Peter Kerr

Practice Areas

Construction Law, Product Liability, Commercial Litigation, Premises Liability, and Architecture & Engineering

Representative Experience

• Extensive experience in insurance-defense related litigation, including requisite billing, reporting, and budgeting guidelines.
• Representation of owners, contractors, developers, subcontractors, material suppliers, engineers, and architects in construction defects lawsuits and arbitration, including cases involving structural deficiencies and water penetration; prosecution of claims against subcontractor and supplier third-party defendants.
• Representation of condominium, residential, and mixed-use property owner associations in litigation, including injunctive and equitable relief related to enforcement of restrictive covenants and claims for breach of contract, negligence, and employment-related claims.
• Representation of long-haul and local carriers in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and regulatory compliance matters.
• Successfully obtained dismissal of claims asserted by general contractor against subcontractor client in construction defect lawsuit.
• Representation of leading manufacturer of cast-iron pipe in 1) employment discrimination suit, 2) EEOC investigation, 3) wrongful death suit, and 4) products liability cases.
• Representation of affiliate of world’s largest airlines company in FLSA collective action suit, obtaining dismissal under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12.
• Successfully defended largest international manufacturer of fire-suppression systems and portable extinguishers against multiple suits involving DTPA and negligence claims.
• Representation of oil and gas service company against claims for breach of non-compete agreement, theft of trade secrets, breach of duty of loyalty, and unfair competition that required application of related law from Texas, Montana, and North Dakota.
• Successfully mediated on behalf of general contractor in a commercial construction defect suit involving commercial property owners and all pertinent subcontractors, including drafting of settlement agreement and release.
• Representation of global non-profit housing organization in multiple discrimination suits, including resolution of racial discrimination claim for >15% of former employee’s demand.
• Conducted trainings for executives, managers, supervisors, and employees in Spanish on workplace policies including employee discipline, internal complaints, investigations, and leave/leave management, including regional community association management services company, managing $65 billion in real property assets.
• Representation of general contractor against homeowners’ claims of construction defect, breach of contract and fraud related to construction of condominium units.
• Representation of subcontractor in defense of water damage claim in connection with construction of residential structure.
• Successfully obtained temporary restraining orders and temporary injunctions for convenience store owners in breach of contract suit and – again – with landowner-clients against an oil and gas company.
• Responsible for managing litigation caseload in federal and state courts, including factual investigations, legal research, development of theory and strategy of case, drafting all legal documents and briefs, discovery, oral arguments, settlement conferences, hearings, and trials.

Bar Admissions

• State Bar of Texas
• Unites States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• Unites States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• Unites States District Court for the Western District of Texas
• Unites States District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Education

• B.A. Gov’t & Politics, University of Texas at Dallas
• Juris Doctor, Baylor Law School

Professional Affiliations

• Dallas Bar Association
• Texas Rising Star, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
• American Diabetes Association – Advocate, 2016-present
• Texas Bar Foundation, 2016-present
• Texas Bar Pro Bono College, 2014-present
• Hispanic Business Alliance – Volunteer 2011–2017; Board Member October 2015-2017
• City of Tyler Disability Issues Review Board – Board Member 2013–2014; Chair 2014-2016

Presentations and Publications

• Ogletree Deakins Employment Law Briefing – “No Vacation from Retaliation: The Rhyme & Reason Behind Effective Prevention Strategies” – San Antonio – June 14, 2018
• Ogletree Deakins Employment Law Briefing – “Back to the Future: Strategies for Accommodating the Aging Workforce” – San Antonio – February 27, 2018
• Ogletree Deakins Employment Law Briefing and Toy Drive – “Parties, Gifts, and Religious Expression: What Employers Need to Know This Holiday Season” – San Antonio – December 2017
• Rio Grande Valley Society for Human Resource Management Annual Conference – “The Invisible Workforce: Managing Leave Entitlements to Get Employees Back to Work (or on Their Way)” – Mission – September 2017
• Appeared on KOYE, “La Invasora,” 96.7 FM, July 2012, to discuss (in Spanish) LLC and corporation formations for small business owners
• Better Business Bureau, “What Employers Should Know about Labor Laws” – Tyler – August 2013
• Lecturer, Tyler Junior College, School of Continuing Studies, “Consideraciones Legales para Su Negocio (Legal Considerations for Your Business)” – 2012–2017
• Appearances on KLTV’s, “La Vida en el Este de Tejas (“Life in East Texas”), May 2013 & November 2016.
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