Elaine Turner began her legal career with Hall Estill in 1989 and has focused her practice in Labor & Employment – Management. Throughout her career Elaine has successfully defended hundreds of employers in employment litigation and administrative proceedings. In 2022 and 2021 Elaine was named as a Top 10 Oklahoma Lawyer by Super Lawyers. She was recognized as 2018 Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year - Litigation-Labor & Employment in Oklahoma City and prior to that, 2016 Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year - Employment Law -Management in Oklahoma City.
Elaine also represents Oklahoma landlords and property owners relating to housing discrimination issues. She defends property owners, management companies and individuals in lawsuits brought under the federal Fair Housing Act and similar state laws, as well as defending Fair Housing Act investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Her experience also includes development of policies and procedures to comply with federal and state fair housing laws and regulations.
Elaine is a Senior Member of the firm's Board of Directors and has an AV Preeminent rating through Martindale-Hubbell. She has also been recognized as a labor and employment star by Benchmark Litigation. Elaine is a frequent guest speaker on all aspects of Employment Law and conducts employment-related seminars, speeches and programs for employees, managers, supervisors and staff. She has also presented on the Fair Housing Act regarding discrimination issues. She has been honored to be a presenter at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Oklahoma City Area Technical Assistance Program Seminars (TAPS) for the last several years.
In addition to being recognized as an Oklahoma Super Lawyer in Employment Litigation Defense and named a Top 10 Attorney, she was also listed as Top 50 Attorney and Top 25 Female Attorney in Oklahoma. In addition, Elaine has been named a Best Lawyer in America in Employment Law-Management and is frequently interviewed by local media to provide her legal opinion on various employment law topics.
In April of 2019, Elaine was awarded the OCU Law Community and Public Service Award. This award is bestowed upon an individual whose service has made a substantive and positive community impact and is committed to the common good through service to the community.
Elaine is a graduate of Leadership OKC - Class 35. She is also very involved with Special Olympics. In 2015, Special Olympics Oklahoma named Elaine Volunteer of the Year. She has served as the Competition Chairperson for Special Olympics in Oklahoma County since 1996. In that role, she organizes and manages Special Olympics competitions. Elaine was also honored to serve as a Unified Partner on Team USA at the Special Olympic World Games in Ireland in 2003, where her teams earned two gold medals. She has also served as a youth soccer coach for several years.
Education
- Oklahoma City University School of Law (J.D., 1989)
- University of Oklahoma (B.B.B. in Finance, with distinction, 1985)
Admissions
- Oklahoma, 1989
- Oklahoma Supreme Court
- U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
- Labor & Employment
- Class Action Defense
- Employee & Management Training
- Employment Counseling
- Employment Litigation
- Litigation
- Policy Drafting & Implementation
- Wrongful Discharge, Failure to Hire or Promote and Wage & Hour Claims
- Insurance Law & Tort Litigation
- Crisis Response Team
- Cybersecurity & Data Privacy
- Leadership Oklahoma City Class 35
- Special Olympics - Selected to be a Unified Partner on Team USA in the 2003 World Games, Ireland
- Special Olympics State Sports Director 2000 - 2004
- Special Olympics - Oklahoma County Competition Chair Person 1995 to Present
- Special Olympics Oklahoma Capitol Area Volunteer of the Year 2015
- 2015 Special Olympics Volunteer of the Year for the State of Oklahoma
- 1989 - Present Hall Estill
- American Bar Association
- Oklahoma Bar Association
- Oklahoma County Bar Association
- Member, Oklahoma City University School of Law Executive Board
- 2022 Chambers USA - Labor & Employment - Oklahoma
- 2019 OCU Law Community and Public Service Award
- 2018 Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year - Litigation-Labor & Employment - Oklahoma City
- 2016 Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year - Employment Law - Management - Oklahoma City
- 2011 - 2022 Best Lawyer - Employment Law - Management & Litigation - Labor and Employment
- A frequent speaker on all aspects of Employment Law, she conducts employment-related seminars, speeches and programs for employees, managers, supervisors and staff.
- She has also been a program speaker on Fair Housing Act issues.
- Employment Attorney Elaine Turner on Supply Chain Brain Can Employers Require Employees to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
- OKC Labor & Employment Attorney Elaine Turner - Confusion, Uncertainty Mount As Restaurants Consider COVID Vaccine
- Employment Attorney Elaine Turner in Entrepreneur -Can Employers in Certain Industries Require Covid Vaccines?
- Labor & Employment Attorney Elaine Turner in El Diario NY i¿Será obligatoria la vacuna para trabajar?
- Turner in Home Healthcare News - Home Health Industry Still Evaluating Vaccine Mandates
- Attorney Elaine Turner in Human Resources Executive - What Ruling on LGBTQ Rights Means for Employers
- Employment Attorney Elaine Turner in EHS Today - Supreme Court Bans Discrimination Against LGBT Employees
- Elaine Turner in BenefitsPRO - Civil Rights Win for LGBTQ Employees: Implications for Employers
- Elaine Turner Awarded Leadership Oklahoma City, Inc. Clyde Benn Service to Youth Award
- OKC Attorney Turner awarded OCU Law Community & Public Service Award
- Hall Estill Recognized by Benchmark Litigation as “Highly Recommended Law Firm”
- Elaine R. Turner chosen Special Olympics OK Volunteer of the Year