Lara Hollingsworth | Partner
Lara joined the firm in November 2023 as a partner in our Houston office. Lara was previously with Rusty Hardin & Associates where she was a lawyer and partner for over 20 years.
A seasoned appellate attorney, Lara Hollingsworth specializes in helping individuals and corporations strategically navigate legal issues from start to stop. From the moment a case comes through the door to trial, and if necessary, on appeal, her skill at advocacy and her mastery of the intricacies of complex legal and procedural issues have consistently produced substantial favorable results.
Lara’s legal career stretches back more than 20 years. She graduated number two in her class from Baylor Law School and was a member of Baylor’s national moot court team while also serving as the editor of the Texas Civil Procedure Symposium for the Baylor Law Review. After law school, she was honored to serve as a law clerk to two of Texas’ finest jurists, the Honorable Samuel D. Johnson on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the Honorable James A. Baker on the Texas Supreme Court.
As a young lawyer, she was further mentored by Chief District Judge Barbara Lynn of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas and by attorney Jeff Levinger, both of whom helped her realize her passion for appellate work. To this day, this remains her practice’s primary focus. In a wide variety of complex commercial and civil litigation matters, clients rely on Lara for strong strategic counsel and her ability to maximize their prospects for success.
A native Houstonian, Lara comes from a family of attorneys. Before Rusty Hardin, she worked with her family’s law firm, Hudgins, Hudgins and Warrick. She and her husband, Derek, also an attorney, have three children. With a daughter playing soccer and two sons playing baseball, football, and basketball, Lara spends much of her time outside the office traveling — sometimes across the country — to games, both as a team mom and a fan.
Lara is admitted to practice in all Texas state courts, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas.
For 2024, Lara was named a top 500 Leading Litigator in American by Lawdragon. She has also been named to the Best Lawyers in America from 2020-2024 and 2026. Beginning in 2004, and from 2006-2010, Lara was named a Texas Rising Star by Thompson Reuters and from 2020-2023 she has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters.
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In re Brenham Nursing & Rehab. Ctr., No. 01-23-00946-CV, 2024 WL 924436, at *1 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Mar. 5, 2024, orig. proceeding) (per curium) (mem. op.)
After full briefing, denying nursing home defendant’s request for mandamus when trial court held that nursing home was not entitled to protections of the Pandemic Liability Protection Act because the nursing home failed to timely provide specific facts to support its affirmative defenses under the PLPA as statutorily required.Montelongo v. Abrea, 622 S.W.3d 290 (Tex. 2021)
The underlying dispute involves over 300 plaintiffs suing Montelongo for fraud based on real estate investment educational seminars he sold to plaintiffs. I was only involved on appeal with regard to the anti-slapp MTD: The Texas Supreme Court concluded that the court of appeals erred in concluding that Montelongo’s TCPA motion to dismiss was untimely. The Court held that if a party amends a petition to add a cause of action, even if the underlying facts remain the same, the time period for filing a TCPA motion to dismiss as to the newly added claims is reset.Reynolds v. Sanchez Oil & Gas Corp., 635 S.W.3d 636 (Tex. 2021)
The underlying case is an oil and gas dispute. Terra Energy filed a TCPA motion to dismiss, which the trial court denied. The court of appeals affirmed, concluding that the motion to dismiss was untimely. However, the Texas Supreme Court remanded the case in light of the Court’s holding in Montelongo v. Abrea, 622 S.W.3d 290 (Tex. 2021). -
Super Lawyers Honors 7 in Durham, Pittard & Spalding Offices in Texas and New Mexico
Durham, Pittard & Spalding is proud to announce that seven firm attorneys are honored in the 2025 Super Lawyers guides for Texas and New Mexico. Read more.Lara Hollingsworth is Recognized as a member of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America for 2025!
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.Lara Hollingsworth speaks at TTLA Car Wrecks CLE Seminar in Dallas!
Houston attorney Lara Hollingsworth was a highlighted speaker at the Texas Trial Lawyers Association’s CLE Seminar on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at the Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas. The day-long seminar covered how to tackle 21st Century car wreck cases. Lara provided insight on how plaintiff’s counsel can use motions practice to their advantage. -
Tyler Skaggs Litigation Team Reunites to Share Strategy with TACTAS Members
Members of the Tyler Skaggs wrongful death litigation team—including Durham, Pittard & Spalding partners Lara Hollingsworth and Dana Levy—reunited for a special presentation to the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists (TACTAS). Read more.
Lara Hollingsworth, Dana Levy Present: Exxon v. Brown: What you need to know right now
Within weeks of a closely watched and important appellate ruling by Houston’s Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Exxon v. Brown, DP&S Houston partners Lara Hollingsworth and Dana Levy offered Texas trial lawyers key takeaways on what the decision means to their practice. Read more.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.VoirDire: Hot Topics & Other Good Stuff
co-author(s): and Kirk Pittard
Texas Trial Lawyers Association On-Demand CLE, Austin Texas, February 19, 2025.Lara Hollingsworth discusses the benefits of appellate counsel in preparing for trial.
On November 21, 2024, DP&S Partner, Lara Hollingsworth spoke to the lawyers attending the State Bar of Texas CLE, “Prosecuting and Defending Truck and Auto Collision Cases.” Lara discussed the benefits to and advantages of making appellate counsel part of the trial preparation team. Thanks for representing DP&S, Lara.Update: TCPA, Rule 91a, and the Defamation Mitigation Act
State Bar of Texas Advance Civil Trial, 2020Equitable Relief at Trial and on Appeal
University of Texas School of Law 28th Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals, 2018When and How to Seek Equitable Relief
State Bar of Texas Litigation Section Report, The Advocate, 2017Equitable Relief: How To Obtain It Or Defeat It
State Bar of Texas 30th Annual Advanced Civil Appellate Practice, 2016Settlement on Appeal
University of Texas School of Law 23rd Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals, 2013
Phone: (713) 493-0867
Fax: (214) 807-1799
✉ Email Lara
Address:
2000 West Loop South Suite 2200
Houston, Texas 77027