Nicholé M. Plagens

Nicholé M. Plagens is an associate in the Dallas office of Jackson Lewis. A litigator who appreciates that employers need a strong advocate at all times—especially when facing vexatious wage and hour and other complex class actions—likewise understands that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of litigation.

Nicholé prioritizes communication and transparency and, as a native Texan, she is no stranger to the value of straight talk.  Better, appropriate communication and, consequently, more relevant information allows Nicholé to gain an intimate understanding of a client’s business—the foundation of any partnership, and a prerequisite to defending their interests proactively or during litigation. Nicholé’s approach translates to frequent and timely advice and counsel to clients on how to minimize the risks of litigation by drafting employment agreements, handbooks, and other employment-related documents to comply with federal, state, and local law.

Nicholé’s passion for employment law was initially stoked in law school, where she took advantage of the opportunity to intern for two federal district court judges, in the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. During both internships, Judge Reed O’Connor and Judge Jorge A. Solis presided over employment law trials during her time in chambers.  The trials, which dealt with age, gender, and disability discrimination, and retaliation, opened her eyes to the personal nature of employment law and piqued her interest in litigating discrimination and retaliation claims. Since that time, she has spent over a decade defending employers in all stages of litigation--including serving as second chair in state and federal jury trials--resolving matters involving discrimination, sexual harassment and assault, hostile work environment, retaliation, family and medical leave, wage and hour disputes, breach of restrictive covenants, and enforcement of confidentiality and non-solicitation agreements.

A three-time member of Southern Methodist University’s regional and national winning ABA Labor & Employment Trial Advocacy Teams, Nicholé loves to apply her strategic and presentation skills both at work and at play and is comfortable whether standing behind the counsel table or the mic—in fact she thrives on it. She enjoys spending time with family and friends playing games of strategy or singing karaoke in anticipation of her next run at the World Karaoke Championships.

Honors and Recognitions

• Texas Super Lawyers®, “Rising Stars” (2021 – present)
• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Ones to Watch: Labor and Employment Law – Management” and “Ones to Watch: Litigation – Labor and Employment” (2021-present)

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• Bar None Cast Member supporting the Sarah T. Hughes Diversity Scholarship
• Mock Trial Coach for SMU Dedman School of Law (2014-2018)

Speeches

• "Managing Mental Health Issues in Today’s Workplace,” Dallas Symposium (Dallas, TX, September 2023) (presenter)
• “2020 State and Federal Law Employment Update,” NBI Labor & Employment Seminar (Dallas, TX, November 2020) (presenter)
• “The Texas Whistleblower Act: What is it & What are Courts Saying?” Dallas Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section (Dallas, TX, March 2018) (presenter)