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Harkins, Latimer & Dahl: A Board-Certified Firm With Named Corporate Clients Spanning Dairy Queen to Pratt & Whitney

Thad Harkins, TBLS Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law since his 1982 UT Law graduation, built a firm whose documented client roster spans an unusually specific range — from Dairy Queen and Schlitterbahn Water Parks to Lloyds of London and aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. Awesome Attorneys discloses this directly: the firm represents both employees and employers, and a prospective client should confirm the firm has no conflicting relationship before engaging.

Origin and Background

Harkins, Latimer & Dahl, P.C. is based at 314 East Commerce Street, Suite 300, San Antonio, TX 78205. Founding partner Thad Harkins earned his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1982 and is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Partner Michael Latimer, a St. Mary’s Law School graduate admitted to practice in 1987, previously served as a municipal judge and city prosecutor.

Practice Concentration

The firm’s practice covers employment litigation for both employees and management, including workplace discrimination, wage and hour disputes, HR matters, workers’ compensation retaliation, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and ERISA benefit claims, alongside civil litigation, consumer law, and employer risk-management services such as employee handbook drafting. Michael Latimer has negotiated a collective bargaining agreement between AFSCME and one of the largest Head Start programs in the United States, and authored a self-published deskbook on employment law. See this San Antonio Employment & Labor directory for how this board-certified, dual-representation firm compares to employee-exclusive boutiques.

Notable Work / Track Record

The firm’s documented client roster includes named corporate clients such as Dairy Queen, Lack’s Stores, Lloyds of London, Mission Pharmacal, Pratt & Whitney, San Antonio Parks Foundation, Schlitterbahn Water Parks (NBGS International), Swisher Hygiene, and Texas Pig Stands — a specific, independently verifiable list distinct from a generic claims-handled figure. As a firm handling matters for both employees and employers, Harkins, Latimer & Dahl does not publish a broader running table of case-specific settlement figures, and Awesome Attorneys did not identify one.

Client Voice

Peer review specifically describes Michael Latimer as “a highly competent attorney.” Awesome Attorneys did not identify a large independent consumer review sample beyond this peer commentary, and discloses this gap directly.

Beyond the Courtroom

Michael Latimer’s continued service as a municipal judge, alongside his prior work as a city prosecutor, reflects sustained public service beyond his private employment litigation practice.

Recognition for This San Antonio Employment Law Firm

Thad Harkins’ TBLS Board Certification in Labor and Employment Law was independently verified. Awesome Attorneys applies “specialist” language to Harkins on this basis, consistent with house policy reserving that language for genuine TBLS certification. The firm holds Martindale-Hubbell’s Distinguished peer-review rating.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Because this firm represents both employees and employers, Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct governing conflicts of interest specifically prohibit the firm from representing one party against a current or former client on a substantially related matter without informed consent — a structural safeguard relevant to any client considering dual-representation firms in this category. ERISA benefit claims, a documented area of the firm’s practice, are governed by federal law rather than Texas state insurance law, and generally require exhausting the plan’s internal administrative appeal process before a lawsuit can be filed in federal court. None of this is legal advice; a specific employment or ERISA matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Harkins, Latimer & Dahl’s clearest differentiator is Thad Harkins’ genuine TBLS board certification combined with a documented, specifically named corporate client roster spanning multiple industries — a level of client transparency uncommon among dual-representation firms in this category. The honest and necessary disclosure is that this firm represents both employees and employers, so a prospective client should specifically confirm the firm has no conflicting relationship before engaging, and Awesome Attorneys did not locate a large independent consumer review sample. For a San Antonio employee or business that wants a board-certified employment attorney with a documented, transparent corporate client history, and is comfortable with the firm’s dual-representation model, that combination is a reasonable basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Martindale.com’s San Antonio office profile documenting the firm’s named client roster and peer ratings, Justia’s attorney directory listing for Michael Latimer, and Manta’s business directory profile.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Harkins, Latimer & Dahl, P.C. or its attorneys prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.