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Wiley Wheeler, P.C.: A Houston Trial Lawyer Who Spent Her First Years as a Criminal Defense Attorney Before Turning to Workers’ Rights

Kalandra N. Wheeler began her legal career in 2005 as a criminal defense attorney; two decades later, she is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a named partner at a Houston firm that represents employees exclusively, never employers.

At a Glance

Origin and Background

Robert J. Wiley established the firm’s original Dallas office in March 2000. Kalandra N. Wheeler joined his practice in 2014 after beginning her career in 2005 as a criminal defense attorney — a background she has described as translating directly into representing employees against much larger corporate opponents. Wheeler moved to Houston and opened the firm’s second office in 2016, and the practice was renamed Wiley Wheeler, P.C. in 2019 once both cities were established under the combined name. Both named partners hold Board Certification in Labor and Employment Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential the firm notes is held by a small fraction of Texas attorneys.

Practice Concentration

The firm’s stated model is representing employees exclusively — the practice states directly that it does not take employer-side work, which distinguishes it from the many Houston firms that handle both sides of the employment relationship. See this Houston Employment & Labor directory for how this employee-only model compares to other Harris County practices. Case types include discrimination claims under Title VII, wage-and-hour disputes under the Fair Labor Standards Act, wrongful termination, FMLA interference, and ADA claims, litigated in both state and federal court as well as before the EEOC and Texas Workforce Commission.

Track Record

As is common for employment litigation firms, Wiley Wheeler does not publish a table of case outcomes with dollar figures, and Awesome Attorneys did not identify one. What is independently verifiable is both named partners’ TBLS board certification, Wiley’s 25-year practice tenure dating to his 2000 Dallas founding, and Wheeler’s nearly two decades of trial experience spanning both criminal defense and employment litigation.

Client Voice

The firm holds a 10 out of 10 rating on Avvo, and independent reviews describe attorneys who took time to explain case strength and next steps even when declining to take a case — a detail that reads as more specific and credible than generic praise. Awesome Attorneys did not identify a pattern of negative or unresolved reviews warranting disclosure for this firm.

Beyond the Courtroom

The firm states directly on its own website that it does not participate in pro bono activities, explaining that its resources are devoted entirely to the employees it represents in active litigation — a candid disclosure Awesome Attorneys is noting rather than omitting. Wheeler has spoken at legal education panels including Texas Tech School of Law’s Black Law Students Association and the Fifth Circuit Winners’ Rules Conference.

Recognition for This Houston Employment & Labor Attorney

Both named partners are Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, the credential this publication requires before using “specialist” language. Wiley has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters every year since 2014 (Rising Star 2012–2013); Wheeler has held the same Super Lawyer distinction since 2020, after being named a Rising Star from 2017–2019.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Texas follows the doctrine of at-will employment, meaning an employer can generally terminate a worker for any reason or no reason at all — except for a legally protected reason such as discrimination or retaliation, which is the narrow exception this firm’s practice is built around. Texas employees pursuing discrimination claims typically must first exhaust administrative remedies through the EEOC or Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division before filing suit. None of this is legal advice; a specific employment matter should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Wiley Wheeler’s clearest, most checkable differentiator is dual board certification held by both named partners, paired with a stated employee-only representation model that removes any ambiguity about whose side the firm is on in a dispute. The honest trade-off: a firm this specialized doesn’t handle the employer-side counseling or compliance work that a general business or labor firm might offer, and it does not take on pro bono matters, a limitation the firm discloses itself rather than Awesome Attorneys inferring it. For a Texas employee weighing a discrimination, wrongful termination, or wage claim against an employer, two board-certified trial attorneys with a stated no-employer-clients policy is a genuine, checkable differentiator.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Wiley Wheeler, P.C.’s official website (wiley-wheeler.com), individual attorney biography pages for Robert J. Wiley and Kalandra N. Wheeler, the firm’s Yelp business listing confirming its Houston office address, and independent client reviews on Avvo and Yelp.

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 Wiley Wheeler, P.C. 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.