Sarah Morton is the managing partner of FordHarrison's Houston office, where she concentrates her legal practice on the representation of employers, particularly in the healthcare industry and oil & gas industries, in issues related to employment law.
Sarah Morton defends hospitals, energy companies, and other management clients in individual and multi-plaintiff actions alleging violations of federal, state, and local discrimination, harassment, and leave and accommodation laws, and in class and collective actions arising under the FLSA and related state wage and hour laws.
Sarah is an accomplished litigator who has tried employment cases to jury verdict in both federal and state court, and has represented clients in private arbitration and before administrative hearing examiners. She has appeared on behalf of her clients before administrative agencies including the Texas Workforce Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, and U.S. Department of Justice.
Although representing clients in the courtroom is central to her practice, Sarah is also committed to advising clients in avoiding litigation. Sarah counsels employers through personnel-related decisions, conducts and directs internal investigations and compliance audits, and advises clients on the design and implementation of employment policies and practices.
Sarah is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has been recognized as a Texas “Rising Star” and “Best Lawyer” by industry insiders. Sarah joined FordHarrison from a global general practice law firm where she represented a broad range of clients in labor and employment law matters. Prior to that role, Sarah spent eight years as an associate in the Houston office of the nation's largest labor and employment defense firm, where she managed and conducted several wage and hour compliance audits under the tutelage of the former Administrator to the DOL's Wage and Hour Division and author of the 2004 FLSA white collar exemptions.
Despite her commitment to representing employers in labor and employment matters, Sarah feels that her most valuable and personally rewarding legal contributions arise from her commitment to pro bono work. For the last six years, Sarah has partnered with KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) to provide pro bono legal representation of unaccompanied migrant children in immigration proceedings.