplace torts, such as negligence, assault and invasion of privacy; protection of trade secrets; covenants-not-to-compete; confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements; whistleblower claims; wage and hour disputes; and other workplace-related issues. She also advises businesses on a wide range of employment matters, including policies, training, discipline, termination, reductions in force, internal investigations and compliance with federal and state law.

Ms. Jump is currently the President of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association. She is also a fellow in the charitable organizations of both the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation and the Texas Bar Foundation. She has previously served on a part-time basis as an associate hearing officer for the City of Dallas, presiding over civil property code enforcement hearings.

The experience Mr. Jansonius, Ms. Osteen, and Ms. Jump bring to the firm further enhances the capabilities of Jackson Walker’s Labor and Employment practice group, which is among the strongest in the Southwest. Attorneys in the group have successfully tried cases and obtained favorable summary judgments for clients in courthouses throughout the state and nationwide.

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