Latest News
Over $1.11 Billion in Settlements Since 2017
At Durham, Pittard & Spalding, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with trial lawyers as appellate counsel on high-stakes litigation for years—and we’re proud to share that those collaborations have helped secure more than $1.11 billion in settlements since 2017. Read more.
$7M San Antonio Civil Rights Verdict Named Among Texas’ Top 50 Verdicts of 2024
A $7 million jury verdict on behalf of a San Antonio man who was beaten by police in a case of mistaken identity has been recognized among the Top 50 Texas Verdicts of 2024. Read more. Read more.
Durham, Pittard & Spalding Team Welcomes Molly Samsell to Our New Mexico Office
Molly joined DP&S in April 2025. Prior to joining the firm, Molly served as a law clerk for the Honorable Margaret I. Strickland at the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Read more.
Kirk Pittard, Thad Spalding Honored Again by D Magazine’s ‘Best Lawyers in Dallas’
Durham, Pittard & Spalding partners Kirk Pittard and Thad Spalding have once again been honored by D Magazine, earning selection to its prestigious "Best Lawyers in Dallas" list for 2025. Read More
Caren Friedman is named a 2025 Southwest “Super Lawyer”
Congratulations to Santa Fe partner, Caren Friedman, who was named a 2025 Southwest “Super Lawyer” in the appellate practice category. Southwest Super Lawyers magazine covers New Mexico and Arizona. Caren is one of only seven New Mexico appellate practitioners, and the only one from Santa Fe, to be recognized. This is Caren’s 19th consecutive year to be included on this list.
Dana Levy speaks at the Permian Basin Trial Lawyers Association Monthly Lunch
DP&S Houston attorney, Dana Levy presented a CLE on Thursday, April 23, 2025, to the Permian Basin Trial Lawyers Association. Her topic was “Playing Offense and Defense: How to Effectively Counter a Contributory Negligence Defense in Car or Trucking Cases.” Thank you, Dana!
DP&S was proud to sponsor the Premier Women in Law luncheon
DP&S Houston attorneys, Lara Hollingsworth, Dana Levy and Aditi Deal, sponsored and attended the Premier Women in Law luncheon at the Hiltons America in Houston on April 3, 2025. This luncheon, organized by the Association of Women Attorneys Foundation, celebrates outstanding women in Houston's Legal Community for their professional achievements and contributions.
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.
Justin Kaufman, Philip Kovnat, and Caren Friedman win in the New Mexico Court of Appeals!
Congratulations to Santa Fe attorneys Justin Kaufman, Phil Kovnat, and Caren Friedman who, along with Douglas Werman and John Frawley of Werman Salas P.C. in Chicago, successfully convinced the New Mexico Court of Appeals to affirm the judgment in this class action under the New Mexico Minimum Wage Act. The defendant company had filed a motion to compel arbitration, which the trial court denied. In a published opinion, the Court of Appeals agreed with the DP&S team that the arbitration agreement was unenforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act’s transportation worker exemption. You can read the opinion in Bankert v. 10 Roads Express, LLC, A-1-CA-41783 (N.M. App. March 17, 2025), here.
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.
Shelby White successfully defends venue appeal to the Texarkana Court of Appeals.
Congratulations to DP&S Dallas attorney, Shelby White, for successfully defending a Lamar County venue ruling. The appeal stemmed from the trial court's denial of all defendants’ motions to transfer venue to Childress County, where the wreck occurred. The court of appeals determined that venue in Lamar County was proper based on deposition testimony of a defendant’s vice president which established that the entity’s principal place of business was in Lamar County.
DP&S welcomes Shannon Hays to our Dallas Office!
DP&S is excited to announce the addition of Shannon Hays to our team as an attorney in our Dallas office.
Prior to joining the firm in 2025, Shannon was lawyer at Payne Mitchell Ramsey Law Group for fourteen years. Shannon graduated with high honors and Order of the Coif from the University of Texas School of Law, where she served on the Texas Law Review, was published in Volume 78 of the Texas Law Review, and received the honor of Best Texas Law Note that year. She earned her undergraduate degree from Baylor University, summa cum laude.
After law school, Shannon worked at Vinson & Elkins in Dallas and then Hogan & Hartson, LLP in Washington D. C., before serving as a staff attorney for the United States Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Shannon is admitted to practice law in both Texas and the District of Columbia. Welcome aboard, Shannon!
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.
Roz Bienvenu has been appointed Chair of the New Mexico Civil Jury Instruction Committee
DP&S is proud to announce that Santa Fe attorney Rosalind Bienvenu has been designated to serve as chairperson of the Uniform Jury Instructions Civil Committee by the New Mexico Supreme Court. Roz has extensive experience assisting DP&S’s trial lawyer clients with jury instructions and has served on the Committee since January 2023. Congratulations, Roz!
DP&S Ranked in 2025 Edition of Best Law Firms
Durham, Pittard & Spalding is proud to have been recognized in the fifteenth edition of Best Law Firms in appellate practice and personal injury litigation for our offices in Dallas, Houston and Santa Fe, respectively. Best Law Firms rankings celebrate firms that have consistently demonstrated excellence in legal expertise and industry knowledge.
Shelby White speaks at the Fort Worth Paralegals Association’s Holiday Luncheon
Congratulations to Dallas attorney, Shelby White, who presented at the Fort Worth Paralegals Association’s holiday luncheon on November 21, 2024. The topic was “The Appellate Process: What Your Attorney Wants You to Know for Litigation and Appeals”. Thanks for representing DP&S, Shelby.
Aditi Deal’s law review article cited by STCL professor in Constitutional Law article!
DP&S would like to congratulate Aditi Deal, whose 2020 law review article, “When Less Is More: A New Formula for Avoiding Equally Divided Decisions in the Supreme Court,” was cited by South Texas College of Law’s Constitutional Law professor, Josh Blackman, in his article “Making Sense of the 7-1-1-8 Split in Environment Texas Citizen Lobby v. ExxonMobile” in the online publication Reason Magazine. You can read Professor Blackman’s article here and you can access Aditi’s law review article here.
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.
Thad Spalding is interviewed on Fox 4 News Dallas
On November 21, 2024, DP&S attorney Thad D. Spalding was interviewed by Fox News regarding a recent $98.6M verdict in the Botham Jean v. Amber Guyger civil rights case. Mr. Spalding’s interview focused on why the City of Dallas was not a defendant in the case and the difficulty in holding municipalities liable when constitutional violations are committed by their officers. You can listen to the interview here: Fox 4 News Dallas Interview.