Daniel Pearson. Photo Credit: Shane Kislack

Dallas Firm Names New Principal Attorney

Attorney Daniel Pearson has been named as the newest principal at the Dallas intellectual property and business litigation firm Caldwell Cassady & Curry, based on his proven success for clients and firm leadership. Pearson devotes his practice to representing clients in complex commercial litigation matters and patent infringement disputes. He has played a key role in the firm's multimillion-dollar patent infringement victories on behalf of Smartflash LLC and VirnetX Inc. against technology giant Apple Inc., among other high-stakes cases. His litigation track record includes cases involving technology, electronic checking transfers, dynamically configurable computer processors, and systems related to fighting data piracy, among many others. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he served as articles editor for the SMU Law Review Association. He earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Oklahoma Baptist University. "Daniel is a top-flight lawyer whose skills and leadership are evident among anyone who has worked with or against him in court," said name principal Austin Curry, in a statement by the firm. "We are proud to welcome him as the newest principal at Caldwell Cassady & Curry."

Six Lawyers Advanced to Partnership

The global law firm Jones Day has announced that six lawyers in Texas will be admitted to partnership in the firm as of Jan. 1. In Dallas, Natalia Oehninger Delaune is is a member of the firm's Labor and Employment practice; Lindsay D. Murphy is a member of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation group; Katie Lyons Wall is a member of the Business and Tort Litigation practice; and Peter C. Zwick is a member of the Banking, Finance and Securities practice groups. In Houston, David S. Stringer is a member of the Energy practice group; and Jacqueline Vallette is a member of the Securities Litigation and SEC Enforcement practice groups.

 Construction Law Firm Promotes Five in Texas

National construction law firm Peckar & Abramson announced the promotion of five attorneys in Texas.  Denis Ducran was named partner, Tracey Williams was named senior counsel and Justin Holzheauser, Jackson Mabry and Courtney Sheaffer were named senior associates.

Denis Ducran (Houston, Texas) works closely with general contractors, owners, architects, and subcontractors to provide practical counsel regarding the avoidance and resolution of disputes on construction projects. He offers extensive industry experience in preparing and negotiating contracts, litigation, arbitration and mediation of construction disputes. Ducran is Board Certified in construction law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a registered architect. He earned his J.D. from South Texas College of Law and his B.Arch. from the University of Houston. He was formerly senior counsel.

Tracey Williams (Dallas, Texas) represents contractors, developers, owners and subcontractors during all phases of the construction process, and thereafter. She assists clients in managing project risk and counsels clients in contract disputes, mechanic's and materialman's liens, bond claims, construction defect, and other construction-related claims. Williams earned her J.D. from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law and her B.B.A. from University of Texas at Arlington. She was formerly an associate.

Justin Holzheauser (Austin, Texas) represents contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, and suppliers on a diverse range of construction matters, including dispute resolution, where he advocates for clients and resolves disputes in a manner that preserves relationships and avoids significant costs for all parties. He earned his J.D. from South Texas Law School and his B.S. in Construction Science from Texas A&M University. He was formerly an associate.

Jackson Mabry (Dallas, Texas) focuses his practice on commercial and civil litigation. He represents clients across a wide range of industries in both federal and state courts on complex issues related to claims and contracts. Jackson earned his J.D. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his B.A. from Washington & Lee University. He was formerly an associate.

Courtney Sheaffer (Houston, Texas) focuses her practice on labor and employment disputes, as well as construction and commercial litigation. She represents employers in cases involving harassment, discrimination, wage-and-hour class actions, breaches of non-solicitation and non-compete agreements, and misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets. Sheaffer earned her J.D. from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University and her B.S. from Louisiana Tech University. She was formerly an associate.

Dallas Firm Welcomes Three Litigators 

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced the addition of attorneys Israel R. Silvas, Mike Toth and Alexis B. Farrell to its growing Dallas office, and strengthens the firm's Commercial Litigation Practice Group. 

An oil and gas trial lawyer, Silvas joins Dykema from the firm of Godwin Bowman PC, which is also based in Dallas, where he was a partner and served as co-chair of that firm's Bankruptcy/ Creditors' Rights Section. At Dykema, Silvas will continue to serve oil and gas clients involved in a broad array of complex business disputes and negotiations. He  earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. in political science, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at El Paso. Following his graduation from law school, he clerked for United States District Judge Philip R. Martinez in the Western District of Texas. 

Toth is a former justice on the Texas Third District Court of Appeals at Austin. Before taking the bench, Toth served as special counsel to the Texas Office of the Attorney General, where he developed and implemented litigation strategy in a broad range of high-profile cases involving significant executive-level deliberation on complex legal issues. Although primarily focused on commercial litigation, Toth's unique background interacting with government agencies allows him to provide insight into federal and state regulations that few can provide. Toth earned his J.D., as well as an M.A. in history, from the University of Virginia, and a B.A., magna cum laude, in history from Stanford University. After graduating from law school, he served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Marine Corps, and Toth remains a major in the United States arine Corps Reserves assigned to the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps in the Pentagon. Toth is a former law clerk to Judge Edith H. Jones on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

Farrell joins Dykema as an associate after graduating with a J.D. from Notre Dame Law School. She worked as a summer associate at Dykema in 2018. Her practice will focus on commercial litigation, including products liability matters. In law school, Alexis was an ABA team member of the Moot Court Board, served as managing editor of the Journal of Legislation, and was President of the Native American Law Students Association while working as an Alumni Fellow for the law school. Farrell earned her B.S. in Political Science, summa cum laude, from Oklahoma Christian University where she was the Outstanding Political Science Graduate of 2016 and worked as a Political Projects Intern for the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce and a law clerk for the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office.