Jay Ellwanger

• Taylor, et al v. Turner Industries, et al; in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division and the Middle District of Louisiana, Baton Rouge Division. Represented over 250 individual plaintiffs in one of the nation’s largest mass action employment discrimination cases. Secured $4.05 million verdict in “bellwether” trial of first 10 individual plaintiffs, which was the largest employment discrimination jury verdict in the State of Texas in 2012. EEOC found in our client’s favor and joined the suit. The parties amicably resolved their differences in 2013.
• Beaty v. Hilshire Brands; in the United State District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. Secured a $4 million settlement on behalf of 76 African-American former employees of the Sara Lee bakery in Paris, Texas. The suit alleged violations of civil rights, that black employees suffered intimidation, racial taunts such as being called the ‘N’ word, and graffiti, and were steered into hazardous areas of the plant, exposing them to toxic materials. EEOC found in our client’s favor and joined the suit. The settlement was the largest hostile work environment settlement in the history of the EEOC’s Dallas office.
• Mitchell, et al v. Allied Aviation Services, Inc., et al; In the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. Resolved a matter on behalf of eleven employees of an airline refueling company at DFW Airport alleging a hostile work environment and related violations of the Civil Rights Act. EEOC found in our client’s favor and joined the suit. The settlement at the time was the largest in the history of the EEOC’s Dallas office.
• In 2008, they resolved a matter on behalf of a group of plaintiffs in a significant racial discrimination claim filed by the EEOC alleging a hostile work environment and related violations of the Civil Rights Act by Allied Aviation, a refueling company at DFW International Airport. The $1.885 million settlement was, at the time, the largest race and national origin discrimination case ever resolved by the Dallas District Office of the EEOC, and garnered national and international media attention.
• In 2012, they served as trial counsel to over 250 individual plaintiffs in one of the nation’s largest employment discrimination cases, Taylor, et al. v. Turner Industries. The case resulted in a $4.05 million verdict in the “bellwether” trial of the first ten individual plaintiffs– the largest employment discrimination jury verdict in Texas in 2012.
• In 2015, they again worked with the EEOC to secure a $4 million resolution of a lawsuit against Hillshire Brands to settle a race discrimination case involving scores of black workers at a former Sara Lee bakery in Paris, Texas. This again set the standard as the biggest racial discrimination settlement ever resolved by the Dallas District Office of the EEOC.

• Texas Rising Star 2003-2007
• Super Lawyer, 2007 - 2018
• Recipient of the 2009 Austin Under 40 Award in the legal category

• Board of Wheat Ridge Ministries, Chair, 2016-2017
• Chair of the Board of Urban Roots, 2011-2016

• The University of Texas at Austin, B.A., Major: English, Honors: with Special Honors, 1998

• Panelist at the West Legalworks Seminar entitled Electronic Discovery after the New Federal Rules: Strategies for Coping with the Latest Challenges and Intricacies, addressing the topic of "Forensics 101:  When Does Your Case Warrant the Full 'CSI' Treatment?", 2007
• He recently co-authored with Andrew DiNovo, Prof. Tracy Walters McCormack, and Meredith Fitzpatrick the article "Ten Patent Litigation Questions for Texas District Court Judges," which was published by the State Bar of Texas IP Litigation Committee in January 2009.

• After filing a lawsuit against musician Marilyn Manson, Ashley Morgan Smithline opened up about her claims of sexual, physical and psychological abuse in an exclusive interview on "The View" on Wednesday., Ashley Morgan Smithline opens up about alleged Marilyn Manson abuse on 'The View', 2021
• , DeSoto Family Suing Police After Alleged Violence

“Jay is responsible for some of the biggest verdicts and settlements in the entire state for employment discrimination cases.”

“Excellent and dedicated civil rights attorney”