Buena Vista Lyons serves as the office managing partner for FordHarrison's Dallas office and is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. 

She has focused her practice on exclusively defending management in employment litigation matters for over 25 years. Employers turn to Vista to defend them before federal and state courts and administrative agencies across the nation involving Title VII discrimination claims (race, color, sex, religion, and national origin); ADEA (age), ADA/ADAAA (disability) and Equal Pay Act claims; ERISA Section 510 discrimination and denial of benefits claims; FMLA discrimination/interference claims; FLSA and state wage and hour claims; SOX whistleblower/retaliation and other wrongful termination claims; tort claims and claims for breach of contract, including employment, non-disclosure and restrictive covenant agreements. The employers she represents span a broad range of industries, including the airline, cosmetics, financial services, healthcare/pharmaceuticals, and logistics industries. Vista also has experience handling international employment matters for globally based clients through the support of the firm's Global Legal Services practice.

In addition to her national litigation practice, Vista also regularly provides advice and training to managers on state and federal employment compliance issues and regulations, workplace investigations, anti-harassment/discrimination policies and complaint procedures, and effective management techniques to minimize the risk of disputes and litigation.  The transactional side of Vista's practice also includes preparation and analysis of a variety of corporate agreements, including executive compensation, change-in-control, non-compete, and non-solicitation agreements.

Vista is also actively involved in her community and local bar associations. She served as a Director of the Dallas Bar Association in 2004 and 2005, and as President of the J.L. Turner Legal Association in 2005. She currently serves as an executive member of the board of directors of a local non-profit organization, the Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute.

During law school, Vista was awarded the Dean's Achievement Award in Corporate and Securities Law, was named Champion and Best Brief Award recipient of the National Products Liability Moot Court Competition, and was the recipient of the Lucy M. Moore Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law.

Honors & Awards
  • Best Lawyers in America - Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Lawyers of Color Power List 2020
  • "Top 15 Business Women in Dallas," National Diversity Council, 2016
  • "Company and Executive Women Worth Watching," 2014 Award Winner, Diversity Journal
  • "Most Powerful and Influential Women of Texas," National Diversity Council, 2012
  • "Texas Super Lawyers," by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers magazine, 2012-2019

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  • Successfully obtained post-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law in a discrimination and retaliation case, wiping out the awarded $70M jury verdict and granting motion for new trial (Yarbrough et al v. Glow Networks, Inc. (E.D. TX 2024)).
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment for a large regional airline in an FMLA interference/retaliation and ADA discrimination action.
  • Obtained favorable jury verdict for a hospital in a whistleblower/retaliation case filed under the Texas Occupations Code for alleged constructive discharge.
  • Obtained dismissal of preliminary injunctive relief sought in a breach of non-solicitation of customers and non-disclosure action (see published opinion at 869 F. Supp. 2d 761 (N.D. TX 2012)).
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment for a large regional airline in an ERISA 510 discrimination and defamation action.
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment for a local municipality in a race discrimination class action; affirmed on appeal by the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
  • Successfully obtained a Federal Rule 12 dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and improper service of process for a national medical services provider and was awarded approximately $30,000 in attorneys' fees in monetary sanctions.
  • Successfully defended a large international engineering/research company in a Sarbanes-Oxley retaliatory discharge action before the DOL.
Education
  • University of Texas School of Law
    J.D., 1996
  • Cornell University
    B.A., 1993
Memberships
  • Center for Women in Law, Power Circle Member
  • American Bar Association
  • National Bar Association, Commercial Law Section
  • State Bar of Texas, Employment Law Section
  • Dallas Bar Association, Director, 2004-2005 
  • J.L. Turner Legal, Association, President, 2005
Bar Admissions
  • Texas
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas