Mr. Key is a management-side labor & employment attorney who joined Brown Fox after 23 years of managing his own, successful labor & employment boutique law firm. Mr. Key is, above all, a solution-oriented, creative thinker, described by one colleague as “so far outside of the box, we’re not entirely sure he knows where the box is anymore.” His practice is limited to the representation of management in matters of employment litigation, governmental regulation and union relations.

Mr. Key is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in labor & employment law. He is recognized by D Magazine as a “Best Lawyer” and as a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly Magazine, a distinction held by less than 5% of Texas labor & employment attorneys. Mr. Key has gained particular recognition for his success in representing employers fighting union organizing drives, with more than 90 successful campaigns.

Admissions
  • Texas (all courts)
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit
Affiliations
  • Board Certified, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Labor & Employment Law
  • State Bar of Texas
    • Employment and Litigation Law Sections
  • Dallas Bar Association
    • Employment Law Section
Education

Mr. Key is a 1994 graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where he served as an editor for the SMU Law Review. He is licensed to practice law in all Texas state courts, the 5th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas.

  • Southern Methodist University School of Law, J.D. (1994)
    • Editor, Law Review: Southern Methodist University
Honors
  • Best Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America (2012-2021, 2023-2024)
  • Lawyer of the Year, Labor Law (Management), Best Lawyers in America (2022)
  • Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly & Super Lawyers (2005, 2009, 2010, 2014–2018)
  • Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine (2019)

This is one of the most important pieces of cave diving equipment. It snaps onto the line, pointing in the direction of the nearest exit. It is thoughtfully designed to provide unambiguous directional information in all conditions, with or without the advantage of sight. When lost in a cave, as in life, I have found it is quite useful to have reliable truth within arm’s reach.

The top intersections of my talent and desire are marathon swimming and storytelling, so telling stories about swimming is pretty much the pinnacle of my existence. If you really want to know the best part of me, buy me a beer and ask me about the time I won the 20 Bridges Marathon Swim around Manhattan Island for my fiftieth birthday.

As my midwestern wife pointed out to me shortly after her arrival, “only Texans feel the need to announce their state lineage upon introduction.” I’m fifth generation on my Father’s side, third on my mother’s. I’ve got the boots to prove it.


More About Stephen Key

Outside of the office, Stephen is a committed husband, involved father, elite marathon swimmer, mixed-gas cave diver and former competitive skydiver.

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