Partner
Sherrard (Butch) Hayes has spent nearly 25 years trying lawsuits and counseling some of the largest institutions in the world about significant business, technology, and employment-related matters. His clients include Fortune 50 international companies, smaller organizations, and individuals. He has tried multiple state and federal matters, and has appeared for clients in court proceedings across the country. Butch’s matters include a range of complex technology, employment, fiduciary duty, business, licensing, contract, patent, ethics, employment, and tort-related matters. He has secured as lead counsel for his clients a range of outstanding results, including large financial recoveries in the eight-figure range. He is a trusted counselor who has significant business and management experience that allows him to bring a broad perspective to his clients’ needs.
Board-certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Labor & Employment Law, Butch has spent a large portion of his career advising businesses in matters that bridge technology, contract, and employment matters, and frequently appears in federal court, as well as in matters involving emergency or extraordinary relief. He has tried in arbitration a range of matters privately, and has secured very positive results in “bet the company” litigation. As importantly, Butch has also worked in less public ways to secure confidential resolutions to issues of the most sensitive nature.
Prior to forming Weisbart Springer Hayes LLP, Butch spent two decades at two of the country’s largest law firms, Vinson & Elkins, LLP, and Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP. He spent several years practicing law and acting as Administrative Partner and Partner-in-Charge of Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP’s, Austin office, where he oversaw the financial and logistical operations of an office with close to 200 partners, associates, professionals, and administrative employees. Butch brings to his clients’ needs practicality, creativity, and a unique business-oriented perspective.
Butch is a proud husband and father of two great young men, even if they are a bit too much like their father was at their ages. Butch was an awarded Div. I college athlete, who from time to time still engages in tennis tournaments on the national level, but only with guys who are as old as he is.
Butch has significant clients who have been with him for more than two decades. They will tell you that he brings to the practice humor, business sensitivity, and a professional level of aggressive advocacy where needed. He maintains positive relationships within the bar, and places great value on the relationships and reputation he has earned with judges, adversaries, and clients.
- Successfully handled as lead counsel multiple employment and technology related business disputes, including shareholder derivative and fraud suits on behalf of publicly-traded and private corporations in matters involving damages in the nine-figure range.
- Recently successfully represented Fortune 20 client in significant technology and trade secret litigation.
- Ongoing representation of market leaders in technology industries, as well as some of the largest retailers in the world.
- Successfully defended a wide range of public and private companies, including Fortune 100 corporations, in significant federal and state discrimination and class-action wage and hour matters, including disparate impact, and statistical cases against the government and private plaintiffs.
- Successful representation of executives and those in the sports/entertainment industry.
- Represented publicly-traded companies in various licensing and patent infringement claims.
- Aggressively represented businesses in multiple sexual harassment matters involving a range of alleged serious criminal conduct.
- Successfully defended bet-the-company litigation relating to stockholder oppression and fraud.
- Represented companies in OSHA-related matters concerning serious bodily injury or death.
- Discrete representation of large and small companies in sensitive internal investigatory matters relating to serious employee and executive misconduct.
- Secured favorable result as lead counsel, through federal court appointment, in a large criminal conspiracy matter.
- Lawyer of the Year in Employment Law-Management – Austin, 2024, Best Lawyers in America
- Lawyer of the Year in Labor Law-Management – Austin, 2016, Best Lawyers in America
- Best Lawyers in America, 2005-present
- “Top 100” Texas Super Lawyers, 2008, Thomson Reuters Legal
- “Top 50” Central/West Texas Super Lawyers, 2008-2010, Thomson Reuters Legal
- Lawdragon Top 200 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyer, 2023
- Nation’s Most Powerful Employment Attorneys, Human Resource Executive magazine, 2011
- Best Business Attorneys & Corporate Counsel, Austin Business Journal, 2006
- Texas Super Lawyers, 2006-present, Thomson Reuters Legal
All Texas State Courts U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit United States Supreme Court
Federal Bar Association – Austin Chapter, Former President State Bar of Texas, Member American Bar Association, Member Travis County Bar Association, Member United Way for Central Texas, Director Austin Community College Foundation, Director Long Center for Performing Arts, Corporate Council Member
J.D. University of Tennessee College of Law, 1992 Tennessee Law Review Editor B.A. University of North Carolina at Asheville, 1989
