Tonia Lucio focuses on representing clients in employment and business litigation matters before state and federal courts, in arbitration and before administrative agencies (including the Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Texas Workforce Commission), as well as in mediation. Tonia is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Her representation of small and large employers, as well as executives and other high-level employees, in a broad range of employment law matters gives Tonia valuable insight into the different facets of a dispute, which helps make her a trusted counselor to and a skillful advocate for her clients. Tonia has significant experience handling disputes involving non-compete agreements, confidentiality agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets and other employment-related agreements and torts. She also counsels and represents clients in wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage and hour matters. Tonia also regularly assists clients with drafting and negotiating employment-related agreements, as well with severance negotiations, advises clients regarding personnel decisions relating to termination, discipline, family and medical leave and other issues arising from the employer-employee relationship, and assists clients with drafting and revising employment policies and with employment-related investigations.
In her litigation practice, Tonia represents large and small businesses, as well as individuals, with a focus not only on employment disputes but also contract, partnership/shareholder, real estate and other business-related disputes and has significant experience in complex litigation matters.
Tonia speaks Spanish fluently, which has proven invaluable in her representation of her Latin American and other international clients (both businesses and individuals) in employment and other business disputes asserted by or against them in the United States. She previously served as U.S. litigation counsel for international companies headquartered in Chile.
Tonia earned her undergraduate degree from Rice University in 1990 and graduated from the University of Houston Law Center, cum laude, in 1995. Tonia serves on the District 9 Grievance Committee of the State Bar of Texas and previously served as the Committee Chair. She represents indigent clients on a pro bono basis through Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas. She is also an alumnus of Leadership Austin.
Professional Licenses, Memberships, Honors and Awards
- Board Certified, Labor and Employment Law—Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Texas State Courts
- U.S. District Court, Western, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- Board Certified, Labor and Employment Law—Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- State Bar of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western, Southern, Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- Austin Bar Association
- Officer/Director, Labor and Employment Law Section, 2006-2010
- Board of Directors, Austin Young Lawyers Association, 2000-2004
- Federal Bar Association
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
- Travis County Women Lawyers Association
- American Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association
- Texas Bar Foundation (Sustaining Fellow)
- Austin Bar Foundation (Life Fellow)
- Texas Bar College
- Leadership Austin (Alumnus)
- District 9 Grievance Committee, State Bar of Texas, 2009-2014, 2019-Present
- Chair, 2022-2023
- Super Lawyers ® Rising Star 2004, 2005, 2008, Thomson Reuters
- Super Lawyers ®, 2013 – 2023, Thomson Reuters
- Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest level of professional excellence
Education
- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico, Summer 1989
- Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile, Fall 1989
- Rice University, B.A., 1990
- University of Houston Law Center, J.D., cum laude, 1995
