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South Texas College of Law, (J.D., 1985)
Texas A&M University, (B.S., 1982, cum laude)
Practice Areas
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Business Fraud
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Commercial Litigation
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Construction Defect Litigation
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Premises Liability
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Products Liability
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Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
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Subrogation
Admissions
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United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
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United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas
Legal Memberships
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Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
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Fellow, American Association of Justice
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Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
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Member, State Bar of Texas
Honors and Awards
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Briefing Attorney to Justice Sears McGee, The Supreme Court of Texas 1985-86
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Law Dragon 3000 Leading Lawyers in America 2010
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Top 500 Plaintiffs Lawyers in America, 2007
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Million Dollar Advocates Forum
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Texas Super Lawyer 2003, 2007, 2008
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AV Rated, Martindale Hubbell
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Board Certified: Personal Injury Trial Law
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Phi Delta Phi
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National Order of Barristers
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Psi Chi
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Mr. Garnett has enjoyed a long and successful career as a trial lawyer and during that time he has been named a Texas Super Lawyer three times. In 2010, he was named one of the top 3000 lawyers in America by LawDragon. In 2008, he was inducted into The Litigation Counsel of America, an exclusive trial lawyer honor society in which less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers are members. He was listed in the 2007 LawDragon 500 Leading Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America with the comment, "[He] works both sides of the fence, most recently winning a large confidential settlement for an unfairly terminated airline pilot." Mr. Garnett is best known for the successful result he achieved in 1996 as co-lead counsel for a group of landowners who sued a natural gas liquids storage facility for property damage caused by a gas explosion. The jury in that case awarded $143 million to the landowners, one of the largest punitive damages awards in Texas that year. Mr. Garnett currently represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a number of commercial and personal injury law cases.
Mr. Garnett attended Texas A&M University, graduating cum laude, in 1982 and received his law degree from South Texas College of Law in 1985. After serving as a briefing attorney for Justice Sears McGee of The Supreme Court of Texas, he joined the law firm in 1986. He is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is active in the State Bar of Texas and previously served on State Bar committees to develop jury submissions for civil trials and to coordinate legal aid to the homeless. He served a two year term as National Alumni President for his law school and has been an active fundraiser for the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University. He has published and lectured in the areas of e-discovery and trial strategy.
Representative Experience
Business Fraud/Commercial Litigation
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Multi-million dollar verdict for a company defrauded by an investor in a failed business deal.
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Favorable verdict for an insurance agency which allegedly failed to place flood insurance on several buildings flooded during a tropical storm.
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Favorable verdict for a business owner and a property owner for fire damage caused by a defective credit card reading machine.
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Dismissal of a computer manufacturer from fraud claims in a multi-million dollar accounting fraud case.
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Defense verdict for a major computer manufacturer on a claim that a computer monitor caused significant fire damage to a house.
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Negotiated a confidential settlement in a significant amount for a terminated pilot from a major airline.
Premises Liability
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Regularly engaged by shopping malls and commercial property owners to defend serious cases involving breach of security.
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Multi-million dollar verdict for landowners damaged by a gas explosion occurring at a nearby natural gas liquids storage facility near Brenham, Texas.
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Defense verdict for a commercial landowner who allegedly diverted the natural flow of rainwater resulting in the flooding of plaintiffs' home.
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Defense verdict in favor of a health club and its trainer on a claim that the trainer seriously injured a club member on the facility equipment.
Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
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Regularly retained by national and international manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors to defend a wide variety of claims for personal injuries and death.
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Defense verdict for an emergency room physician who allegedly failed to diagnose a female patient's condition that resulted in sterilization.
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Defense verdict for a school district sued for causing the stress related death of a teacher.
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Defense verdict for a steel erection company which allegedly caused serious injuries to a worker on a construction site.
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Negotiated a substantial confidential settlement for the family of a pilot killed in a general aviation crash.
Appellate
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In Re: Choice Homes, Inc., No. 14-04-01008-CV, 2205 WL 2428324, 174 S.W.3d 408, Tex. App.--Houston (14th Dist., no writ), September 30, 2005.
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Penton v. American Bankers Ins. Co. of Fla., No. 04-20013, 2004 WL 2538372, 114 Fed. Appx. 622, C.A. 5th Cir. (Tex), November 10, 2004 (not designated for publication).
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Hoffman v. Kramer, No. H-01-MC-192918, 2002 WL 192918, 185 F.Supp. 2d 700, S.D. Tex., January 31, 2002.
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Seminole Pipeline Co. v. Broadleaf Partners, Inc., No. 14-96-00825-CV, 1998 WL 723898, 979 S.W.2d 730, 142 Oil & Gas Rep. 338, Tex. App.--Houston (14th Dist., no writ), October 15, 1998.
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Williams v. Scott, No. 94-20375, 1994 WL 529994, 35 F.3d 159, C.A. 5th Cir. (Tex.), September 30, 1994.
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Mroz v. U.S. Fire Ins. Co., No. B14-90-00833CV, 1992 WL 41403, 826 S.W.2d 719, Tex. App.--Houston (14th Dist., no writ), March 5, 1992.
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Klein Independent School Dist. v. Wilson, No. D-1701, 1992 WL 86366, 834 S.W.2d 3, Tex., April 29, 1992.
Publications and Seminar Presentations
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Taming the E Dragon: Controlling Costs, Avoiding Double Billing & Winning Fee Disputes for Duplicative E-Discovery in Litigation of All Sizes (Council on Litigation Management 2010 Conference).
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Trial Tactics (South Texas College of Law 1996).
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Garnett and Pletcher, "What You Need to Know to Evaluate a Nonsubscriber Workers' Compensation Case," 11 Texas Personal Injury Law Reporter No. 1 (1993).
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Insurance Contract Coverage Problems (State Bar of Texas: Advanced Workers' Compensation Course 1991).
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The New Workers' Compensation Statute (State Bar of Texas: Advanced Workers' Compensation Course 1990).
Community Activities
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Board of Directors, South Texas College of Law (1997-1999)
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National Alumni President, South Texas College of Law (1997-1999)
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Steering Committee, Texas A&M College of Liberal Arts Development Council (1997 - 2007)
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Advisory Board, Alzheimer's Association (2008 - present)
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Officer, Old Braeswood Homeowners Association (1997-2002)
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Member, St. Vincent DePaul School Long Range Planning Committee (2007 - present)
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