Jim Cleary
Jim represents employers on all issues concerning the relationship between employee and employer, including discrimination, retaliation, and harassment; covenants not to compete and misappropriation of trade secrets; wrongful termination; wage and hour issues, including failure to pay overtime and misclassification of employees; breach of fiduciary duty and confidence; and breach of employment agreements and contracts. He actively represents employers in federal and state court, arbitration proceedings, and before administrative agencies. In addition, Jim provides counseling to his clients on these issues, including drafting policies, procedures, and agreements relating to all phases of employment. He also handles other forms of complex commercial disputes, both in state and federal courts and in arbitration, as well as prior to the initiation of litigation. Jim also provides corporate assistance to clients, including counseling and drafting relating to company formation and all types of commercial agreements.
Jim is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Employment
Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom, L.L.P., May 2001 – present
CEMEX, Inc., Houston, Texas, September 1998 – May 2001
Bracewell & Patterson, L.L.P., Houston, Texas, August 1992 – September, 1998
Certification
Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Professional Affiliations
State Bar of Texas
Houston Bar Association
Community/Civic Activities
Regent, Concordia University—Texas, 2014 - Present
Reconciler, Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, 2004 – 2016
Honors & Awards
Named by peers; Best Lawyers in America – Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2020 - 2021
Named to “Super Lawyers List” for Employment and Labor by Texas Monthly Magazine, 2011–2020

Practice areas
- Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Arbitrations under Individual and Collective Agreements
- Business Torts
- Civil Rights Claims
- Class and Collective Actions
- Client Seminars and Supervisor Training
- Commercial Litigation
- Corporate, Partnership, and Securities Litigation
- Department of Labor Investigations/Wage and Hour Disputes
- EEOC / Civil Rights Division Investigations
- Employee Benefits and ERISA
- Employee Discipline
- Employment Contracts
- Employment Documents and Policies
- Employment Practices
- Executive Compensation
- Human Resource Counseling
- Human Resource Training
- Labor and Employment
- Labor and Employment Counseling and Litigation
- National Labor Relations Board Issues
- Non-Competition and Confidentiality Agreements
- Sarbanes-Oxley and Other Whistleblower Claims
- Sexual Harassment
Admissions
- Texas Courts
- United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- United States District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
Education
University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1992; Member, Virginia Law Review
Texas A&M University, B.A., 1987