CARLA COTROPIA

Carla Cotropia grew up on a cotton farm located on the Brazos River, also known as the Brazos River Bottom. Carla’s Italian father, Carl Cotropia, grandfather, Anthony Cotropia and great grandfather, Carlo Cotropia, were cotton farmers. The closest town, if you can call it that, was Mumford, Texas, population too small to warrant a number on the sign.

No one in Carla’s family were lawyers and little did she know that watching the TV show Perry Mason would later give her the idea of law school. After graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Economics and graduating from Baylor Law School, Carla was hired by the oldest law firm in Texas, Mills Shirley. Carla was the first female partner in a law firm in Galveston County and the discrimination she personally saw propelled her to become an employment lawyer. Carla obtained her Board Certification In Employment Law in 2000. She litigated employment cases on both sides of the docket and has many reported State and Federal law cases. (See the list of Carla’s reported cases).

Farmers are hard workers and Carla inherited this quality. She is a hard worker and her mediation clients all say to her, “thank you for working so hard!”

Carla”s interests include blogging about everything and nothing, renovating a townhouse which she bought in a delusional moment and gardening.

HONORS

  • Texas Super Lawyer, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2016 – 2024
  • 2017 Houstonia Magazine Top Lawyer
  • Texas Super Lawyer, Employment Litigation, 2004-2010, 2013-2015
  • Texas Top Lawyers 2014, 2015
  • Voted one of the Top Lawyers for the People, H Texas Magazine

 

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

  • American Arbitration Association, Panel, Employment Mediations and Arbitrations
  • National Arbitration and Mediation Company(NAM), Panel, Employment Mediations and Arbitrations
  • Houston Bar Association, Member
  • Houston Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, Board
  • Association of Attorney– Mediators, Member, Present

 

CERTIFIED LEGAL SPECIALTIES

  • Board Certified, Texas Board of Legal Specialization – Labor and Employment Law

 

EDUCATION

  • Baylor University School of Law, Waco, Texas | Juris Doctor 1980
  • Texas A & M University-College Station, College Station, Texas | Bachelor of Arts 1977 | Honors: cum laude

SCHEDULE MEDIATION

CALL | (832) 615-2920 EMAIL | cc@cotropiamediations.com CONTACT FORM
SEXUAL HARASSMENT

SEXUAL HARASSMENT | REPORTED CASES

  • Benton v. Kroger Co., 640 F.Supp. 1317; 1986 U.S. Dist.
  • Winchester v. Galveston Yacht Basin, 943 F.Supp. 776; 1996 U.S. Dist.
  • Rebecca Duke Winchester v. Galveston Yacht Basin, 943 F. Supp. 776.
GENDER DISCRIMINATION

GENDER DISCRIMINATION | REPORTED CASES

  • Willson v. Shannon, 857 F.Supp. 34; 1994 U.S. Dist.
  • Dorothy J. Fine v. GAF Chemical Corp., et al, 995 F.2d 576 (5th Cir. 1993)
  • Helene Willson and Arlynra Edward v. John W. Shannon, Secretary of the Army, 857 F. Supp. 34.
  • Beth Spiller, et al. v. Ella Smithers Geriatric Center, 919 F.2d 339.
  • Deanna K. Benton v. The Kroger Co., 640 F. Supp. 1317.
  • Robert G. McAdams v. Matagorda County Appraisal District, 798 F.2d 842.
FAIR LABOR

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT | REPORTED CASES

  • O’Quinn v. Chambers County, 650 F.Supp. 25; 1986 U.S. Dist.
  • David O’Quinn, et al. v. Chambers County, Texas, et al., 650 F. Supp. 25.
  • David O’Quinn, et al. v. Chambers County, Texas, et al. Reported at 672 F. Supp. 279.
  • David O’Quinn, et al. v. Chambers County, Texas, et al. Reported at 636 F. Supp. 1388.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

RACIAL DISCRIMINATION | REPORTED CASES

  • Texas Peace Officers Association, et al. v. City of Galveston, Texas., 944 F. Supp. 562.
  • Lulac Councils 4433 & 4436, et al. v. City of Galveston., 979 F. Supp. 514.
PROPERTY DISPUTE

PROPERTY DISPUTE | REPORTED CASES

  • Board of Directors of By the Sea Council of Co-Owners, Inc. v. Melvin Sondock, et ux., 644 S.W.2d 774.
  • Islander East Rental Program, et al. v. Bill Ferguson, et al., 917 F. Supp. 504.
OTHER

CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION | REPORTED CASES

  • Ronald L. Fee, et al. v. Joseph Milton Herndon and Dickinson Independent School District, 900 F.2d 804.

EXCESSIVE FORCE | REPORTED CASES

  • Ronald L. Fee, et al. v. Joseph Milton Herndon, 837 S.W.2d 834.

DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE ACT | REPORTED CASES

  • Bobbye Kitchener v. T. C. Trailers, Inc., 715 F. Supp. 798.

WRONGFUL TERMINATION | REPORTED CASES

  • Robert J. Batson v. Honorable John D. Rainey., 762 S.W.2d 717.

ALLEGED WRONGFUL TAKING BY GOVERNMENTAL BODY | REPORTED CASES

  • Sally Ann Ross Fields, et al. v. The City of Texas City and John Quinn., 864 S.W.2d 66.

INDEMNITY | REPORTED CASES

  • Gulf States Utilities Company v. County of Chambers, et al., 911 S.W.2d 888.