Laura C. Emadi

Laura C. Emadi is an attorney in Fennemore’s Labor & Employment practice group based in San Antonio, Texas. She represents employers and management in all aspects of labor and employment law, providing both day-to-day employment counseling and litigation defense in federal and state courts. Laura advises businesses on workplace policies, employment compliance, employee relations, and risk management, and defends employers in disputes involving workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour compliance, leave and accommodation issues, and other employment-related claims.

Laura has extensive experience litigating claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and comparable state employment laws across multiple jurisdictions. She partners with employers to develop practical legal strategies that minimize workplace risk, ensure compliance with evolving employment laws, and resolve disputes efficiently.

Before concentrating her practice on labor and employment law, Laura represented businesses in commercial and business litigation, handling contract disputes, business torts, and other complex civil litigation matters. She also began her legal career practicing personal injury law in Austin, Texas, giving her broad litigation experience that strengthens her advocacy for employers in high-stakes employment disputes.

Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia before moving to San Antonio, where she spent three years teaching middle school and high school mathematics at a disciplinary school. That experience sharpened her communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills—qualities she continues to bring to advising employers and navigating complex workplace issues. She earned her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law, where she served as a senior law clerk in the Travis County Attorney’s Office Criminal Appellate Division, gaining valuable trial and appellate experience.

• J.D., University of Texas School of Law
• B.A., University of Virginia

• Represented a major company defending against claims of racial discrimination and retaliation under Title VII, prevailed on a summary judgment motion dismissing all of plaintiff’s claims, and ultimately prevailing on appeal before the 5th Circuit.
• Defended a major company in claims brought by a current employee arguing racial discrimination and retaliation under Section1981 and Chapter 760 of the Florida Statute, dismissing the retaliation claims as preempted under the LMRA, and ultimately prevailing on summary judgment on the plaintiff’s remaining racial discrimination claim.

• Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch®, in Labor and Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2026
• Top Labor and Employment Attorney, San Antonio Magazine, 2025
• Best Labor And Employment Lawyers, Scene in S.A. 2022 – 2024
• Rising Star San Antonio Lawyer, Scene in S.A., 2023 – 2024
• San Antonio’s Outstanding Women Lawyers, Scene in S.A., 2022 – 2026
• Top Labor and Employment Attorney, San Antonio Magazine, 2022 – 2023
• Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2021 – 2022

• Co-Author, Dylan, “A Brave New World After Hamilton v. Dallas County,” 110 Advocate 41, Spring 2025

• Treasurer, Labor and Employment Law Section, San Antonio Bar Association, 2024-2025, 2025 – 2026, 2026-2027
• Member, William S. Sessions American Inn of Court
• Member, Bexar County Women’s Bar Association
• Member, San Antonio Bar Association
• Member, San Antonio Young Lawyers Association
• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation

• Texas
• U.S. District Courts, Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Courts, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Courts, Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Courts, Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Courts, Western District of Wisconsin
• U.S. District Courts, Colorado
• U.S. Courts of Appeals, 5^th Circuit