NEWS

A $21.6M Civil Rights verdict that DP&S attorneys Thad Spalding and Shelby White assisted in winning for client Odell Edwards in 2023 was recently recognized as the Number 1 Verdict in Texas in the category of Excessive Force, Police Brutality, Police Misconduct, and Law Enforcement Misconduct. This case also placed number 21 in the Top 50 Jury Verdicts and 37 in Top 50 Wrongful Death Verdicts in Texas overall for that year. Congratulations to all the hardworking attorneys involved in this case! You can see the Top Verdicts list here and can read more about the details of the case here.

Congratulations to Santa Fe attorneys Caren Friedman and Philip Kovnat who successfully convinced the New Mexico Court of Appeals to affirm the judgment in its entirety in this consolidation of two domestic relations appeals in which DP&S represented the Father as Appellee. The Appellant had argued that the district court abused its discretion in refusing to modify child support and concluding that Father could claim Child on his tax returns. DP&S argued that the appeals were untimely, depriving the Court of Appeals of jurisdiction. In the alternative, DP&S argued that the district court did not err. The Court of Appeals agreed with DP&S that one of the appeals was untimely. The Court also agreed that the district court correctly decided the issues in the remaining appeal. You can read the memorandum opinion in Burke v. McCargar, A-1-CA-40947 (N.M. App. October 10, 2024), here.

Congratulations to Dallas partner, Thad Spalding, along with DP&S summer intern and second-year law student at the University of Oklahoma, Claire Moulton, on getting their co-written article published in this month’s Headnotes, a publication put out by the Dallas Bar Association. The article, titled “DIY Clerk’s Records – How Could this Possibly Work?” explores the new rule allowing appellants to file their own clerk’s records. Headnotes publishes articles on timely legal issues, membership news, and upcoming Continuing Legal Education programs. You can read the October edition of Headnotes, including Claire and Thad’s article featured on page 8, here.

Congratulations to Santa Fe partner, Roz Bienvenu, who presented argument in the New Mexico Supreme Court on October 4, 2024. Roz argued on behalf of the Plaintiffs-Real Parties in Interest in Shook, Hardy & Bacon v. Wilson, an extraordinary writ proceeding arising from two lawsuits filed by the Alvarez Law Firm. The Plaintiffs-Real Parties in Interest developed smoking-related illnesses as a result of the well-known tobacco conspiracy. When they sued a tobacco manufacturer and three law firms for their participation in the conspiracy, the law firms moved to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. Two district courts denied their motions, ruling that the conspiracy theory of jurisdiction permitted suit against them in New Mexico. The law firms then sought an extraordinary writ of prohibition, arguing that the conspiracy theory of jurisdiction is unconstitutional. You can listen to Roz’s oral argument here.

Attorney At Law Magazine has just published its 2024 Athletes in Law special issue celebrating lawyers who played collegiate sports.  This issue features our own Shelby White, who was on the Equestrian team at Baylor University for four years.  Click here to read about Shelby and all the other amazing “Athletes In Law”. 

We are thrilled to announce that our Houston partner, Lara Hollingsworth, has been recognized as one of the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America! This prestigious honor highlights Lara’s exceptional skill, dedication, and impact in the legal field, confirming her standing as a top litigator in the country.

Please join us in congratulating Lara Hollingsworth on this outstanding achievement!

Read more about this recognition here.

Five of our talented attorneys have been selected to the prestigious 2024 Texas Super Lawyers list, an accolade reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state. Congratulations to Kirk Pittard, Thad Spalding, Leighton Durham, Rick Thompson, and Lara Hollingsworth for this much-deserved honor! Dallas partner, Kirk Pittard, was also included in the Top 100 for Dallas/Fort Worth!

Super Lawyers, a division of Thomson Reuters, meticulously evaluates candidates through a rigorous selection process, which includes peer nominations, independent research, and assessments by area of practice. You can read the digital edition of Texas Super Lawyers magazine here.

Congratulations to Thad Spalding who, along with trial counsel Charlie Reed and Tom Herald, successfully defended Allstate’s appeal of a judgment against them, including attorney’s fees, in a UM/UIM case.  Allstate challenged virtually everything that the trial court did, including the award of past medical expenses, prejudgment interest, and declaratory judgment act attorney’s fees.  The Dallas Court of Appeals rejected every argument.  You can read the briefing here and the court’s opinion here.

DP&S is pleased to announce that Aditi Deal has joined our team as an associate in our Houston office.

Prior to joining the firm, Aditi practiced commercial litigation at Locke Lord LLP. While there, Aditi worked on commercial cases at the state and federal level in Texas, Maryland, and Louisiana, and briefed appeals to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, and numerous intermediate appellate courts.

Aditi graduated from the University of Houston Law Center magna cum laude, where she was a Community Outreach Editor for the Houston Law Review, a member of the Mock Trial Team, and member of the Order of the Barons Honor Society.  During law school, Aditi was also a judicial intern for the Honorable David Hittner.

Aditi is admitted to practice in all Texas state courts, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Welcome to the firm, Aditi!

Congratulations to Santa Fe partner Caren I. Friedman, who has accepted an invitation to become a Fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers. AAAL was founded to recognize outstanding appellate lawyers and promote the improvement of appellate advocacy and the administration of the appellate courts. Membership in the Academy is by invitation only.  Fellows face stringent membership criteria, undergo rigorous screening, and must be approved by the Academy’s Board.  Caren will be inducted as a Fellow at the Academy’s fall meeting in Boston in October.  You can read about the Academy here.