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Rebecca L. Baker
Rebecca L. Baker
Partner — Labor & Employment
E: bbaker@velaw.com T: +1.713.758.2518
VCard BIO PDF
Partner — Labor & Employment

Rebecca L. Baker

Rebecca L. Baker
Houston
T: +1.713.758.2518
F: +1.713.615.5017

Texas Tower
845 Texas Avenue
Suite 4700
Houston, Texas 77002

E: bbaker@velaw.com
M: +1.281.236.0404
VCard BIO PDF
start quote symbolIn today’s landscape, it is easy for employers to be overwhelmed by the ever-evolving aspects of employment law at the federal, state and even local level. Relying on my years of experience addressing unique labor and employment topics for employers in multi-state jurisdictions and across industry sectors, I enjoy helping clients navigate employment matters with a level of confidence that, not only are they acting in compliance with applicable law, but also in a practical and efficient manner from a business perspective.end quote symbol
Rebecca L. Baker

Rebecca (Becky) Baker is a partner in the firm’s labor & employment group. She counsels and represents employers in all aspects of the employment relationship. Becky devotes a significant part of her practice to the management of the labor and employment aspects of complex business sales, acquisitions and other transactions. She has extensive experience drafting employment provisions in transaction documents, managing employment diligence, assisting with post-transaction employment integration, including transition services agreements, and drafting executive employment and retention agreements. Her work in this field spans a variety of industries, including energy, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and banking. With her depth of expertise in the transactional employment support space, Becky enjoys guiding her clients through the intricacies presented by these deals.

In addition, Becky provides day-to-day advice and counsel to help employers address issues related to the hiring, management, retention and termination of employees. Her experience includes matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblower protection, wage and hour issues, employment, severance and non-competition agreements, occupational safety and health, and large-scale reductions in force. She has successfully resolved countless demand letters, EEOC charges of discrimination, and lawsuits alleging various employment claims. In addition, Becky assists clients with respect to employment matters implicated in Environmental, Social and Governance topics, such as the intersection of ESG initiatives and employment laws, the ESG rating process as it relates to employer policies, and the employment aspects of sustainability-linked loans. She also takes an interest in studying emerging workplace topics, such as vaccine policies and remote work implications highlighted by the COVID pandemic, the prevention of violence in the workplace, and the impact of Dobbs on employer policies and benefits.

As one Chambers USA source reported, “She is highly responsive and practical. She explains what the regulations mean practically for our business and assists with the implementation of her guidance.” The following experience was completed prior to joining Vinson & Elkins.

Experience Highlights

  • Realignment of Phillips 66 in its economic and governance interests in DCP Midstream, LP and Gray Oak Pipeline, LLC through the merger of existing joint ventures owned by Phillips 66 and Enbridge Inc.

  • Advised on labor and employment aspects, including transition services and retention matters, in connection with Eni Petroleum US LLC’s acquisition of 30 percent interest and a follow-on deal for remaining 70 percent and operatorship of the Oooguruk oil field in Alaska from Caelus Natural Resources Alaska, LLC

  • Project sponsors in forming a consortium of investors that secured one of six leases in the New York Bight offshore wind auction

  • Alinda Capital Partners in the $1.89 billion sale of SourceGas Holdings LLC to Black Hills Corp.

  • Acquisition of Bison Midstream, LLC, a gas gathering system in North Dakota, from Summit Midstream Holdings, LLC for a total cash consideration of $40 million

  • Managed employment aspects related to Pioneer Natural Resources Company’s acquisition of 28,000 acres in the Midland Basin from Devon Energy Corporation for $435 million

  • Sale of Midland Basin assets to Laredo Petroleum Inc. for $606 million in cash and $2.507 million shares of Laredo’s common stock

  • Advised The Robert A. Welch Foundation in the creation and funding of The Welch Institute, a $100 million joint venture with Rice University that will combine fundamental chemistry and materials science with the latest in machine learning and artificial intelligence to accelerate the discovery, design and manufacture of the next generation of materials with applications to new energy systems, sustainable water, space systems, telecommunications, manufacturing, transportation, security and more

  • Pioneer Natural Resources Company’s agreement with undisclosed buyer to sell all of its assets in the West Panhandle field in Texas for $201 million (2018)

  • Alinda Capital Partners in the $1.89 billion sale of SourceGas Holdings LLC to Black Hills Corp.

  • Phillips 66 Partners LP’s joint venture construction and operating agreements with Andeavor and an equity option with Canadian midstream company Enbridge Inc. in relation to the Gray Oak Pipeline, LLC joint venture, and in a joint venture with Buckeye Partners LP to develop the new South Texas Gateway Terminal at the mouth of Corpus Christi Bay

  • Advised Pioneer Natural Resources Company with respect to employment aspects related to the sale of its assets in the Raton Basin in southeastern Colorado to Evergreen Natural Resources LLC

  • NRG Retail LLC on employment aspects of an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the membership interests in XOOM Energy Global Holdings, LLC

  • PreCheck, Inc.’s sale to Cisive, a global provider of compliance-driven human capital management and risk management solutions

  • Global Infrastructure Partners on employment aspects in connection with its $250 million preferred equity investment in Caprock Midstream to fund the expansion of Caprock’s natural gas gathering and processing assets in the Permian Basin

  • Post Oak Bancshares’ acquisition of The State Bank of Texas

  • Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. in its $70 million sale of St. Lawrence Gas Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries to Liberty Utilities Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

  • Pilot Chemical Company’s acquisition of the assets and business of Liquid Minerals Group

  • Kinder Morgan, Inc. in the sale of 50 percent interest in Utopia Pipeline Project to Riverstone Investment Group LLC

  • Managed employment aspects with respect to Venoco, Inc.’s Chapter 11 filing and restructuring

  • Hydro One Limited in its $5.3 billion proposed acquisition of Avista Corporation in an all-cash transaction (terminated)

  • Following three-day arbitration, obtained complete award for an exploration and production company traded on London and Australian stock exchanges, in response to $6 million breach of contract claim brought by former consultant

  • Advised a multinational publicly traded energy corporation, obtained summary judgment in U.S. Federal Court, Southern District of Texas on Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation claim filed by former employee

  • Advised a Houston area industrial facility in a successfully negotiated settlement with OSHA regarding safety citations

  • Advised various employers on the successful defense of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other employment claims

Credentials

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 2006
  • Duke University, B.A. cum laude, 2003
  • Chambers USA, Labor & Employment (Texas), 2018–2019, 2021–2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), (Houston): Employment Law–Management, 2024; Labor Law–Management, 2024
  • Law360, Employment Editorial Advisory Board, 2021
  • Legal 500 U.S., Labor–Management Relations, 2018
  • ALM, Texas Lawyer, Texas Legal Awards “Lawyer On the Rise,” 2020
  • Thomson Reuters, Texas Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017–2021
  • Georgetown University Law Center, American Criminal Law Review
  • Board Certified: Labor and Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  • Member: State Bar of Texas
  • Member: Houston Bar Association
  • Member: Houston Young Lawyers Association
  • Member: Houston Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
  • Texas
  • “General Counsels on the Front Line: Balancing ESG and Economic Priorities,” Thomson Reuters Westlaw, March 20, 2023 (co-author)
  • “A Look Into the Intersection of Employment Laws and ESG” (speaker)
  • “The Evolving Legal Landscape: Identifying and Managing Risks around Sustainability, ESG and Emerging Competition,” American Bar Association (speaker)
  • Webinar: Countering the Threat of Workplace Violence, March 2022 (speaker)
  • ESG Seminar, October 2021 (speaker)
  • ESG Seminar, June 2021 (speaker)
  • “Cos. Should Brace For Workers’ Vaccine Safety Concerns,” Law360, September 2020
  • Texas Association of Business Texas Employment Law Handbook, 2006-2016 (contributing author)
  • “Workforce Q&A: What should employers take away from recent settlements of SEC whistleblower enforcement actions?” Texas Business Report, 2016 (speaker)
  • “Producers Can Use CVS Case as Guidance When Engaging in Workforce Reductions,” Oil & Gas Journal, 2015 (author)
  • “I Know My Employee Rights: Myths vs. Realties,” HR Houston Luncheon, 2015 (speaker)
  • “Human Resources Consideration for Non-Profits,” Houston Pro Bono Joint Initiative, 2014 (speaker)
  • “Human Resources Considerations,” Houston Young Lawyers Association Non-Profit Law Institute, 2013 (speaker)

News & Insights

Insight
“No More Non-Competes,” Part Two: FTC Finalizes Rule Banning Essentially All Non-Compete Agreements with Workers

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April 24, 2024
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Baytex Energy Announces Closing of $575 Million Private Placement Offering
April 1, 2024
Deals & Cases
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February 21, 2024
Insight
Supreme Court Confirms Retaliatory Intent Is Irrelevant in Proving SOX Retaliation

V&E Labor & Employment Update

Managing the Modern Workplace
February 14, 2024