Aliaquanda Adkins-Derrick
Top rated Employment & Labor attorney in Dallas, Texas
Adkins Lawyers, PLLC
Practice Areas: Employment & Labor, Business & Corporate, Employment Litigation; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 2007
Education: The University of Texas School of Law
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2024 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2016 - 2021 Call today:
214-960-4301
Free Consultation Adkins Lawyers, PLLC
2626 Cole AveSuite 300
Dallas, TX 75204 Visit website
Details
Aliaquanda “Alia” Adkins-Derrick is the managing partner of Adkins Lawyers, PLLC (a premier boutique law firm in Dallas and Houston, Texas), a certified mediator, and an adjunct law school professor who educates tomorrow's attorneys. Known for her fierce written and oral advocacy, Ms. Adkins is a dedicated legal advocate who serves a diverse client-base of businesses and individual executives and professionals across various industries. In her law practice, she handles employment law cases as well as matters involving business law, contracts, civil litigation, and personal injury. As a mediator, she focuses on putting control back into the hands of the parties by identifying workable solutions to help parties reach settlement. Ms. Adkins offers clients the smart legal defense, solutions, and representation they need at the exceptional value they deserve.
Ms. Adkins attended Rice University, where she majored in Spanish and history with an emphasis in education. In 2003, she received her Bachelor of Arts and Texas Teacher Certification. At the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, she then obtained a Juris Doctor in 2007 and under the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code became certified as a mediator. Previously, she was a briefing attorney for a Texas Supreme Court Justice and gained a wealth of experience in the interworking of the judiciary and how to best advocate for her clients.
Admitted to practice in the State of Texas and before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas, Ms. Adkins represents the rights of her clients by minimizing legal risks with quality representation and foresight. A regular speaker at business conferences, she counsels clients across industries and professions and helps them prepare for changes to laws that affect their business policies, procedures, or practices. In 2023, she made history as the first ever Black American 101 Course Director of the Texas Bar's Civil Appellate Practice 101 CLE Course.
Ms. Adkins advocacy has been repeatedly recognized within the legal community with numerous awards and honors. She has been selected for inclusion in the 2024, 2023, 2022, & 2021 Editions of "Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” Lists. She has been named to various honorary attorney lists including Super Lawyers' Up & Coming Top 50 Female Attorneys and Top 100 Attorneys' lists as well as the National Black Lawyers' "Top 40 Under 40" attorney list and the the Lawyers of Color Hot List. Ms. Adkins has been Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Texas Rising Star for six consecutive years (2016-2022). In 2017, she was recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine. Ms. Adkins is a Texas Bar Association Life Fellow and is a Life Fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation. She also joined the College of the State Bar of Texas, an honorary society of attorneys and judges, in 2013.
Practice areas
Employment & Labor: Employer, Business/Corporate, Employment Litigation: Defense, General Litigation, Personal Injury - General: PlaintiffFocus areas
Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Contracts, Employment Law - Employee, Employment Law - Employer, Labor Law, Limited Liability Companies, Litigation, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Slip and Fall, Wage & Hour Laws, Whistleblower
- 20% Employment & Labor: Employer
- 30% Business/Corporate
- 20% Employment Litigation: Defense
- 20% General Litigation
- 10% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 2007, Texas
- Alpha & Alpha Youth Organizer, Host, & Coach.
- Founding Member and Executive Committee Member of Dallas’ premier “The N.E.W. Roundtable” group of in-house and private practice women attorneys (Present); former Mentoring & Outreach Committee Chair (2015)
- Urban League of Greater Dallas Young Professionals & Houston Area Urban Leagues Young Professionals Volunteer
- Dallas’ & Houston’s Volunteer Lawyers Program and Legal Lines Pro Bono Attorney
- Rice University: ARUBA Board Member at Large (2015); Alumni MVP Liaison, Admissions Interviewer, & Bush Community Building Award Committee Member
- Volunteer in quarterly Fifth Ward Community Beautification, Clean Up, and Outreach Projects
- Certified Mediator under Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code
- Rice University, Houston, TX, B.A. in History & Spanish; Education Emphasis│Texas Teacher Certification (8-12th Grade History), 2003
- Immigrant Advocate Award Finalist, 2018
- Chair of the 2021 Hemphill Dinner Committee & Executive Committee Member for the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society. , 2021
- Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society. , 2023
- Co-Chair of the Texas Bar Association's Appellate Bar Section Membership Committee.
- Board of Trustees Member of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society & Hemphill Committee Member (2019-Present)
- The N.E.W. Roundtable, 2020
- United States District Courts for the Southern Districts of Texas
- United States District Courts for the Western Districts of Texas
- Houston Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, Member
- State Bar of Texas, 2007
- United States District Courts for the Northern Districts of Texas
- Dallas Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, Member
- J.L. Turner Legal Association
- United States District Courts for the Eastern Districts of Texas
- Houston Lawyers Association
- A historical look back at events leading up to the Texas court martial trial of Jackie Robinson through the lens of Robinson himself and his military and personnel records. , Author, “Trouble & Justice: How Trouble in Texas Led to the Court Martial Trial of America’s Beloved Jackie Robinson”, Fall 2023 Issue of the Journal of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society., 2023
- “I See Working People: Now What Should[n’t] I Do?” a look at Recent Trends in Enforcement of Fair Labor Standards Act at February 2014 assembly of the Houston Chapter of the American Payroll Association
- “2020 Dos & Don'ts of Launching Your Law Practice” at Dallas Bar Association’s Entrepreneurs in Community Lawyering’s ("ECL") 2020 Incubator Program. ECL helps socially conscious lawyers start a financially sustainable solo or small firm practice that maintains a portion of their practice with a sliding fee scale to help “everyday people” or modest means clientele who make too much to qualify for legal aid but can’t afford to pay exorbitant fees for legal help., Speaker, "2020 Dos & Don'ts of Launching Your Law Practice”, 2020
- “C.Y.A. Tips for Taking Care of Your Legal Business During & After COVID-19 Pandemic” at 2020 EmPower DFW Entrepreneur’s Virtual Summit, Texas – June 2020., Presenter, “C.Y.A. Tips for Taking Care of Your Legal Business During & After COVID-19 Pandemic”, 2020
- “Are You Prepared? Health Care Reform Changes” at a 2013 business conference
- “Employment Law Update: Healthcare, 401(k) Plan Fee Disclosures and Fiduciary Responsibilities, and Other Recent Changes” at the Houston Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants Foundation’s 2012 CFO/Controller Conference
- “Combating Early Exits: How Effective Mentorship Increases Retention & Diversity” at the 2011 State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting's “LeadershipSBOT” Seminar
- “As the Federal Rules World Turns: Changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Now Affecting Federal Practice” at a 2011 CLE presentation
- “The High Cost of NDAs in the Age of #MeToo: What Every Employer Must Know About the New Tax Law. – Mar. 2018
- “The High Cost of NDAs in the Age of #MeToo: What Every Employer Must Know About the New Tax Law. – Mar. 2018
- Salaried Today, Hourly Employee Tomorrow: 4 Million Reasons Companies Should Prepare Now for New Overtime Laws & Three Effective Steps to Compliance – 2016
- Divorce-Proofing Your Business: 4 Effective Steps to Help Ensure Your Business Survives In Event of Divorce –published and presented at the DAYL’s 2016 Small Business Symposium – 2016
- Co-authored “Landmines in Settlement, Separation, & Severance Agreements” with Marcia N. Jackson –later presented at the Texas Bar’s 23rd Annual Advanced Employment Law Course – 2015.
- A Tale of Equal Pay Laws to Come? How Two New Executive Actions for Federal Contractors Could Eventually Affect All Employers – 2014
- “Big Deal? How the NLRB’s [(National Labor Relations Board)] Recent Decision Limits the Confidentiality of All Employer HR Investigations” – 2012
- Co-authored “Targeted Advertising: Tracking Online Activity and the Privacy Debate” with Kathleen LaValle which was later presented at the 2009 Texas State Bar Public Utility Law Section Seminar
- Co-authored “2008-09 Banking Law Updates” CLE presentation
- “Taking Care of ^Legal Business: C.Y.A. Tips to Protect Your Thriving Business” at Greenhouse Academy– Mar. 2018
- “Growth Hacks Every Business Owner Should Know to Achieve the Big 3: Success, Profits, & Longevity” at Frost Bank’s Growing Small Businesses Breakfast Seminar – Sept. 2017
- “Asset Today, Liability Tomorrow: Small Business Killers & C.Y.A. Tips to Avoid Legal Ruin” at 2017 Small Business Expo - Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce – Aug. 2017
- “When Opportunity Knocks . . . CYA with NDAs” at Small Business Development Center’s Biz Wake Up Call Series: Legal Workshop Featuring a Panel Discussion– Apr. 2017
- “Asset Today, Liability Tomorrow: Labor & Employment Laws and Developments Every Small Business Needs to Know” at Frost Bank’s 2016 Small Business Workshop Series – Oct. 2016
- “Taking Care of Your Legal Business: What Every Business Needs to Know.” at the SBDT’s 2016 Success in Business Seminar – June 2016
- Divorce-Proofing Your Business: 4 Effective Steps to Help Ensure Your Business Survives In Event of Divorce –at the DAYL’s 2016 Small Business Symposium – June 2016
- “5 Tips Every Business Owner Needs to Know to Avoid Legal & Financial Ruin! at Small Business Power Hours – April & May 2016
- “Employ, Train, & Retain Your Next Rockstar: Legally” at Grove Dallas’ Speaker Series – Nov. 2015
- “Legal Landmines: Tips to Protect Your Business From Legal Ruin.” at the SBDT’s 2015 Success in Business Seminar – Oct. 2015
- “Know Your Rights: Tips for Tenants, Homeowners, & Potential Homebuyers” at UNIDOS Townhall Meeting – May 2015
- US Supreme Court Update – spoke on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and Its Impact on Employee Health Insurance at July 2014 CLE presentation.
- Makes History as the First Ever Black American 101 Course Director of the Texas Bar's Civil Appellate Practice 101 CLE Course., Texas Bar CLE, 2023
- 2018 Immigrant Advocate Award Finalist., Immigrant Advocate Award Finalist, 2018
- Recognized by Super Lawyers as a Texas Rising Star five consecutive years, 2016 - 2021. , Texas Rising Star (2016-2021), 2021
- Named to The National Black Lawyers “Top 40 Under 40” Texas Attorneys List two consecutive years., The National Black Lawyers “Top 40 Under 40” Texas Attorneys, 2021
- Selected for inclusion in the “2021 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” List., “2021 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.”., 2021
- 2014 Recognized among the best trained attorneys in Texas
- 2011-2012 Associate Member of the Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court
- 2005 Texas Law Fellowship Recipient (Peer Recognition)
- 2015 Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
- 2013-2014 Elected, from among the top 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys
- 2011 State Bar of Texas Leadership SBOT Class
- 2003-04 Outstanding First Year Teacher Award
- 2017 Recognized by D Magazine as a “2017 Best Lawyers in Dallas” for Labor & Employment, Best Lawyers in Dallas, 2017
- 2014 Named to the Lawyers of Color Hot List
- 2013 Jack Sun Walker Award
- 2011 Dallas Bar Foundation Life Fellow
- 2003 Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges & Universities
- Successfully defended Texas attorney client as first chair at trial in a multi-party tortious interference with an existing contract dispute that resulted in a take nothing judgment and win for client., 2019
Office location for Aliaquanda Adkins-Derrick
2626 Cole Ave
Suite 300
Dallas, TX 75204
Phone: 214-960-4301
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2022 - 2024
- Rising Stars: 2016 - 2021
