Adair M. Buckner
Adair Buckner’s primary practice involves the representation of employers in labor and employment matters. Adair has been Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of Texas since 1996. Her experience includes trial of discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour, family medical leave, wrongful discharge, non-compete, and other employment matters in both federal and state courts, as well as in mediation and before governmental agencies.
She routinely represents employers in a wide variety of matters, including claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and other federal and state laws governing employers.
In addition to litigation matters, much of Adair’s practice is dedicated to assisting employers in developing employment policies and counseling employers on compliance with a broad range of state and federal employment laws and regulations and educating management on best practices for avoiding disputes arising in the employer/employee relationship and with preventive training for both management and hourly employees.
She also routinely advises employers on hiring, discipline and termination, severance and reduction-in-force matters, and assists in day-to-day planning and decision-making, discrimination and harassment investigations, employment contracts, non-competition and confidentiality agreements, reductions-in-force, and alternatives to reductions-in-force.
Adair has received the highest possible attorney rating from Martindale-Hubbell: AV-Preeminent. To understand what that means, check out the video below.
Adair is a highly-regarded speaker on issues in employment law, regularly addressing various human resource groups and management-level employees.
Adair’s experience also includes representation of business clients in a variety of complex commercial disputes. She has routinely handled litigation involving commercial contracts and business relationships. In addition, Adair now devotes a significant part of her practice to estate planning and probate, including contested probate matters, guardianships, and trusts. She has maintained a general civil practice for 35 years in Amarillo, Texas.
While in law school, Adair was the comments editor of the Texas Tech Law Review, and a member of the Order of the Coif.
Adair has been actively involved for some time in Amarillo Area Bar Association leadership and is currently president of the Amarillo Area Bar Foundation. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas Labor and Employment and Real Estate, Estate Planning, and Probate sections.
Adair and her husband, Dale Buckner, a certified financial planner, are the proud parents of two grown children, one son and one daughter, both of whom have attained significant educational achievements and have rewarding careers in the educational field now.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
• Defense of employment litigation with a nationwide impact involving ADA challenge to medical and physical fitness guidelines for security guards at DOE complexes.
• Representation of employer in discrimination lawsuit involving 50+ employees.
• Representation of employers before the EEOC and state human rights agencies.
• Representation of employers in wage and hour, visa, and FMLA investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor.
• Representation of employers in federal wage and hour collective action lawsuits.
• Representation of employers on state unemployment and payday claims.
• Representation of employers in litigation relating to employment contracts, commission disputes, and non-compete agreements.
• Representation of employer in NLRB organizing campaign.
ADMISSIONS
• Texas, 1976
• U.S. District Courts for the Western and Northern Districts of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
EDUCATION
• J.D., with high honors, Texas Tech School of Law, 1976; Texas Tech Law Review, Comments Editor
• B.B.A., Management, with honors, Texas Tech University, 1973
