Katrin U. Schatz

Katrin (“Kathy”) Schatz is a principal in the Dallas, Texas, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. 

An experienced litigator, Kathy defends employers in court proceedings and arbitrations in a broad range of employment matters, including class and collective actions. She also routinely represents employers before administrative agencies such as the EEOC, DOL, OFCCP, DOJ and corresponding state agencies. Her counseling practice is devoted to devising proactive solutions for legal compliance and litigation avoidance, including the development of strategic employment policies and procedures. She regularly conducts internal wage-hour, compensation, pay equity and compliance audits, manages workplace investigations, and assists clients with the myriad of employment issues arising in mergers and acquisitions and cross-border transactions.

Kathy focuses a significant portion of her practice on advising employers how to navigate the increasingly complex legal framework for working with ill and injured workers, create effective strategies for ADA and FMLA compliance and develop best practices for attendance management. She also assists clients in meeting their obligations under the public accommodations provisions of the ADA. In addition, Kathy works with federal contractors on affirmative action planning and compliance and represents employers in OFCCP audits and proceedings. 

Kathy is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She is a frequent speaker on employment issues and a regular contributor to the firm’s disability, leave and health management blog. While attending law school, Kathy served as managing editor of the SMU Law Review Association. In her first year of practice following law school, Kathy worked as a judicial clerk for U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis of the Northern District of Texas.

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America©, “Employment Law – Management” (2019-present) and “Litigation – Labor and Employment” (2025)
• Who's Who Legal, “Recommended Attorney in Labour, Employment & Benefits” (2024)
• Texas Super Lawyers©, "Super Lawyers" (2022-present)

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, Life Fellow
• Dallas Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Literacy Texas (board of directors)
• Rotary Club of Park Cities (board of directors, 2015-2017), Rotary Club of DeSoto

Speeches

• “Trends in Pay Transparency,” Mid-Cities Human Resources Association Conference (Arlington, TX, January 2022) (presenter)
• “The Road Ahead for Federal Contractors,” East Texas Human Resources Association Symposium (Longview, TX, October 2021) (presenter)
• “Reimagining the Workplace: New Normal, New Risks,” HR Southwest Conference (Fort Worth, TX, October 2021) (co-presenter)
• “Managing ADA and FMLA Challenges in a Pandemic,” Mid-Cities Human Resources Association Conference (Arlington, TX, January 2021) (co-presenter)
• “Step It Up: Getting Ahead of Emerging COVID-19 Related FMLA and ADA Challenges,” HR Southwest Conference Legal Exchange (Fort Worth, TX, October 2020) (co-presenter)
• “Pay Equity,” Mid-Cities Human Resources Association Conference (Arlington, TX, January 2020) (panelist)
• “The Secret Sauce: Tackling Difficult Leave and Accommodation Challenges,” HR Southwest Conference (Fort Worth, TX, October 2019) (co-presenter)
• “In the Weeds: Marijuana and Your Workplace,” Jackson Lewis Dallas Symposium (Dallas, TX, September 2019) (presenter)
• “Marijuana and PEO Risks: What You Need to Know,” National Association of Professional Employer Organizations Annual Conference (Austin, Texas, September 2019) (co-presenter)
• “Employees vs. Independent Contractors,” L&E Global webinar (June 2019) (panelist)
• “Leave It to Us: Tackling Your Most Challenging Leave and Accommodation Issues,” Texas SHRM webinar (June 2019) (co-presenter)
• “ADA Reasonable Accommodation and Paid Leave Law Trends,” Dallas Bar Association (Dallas, TX, April 2019) (presenter)
• “Leave It to Us: Tackling Leave and Accommodation Challenges,” Mid-Cities Human Resources Association Conference (Arlington, TX, January 2019) (presenter)
• “Leave It to Us: Conquering Your Leave and Accommodation Challenges,” HR Southwest Conference (Fort Worth, TX, October 2018) (co-presenter)
• “Leave Management Trends and Tips,” Dallas HR Breakfast Series (Dallas, TX, July 2018) (presenter)
• “Fitness for Duty: The Legal Perspective,” SMU Forensic Group (Dallas, TX May 2018) (presenter)
• “Pay Equity and the Trump Administration,” Mid-Cities Human Resources Association Conference (Arlington, TX, January 2018) (presenter)
• “FMLA: Fighting Abuse,” Mid-Cities Human Resources Association Conference (Arlington, TX, January 2017) (presenter)