Board-certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor & Employment Law, Butch has spent a large portion of his career advising businesses in matters that bridge technology, contract, and employment matters. Much of his practice is in federal trial and appellate courts, where he enjoys a positive rapport with judges, clerks, and staff. Butch has also worked quietly to secure confidential resolutions to issues of the most sensitive nature.
Prior to forming Weisbart Springer Hayes LLP, in 2012, Butch spent two decades at two of the country’s largest international law firms, Vinson & Elkins, LLP, and Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP. He spent several years practicing law and acting as Administrative Partner and Partner-in-Charge of Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP’s, Austin office, where he oversaw the financial and logistical operations of an office with close to 200 partners, associates, professionals, and administrative employees. He was called upon to gain an understanding of a broad range of civil litigation and counseling. Butch brings to his clients’ needs practically, creativity, and a unique business-oriented perspective. Some may say that he also brings a different, if not twisted, sense of humor.
Outside the Office
Butch has, for better or worse, lived a life focused around competition. He spent his high school years in a rigorous tennis academy, training multiple hours each day after classes ended. He went on to become an Academic All-American and all-conference and division I college tennis player who secured a winning record in singles and doubles at the top of his team’s lineup. As an adult Butch has been ranked in the top 5 nationally in his age division in singles and doubles, and has won multiple Texas state championships. He has a (probably very lucky) win over a former Wimbledon champion while in college. He has captained the Texas men’s open tennis team over multiple years, and led that team to a national championship in 2014. Butch brings that competitive fire to his law practice, but places great value on the professional and cordial relationships and reputation he has earned with judges, and adversaries, and clients.
Butch is a proud husband and father, and role model to his dogs, nearly all of which would provide very nice testimonials about him if given the opportunity.
When he’s not sitting in judgment of social media “influencers,” Butch likes to stand in his garage and think about cleaning it.
Representative Cases
- Successfully handled and tried as lead counsel dozens of employment and technology related business disputes, including shareholder derivative and fraud suits on behalf of publicly-traded and private corporations in matters involving damages in the 10-figure range.
- Successfully represented Fortune 20 client in significant technology and trade secret litigation.
- Representation of market leaders in technology industries, as well as some of the largest retailers in the world.
- Successfully defended a wide range of public and private companies, including Fortune 100 corporations, in significant federal and state discrimination and class-action wage and hour matters, including disparate impact, and statistical cases against the government and private plaintiffs.
- Successful representation of prominent executives and those in the sports/entertainment industry.
- Represented publicly-traded companies in various licensing and patent infringement claims.
- Aggressively represented business in multiple sexual harassment matters involving a range of alleged serious criminal conduct.
- Successfully defended bet-the-company litigation relating to stockholder oppression and fraud.
- Represented companies in OSHA-related matters concerning serious bodily injury or death.
- Discrete representation of large and small companies, as well as archives, internal investigatory matters relating to allegations of serious employee or executive misconduct.
- Secured favorable result as lead counsel, through federal court appointment, in a larger criminal conspiracy matter.
- Representation through federal appointment death penalty appeals
Honors & Distinctions
- Super Lawyers designation for 17 consecutive years 2005 – present
- Top 100 Lawyers in Texas 2008, Thomson Reuters Legal
- Top 50 Lawyers in Central Texas 2008 – 2010, Thomson Reuters Legal
- Lawdragon – top 500 Corporate Employment lawyers in the U.S. 2024
- Nation’s Most Powerful Employment Lawyers 2011
- Best Lawyers in America 2005 – present
- Texas Monthly Top Attorneys in Texas 2012, 2016, 2017
- Lawyer of the Year in Employment Law-Management – Austin, 2024, Best Lawyers in America
- Lawyer of the Year in Labor Law-Management – Austin, 2016, 2018, Best Lawyers in America
- Lawdragon Top 200 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyer 2023
- Best Business Attorneys & Corporate Counsel, Austin Business Journal, 2006
Professional Memberships
- Life Member – Texas Bar Foundation
- Former President – Austin Federal Bar Association
- Former Chair – Austin Community College
- AARP unfortunately.
- Dues-paying member of Costco.
Education
- J.D. University of Tennessee College of Law, 1992
- Tennessee Law Review Editor
- B.A. University of North Carolina at Asheville, 1989
Publications
Butch would have to dig through dusty boxes in his garage to provide an accurate list of speeches and articles since the early 1990’s, and is unwilling to do that at this point. That said, he has given dozens of speeches to business audiences and lawyers, and has written papers and articles on a range of litigation and business topics, some of which may have been mildly interesting.
