Areas of Practice
- Defense Base Act
- War Hazards Compensation Act
- Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
- Texas Workers’ Compensation Act
- Civil Litigation
Ms. Layher focuses her practice on claims arising under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, the Defense Base Act, and the War Hazards Compensation Act.
Ms. Layher received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2005 and graduated magna cum laude from South Texas College of Law in 2012. During law school, Ms. Layher was an Assistant Articles Editor for the South Texas Law Review.
Ms. Layher began working for Brown Sims as a law clerk in July 2011 and transitioned into an attorney role upon licensure in Texas in 2012. Ms. Layher has experience defending employers and their insurance carriers in federal workers’ compensation cases, Texas Workers’ Compensation Act cases, and in non-subscriber litigation. Ms. Layher has extensive trial experience in cases before the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Administrative Law Judges and the Texas Department of Insurance. In 2022, Ms. Layher lead the defense of 92 cases that were tried before the U.S. Department of Labor.
In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Layher leads Brown Sims’ War Hazards Recovery Team. Ms. Layher and her team assist insurance carriers in pursuing subrogation from the U.S. government in cases arising under the War Hazards Compensation Act.
Ms. Layher has co-authored several publications for the Benefits Review Board Service. She is also currently serving on the Board of Directors for the DOL Joint Bar Association. Ms. Layher is a member of the American Bar Association, Texas Young Lawyer’s Association, and Houston Bar Association.
Education
- South Texas College of Law, Doctor of Jurisprudence, magna cum laude, 2012
- Metropolitan State University, Bachelor of Arts, 2005
Admissions
- Admitted to the State Bar of Texas, 2012
- Admitted to the State Bar of Minnesota, 2020
- Court Admissions: United States District Court, Southern and Western Districts of Texas.
Memberships & Services
- DOL Joint Bar Association – Board of Directors
- American Bar Association
- Texas Young Lawyers Association
- Houston Bar Association
Presentations and Publications:
Application of 33 U.S.C. §913 in Claims Arising under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and its Extensions By Monica F. Markovich and Krystal L. Layher, 54 BENEFITS REVIEW BD LONGSHORE RPTR STATUTES & REGS 2/21-1.
Independent Medical Evaluations, February, 2020. Dallas, Texas. Sponsored by LMS International, Inc.
Vickers Decision: Inapplicability of Sec. 20(a) Presumption to Secondary Conditions Under the LHWCA By Monica F. Markovich and Krystal L. Layher, posted at the LexisNexis® Legal Newsroom for Workers Compensation Law at http://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom 2013.
