Ms. Franze co-chairs Hunton & Williams' firm-wide Labor and Employment Practice, representing leading employers in class actions and complex litigation, including Fortune 500 companies in the entertainment, hospitality, retail and high technology industries. She has been named to numerous national and state best lawyer lists, including Best Lawyers in America, and Chambers USA.

Relevant Experience Ms. Franze's more than 25 years of trial experience encompass significant class action litigation, including employment, consumer, and deceptive trade practices claims. Ms. Franze has been Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1984 and authored Texas Employment Law (James Publishing 1998-2007). She represents management in connection with strategic employment decisions; restructuring; labor union relations; employment investigations; the ADA, including public accommodations; and employment issues related to mergers, acquisitions and restructuring. She has first-chaired numerous class action cases in federal and state courts across the nation, including:

• Mundy, et al. v. Hotels.com (U.S.D.C. HI) (class ADA)
• Wittie, et al. v. Cinemark USA, Inc. (TX) (class Texas DTPA and ADA)
• Rivera-Garcia, et al. v. Cinemark USA, Inc. (TX) (class Texas DTPA and ADA)
• Lund, et al. v. AT&T Corp. (U.S.D.C. MO) (class pregnancy discrimination, Title VII, EPA, FLSA)
• Cornilles, et al. v. Regal Cinemas, et al. (U.S.D.C. OR) (class ADA)
• Kline, et al. v. Regal Cinemas, et al. (U.S.D.C. OR) (class ADA)
• Todd, et al. v. AMC Entertainment, et al. (U.S.D.C. TX) (class ADA)
• Garcia, et al. v. Furr's, Inc. (N.M.) (class sex discrimination, Title VII)
• United States v. Cinemark USA, Inc. (U.S.D.C. OH and 6th Cir.) (national public accommodations)
• E.E.O.C. v. Pinnacle Nissan, et al. (U.S.D.C. AZ) (multi-plaintiff national origin harassment, Title VII, §1981)
• Stewmon, et al. v. Regal Cinemas (U.S.D.C. OR and 9th Cir.) (multi-plaintiff public accommodations)
• Lara, et al. v. Cinemark USA, Inc. (U.S.D.C. TX and 5th Cir.) (multi-plaintiff public accommodations)
• United States v. AMC Entertainment (9th Cir.) (national ADA)
• EEOC v. Thrift Stores (Title VII Religion multi-plaintiff)
• UFWC v. Furr's Supermarkets (FLSA collective action)
• Switzer v. Clear Channel (FLSA collective action)

Ms. Franze has also been repeatedly named to the best lawyers list in Chambers USA, including the most recent edition. Chambers reports that peers say Laura is a "Superwoman" and a "dynamic" employment litigator. Those interviewed state she is blessed with "a good manner, proven trial skills, broad-ranging knowledge and intellectual depth," and clients agree she is an excellent deal manager. (Chambers USA). Ms. Franze has also been named in Best Lawyers in America (every edition since 1995), listed in numerous Who's Who editions, designated a top employment law practitioner by Texas Lawyer (February 2001), was named as a Texas “Super Lawyer" four times and one of the top 50 women lawyers in the state (Texas Monthly, November 2003, October 2004, and September 2005), and twice named as one of the best lawyers in Dallas/Fort Worth by D Magazine (February 1997 and May 2001).

Selected Publications:

• Texas Employment Law (James Publishing, 1998-2007); 'Risky Business,' HR Magazine (November 2005); 'The Wages of Sex,' The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (November 2004).

• Member, California State Bar
• Member, New Mexico State Bar
• Member, Texas State Bar
• Admitted to practice: United States Supreme Court; 1st, 2d, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Circuit Courts of Appeals and numerous district courts

• J.D., Duke Law School, 1979
  
• B.A., Thiel College, summa cum laude, 1976