Linda C.Schoonmaker

Linda Schoonmaker has defended employers for over 35 years in lawsuits, arbitrations and administrative charges brought by employees and governmental agencies throughout the country. Described by contributors to Legal 500 as a “highly regarded” labor and employment litigator, and as " one of the most competent and capable trial lawyers I've ever encountered", Linda has been Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor and Employment Law since 1994. In addition to employment litigation defense through numerous jury trials, bench trials and final arbitration hearings involving all forms of discrimination, wage/hour and whistleblower claims, Linda provides counseling and training to employers regarding employment policies and state and federal laws impacting the employment relationship, prosecutes and defends non-competition/trade secrets litigation and is a Continuing Medical Education speaker on behalf of the Texas Medical Liability Trust on Workplace Violence and other employer-employee issues.

Linda has practiced law at Seyfarth Shaw in the Houston office for 24 years, and is a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment Department. She served on the firm’s Women’s National Leadership Team for a number of years after its inception and currently serves on the firm’s Lawyer Development Committee. Linda was the recipient of the Texas Women Lawyers’ Pathfinder Award in 2013. TWL lauded Linda for making “a difference every day and in all the ways that count for the success of those around her.” Linda was elected to the Houston Bar Association Health Law Section Council in June 2024. 

Education

Linda attended Vassar College and Syracuse University as an undergraduate, and has a B.A. in English from Syracuse. She received her J.D. from the  University of Houston Law Center, where she was the Publications Editor of the Houston Law Review, Board 25 and a member of the Order of the Coif, in 1988. 

Community Involvement

Linda has lived in Sugar Land since 1982, and is very active in non-profit organizations in her Fort Bend County community. She has served a number of terms, including two years as Board President, on the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse, Inc.  (FBRC) (substance abuse prevention and treatment). In February 2012, FBRC awarded Linda the Helen Cordes Award for her dedication and commitment to substance abuse prevention in Fort Bend County.  Linda also is a former Board member and past President of the Board of Directors of the Fort Bend County Women’s Center (domestic violence programs, shelter and housing), a  Board member of Achieve Fort Bend County (high school dropout prevention and early literacy programs for first grade students), a member and former Board member of the Exchange Club of Sugar Land (service club), and an Advisory Council member of Texana Center (services for differently-abled children and adults). Linda has been recognized by the Houston Texans football organization and the Halliburton Foundation as a “Hometown Hero” for her work in her community. Linda also is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.