Latest News
Kirk Pittard presents two CLEs for the TTLA Trial Skills Seminar
DP&S Dallas Partner, Kirk Pittard gave two presentations on Thursday, March 27, 2025, for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association Trial Skills 101 CLE in Dallas. The topics he covered were “Motions in Voir Dire That Protect Your Client’s Right to a Fair Trial” and “Motions for Directed Verdict and to Reopen for Additional Evidence.” Thanks for representing DP&S, Kirk!
Kirk Pittard speaks at the DBA Appellate Section Meeting
DP&S Dallas Partner, Kirk Pittard gave a presentation on Thursday, March 20, 2025, for the Appellate Section of the Dallas Bar Association at the Arts District Mansion in Dallas. The topic was “Legal Issues Related to Noneconomic Damages: Gregory v. Chohan” and covered the questions answered by the Court’s opinion, and the questions it raises going forward.
Lara Hollingsworth and Kirk Pittard present a CLE for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association webinar
DP&S Houston Partner, Lara Hollingsworth and Dallas Partner, Kirk Pittard presented a CLE for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association webinar on February 19, 2025. The topic was “Voir Dire: Hot Topics & Other Good Stuff”. They both discussed the current law related to strikes for cause, the inapplicability of Gregory v. Chohan in voir dire, and Batson challenges.
Kirk Pittard speaks at the Capital Area Trial Lawyers Association’s Monthly CLE
Dallas partner, Kirk Pittard, presented a CLE at the Capital Area Trial Lawyers Association’s monthly membership lunch on January 14, 2024. The topic was “Legal Issues Related to Non-Economic Damages: Gregory v. Chohan”. Thank you for representing DP&S in Austin this week, Kirk.
Congratulations to our 2024 Texas Super Lawyers!
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!
Kirk Travels the State on the Speaking Circuit!
This month, DP&S partner Kirk Pittard traveled around Texas on the speaking circuit delivering presentations on Legal Issues Related to Non-Economic Damages: Gregory v. Chohan to the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association, Effective Use of Appellate Counsel on Your Trial Team to the Corpus Christi Bar Association, and Ethical Issues in Contracting Appellate Counsel to the Appellate Section of the State Bar of Texas.
DP&S turns 20!
On December 28, 2003, Leighton Durham and Kirk Pittard started a law firm concept in Dallas that did not yet exist—an appellate boutique. They decided to focus on what they did best– handling appeals as well as substantive motion practice, legal issues, and litigation support at the trial level—and would do so for medium to smaller sized law firms, with a particular emphasis on contingency fee work. Fast forward 20 years . . . that dream and vision now consists of 14 attorneys in three cities across Texas and New Mexico.
Congratulations to our 2022 Texas Super Lawyers!
Congratulations to DP&S Dallas partners Leighton Durham, Kirk Pittard, Thad Spalding, and Rick Thompson who were, once again, named “Super Lawyers” in the Appellate category by by Super Lawyers Magazine, a Thomson Reuters publication, for 2022.
Kirk Pittard is a “Best Lawyer” again for 2023!
DP&S is proud to announce that Kirk Pittard is, once again, one of the Best Lawyers in America, in the Appellate Practice category.
Back-to-Back Wins in the Texas Supreme Court!
On May 6, 2022, Dana Levy successfully reversed a court of appeals’ opinion that the plaintiff’s expert report failed to satisfy Chapter 74 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. The following week, Kirk Pittard successfully reversed a court of appeals’ opinion dismissing an appeal on jurisdiction grounds.
Kirk Pittard featured in Docket Call!
Congratulations to Kirk Pittard who was featured in the Summer 2022 edition of Baylor Law School’s Docket Call. You can read the article here.
Kirk Pittard is a “Best Lawyer” once again according to D Magazine!
Congratulations to DP&S partner, Kirk Pittard, who, for the 11th year, was named “Best Lawyer” in the Appellate category by D Magazine for 2022.
Kirk Pittard helps win $1,265,000 jury verdict in Johnson County!
Congratulations to Cynthia Huerta, David Glenn, Reed Morgan, Jake Glenn, and Kirk Pittard for getting a $1,265,000 jury verdict in Johnson County on November 23, 2021. They represented a plaintiff who had worked for BNSF railroad for 37 years until he injured his knee and back while on the job.
DP&S named to “Best Lawyers” 2022 “Best Law Firms” List!
DP&S is proud to announce that it has been named to the “Best Lawyers” 2022 “Best Law Firms” list as a “Tier 1” firm–the highest ranking available–in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Appellate Practice! According to U.S. News–Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms,” “[a]chieving a tiered ranking . . . signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. Ranked firms, presented in three tiers, are recognized on a national and regional-based scale. Firms that received a tier designation reflect the highest level of respect a firm can earn among other leading lawyers and clients from the same communities and practice areas.”
Congratulations to our 2021 Texas “Super Lawyers”!
DP&S is proud to announce that Kirk Pittard, Leighton Durham, Rick Thompson, and Thad Spalding have all been named “Super Lawyers” in the Appellate category by by Super Lawyers Magazine, a Thomson Reuters publication, for 2021.
Kirk Pittard speaks about being the appellate counsel on the trial team!
Last week, Kirk Pittard appeared on D. Todd Smith and Jody Sanders‘s Texas Appellate Law podcast to discuss serving as the appellate counsel on the trial team, and was invited to speak on this topic by the Dallas Bar Association’s Appellate Law Section. You can listen to Kirk’s podcast here.
Kirk Pittard and Rick Thompson are Best Lawyers for 2022!
DP&S is proud to announce that Kirk Pittard and Rick Thompson are, once again, selected to be among the Best Lawyers in America, in the Appellate Practice category.
DP&S attorneys involved in case that recently settled for $19 Million
Congratulations to DP&S lawyers Kirk Pittard and Tammy Holt who were part of a trial team lead by Steve Laird, Robert Collins, Seth McCloskey, and Bracken Millar, that recently settled a double-fatality trucking case for $19 Million (for non-economic damages only) the day before the case was set to go to trial in Tarrant County.
Kirk Pittard named “Best Lawyer” by D Magazine for 2021!
Congratulations to Kirk Pittard who was named “Best Lawyer” in the Appellate category by D Magazine for 2021. This is Kirk’s 11th year to be named to the list.
Back-to-Back Arguments in the Texas Supreme Court!
DP&S was in the Texas Supreme Court twice this week! Thad Spalding, along with co-counsel, Tex Quesada, argued Tuesday on behalf of an injured worker in a case dealing with a general contractor’s right of control over a worksite. The next day, Kirk Pittard argued a case addressing medical record affidavits and the standards applicable to counter-affidavits under a Texas statute.