Derek Lipscombe was managing counsel at Toyota North America for nearly 11 years, and before that he spent four years as senior managing counsel at J.C. Penney. Alex Pratt practiced law at Perkins Coie for nine years.
This week, both lawyers joined the Dallas office of Haynes Boone as partners in its expanding labor and employment practice.
The addition of Lipscombe and Pratt makes five labor and employment partners who have joined Haynes Boone in Texas in the past year. And legal industry analysts say the lateral hires give the Dallas-based corporate firm a distinct advantage in the labor side of the employment law practice — an expertise they describe as often overlooked yet in demand.
Lipscombe, who is a past president of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter, said “leaving Toyota was the toughest decision that I ever made in my legal career.”
“However, the chance to grow this traditional labor practice and to work not only with Alex but at a great firm such as Haynes Boone was the challenge that I needed,” he said. “After 20-plus years in-house, I will be able to bring a different perspective to clients — especially those who don’t have an in-house legal department or an employment attorney — and be better able to partner with their management and HR departments.”
“Many law firms have gotten out of the traditional labor space in the past two decades,” he said. “To join a firm with such a deep bench and commitment to providing full service to its clients for all of their employment-related needs is an amazing opportunity.”
Pratt, a 2017 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, said Haynes Boone is making “a clear commitment to growing its labor capabilities.”
Henson Adams, chair of Haynes Boone’s labor and employment practice group, said the addition of Pratt and Lipscombe shows the firm’s desire to expand the team and “look for opportunities to better serve our clients.”
“Derek and Alex bring extraordinarily valuable experience that will enhance our labor capabilities,” Adams said. “Derek offers an in-house perspective, while Alex brings strong private practice experience advising employers through complex labor matters.”
Lipscombe said that traditional labor expertise differs from general employment law.
“Labor deals with employers who are unionized but also those non-unionized employers who are either facing potential union campaigns or are proactively trying to remain union-free by making sure they and their front-line supervisors engage in positive employee relations,” he said. “For the unionized employers, we are helping with grievance/arbitration over the labor contracts — the collective bargaining agreement — and also with preparing for and handling negotiations over new labor contracts or renegotiations.”
Labor lawyers deal with the National Labor Relations Board, the agency responsible for administering federal labor law. Traditional employment lawyers primarily “advise on day-to-day employment issues, such as discipline, leaves, wage and hour, and handle administrative matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission” or state agencies and “litigate wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and wage and hour cases,” Lipscombe said.
Pratt said that while “private sector unionization rates remain low, unions have been making a concerted effort to capitalize on economic uncertainties and rapid technological advancements.”
“Because of this, employers in both traditionally unionized and non-unionized spaces should expect to see increased labor activity in the near future,” Pratt said. “I am thrilled to be joining Haynes Boone because it has recognized these potential disruptions and demonstrated its commitment to growing its traditional labor practice.”
“Derek and I are uniquely positioned to help clients navigate their most complex labor matters because we can offer both in-house and outside counsel perspectives on how employers can manage their risk and engage in positive employee relations,” he said.
In November, Haynes Boone added six employment lawyers from Perkins Coie, including partners Ann Marie Painter, April Goff and Jason Elliott. In 2026, the firm has added 26 lawyers in its Texas offices and 58 attorneys firmwide.
Haynes Boone currently has 415 lawyers in its Texas offices.
The Texas Lawbook and ACC DFW recognized Lipscombe and his wife, Tenet Healthcare Deputy General Counsel Marita Covarrubias, with the 2025 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Lipscombe is also co-chair of the Texas Lawbook Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that raises money to support The Lawbook’s coverage of pro bono, public service and diversity in the legal profession.