Mr. Garnett is a native Texan from Brenham, Texas. He graduated with a degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University in 1982 and a law degree from South Texas College of Law in 1985. Mr. Garnett served a one-year appointment as a briefing attorney for The Supreme Court of Texas in 1986 and celebrated his 33rd year at Sheehy, Ware & Pappas, P.C. where he is a shareholder.
Mr. Garnett handles high exposure cases involving large complex commercial disputes and catastrophic personal injuries. He first established his reputation as a trial lawyer when he won a landmark verdict in 1996 for a group of landowners who sued a natural gas 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 damage awards in Texas that year. Throughout his career he has represented a diverse set of clients ranging from a software company defrauded by a major investor in a failed business deal to the defense of a Japanese excavator manufacturer in a severe crushing injury case to the defense of a computer manufacturer sued for accounting fraud to the defense of a school district sued for causing the stress related death of a teacher. Mr. Garnett has even handled the appeal of a death row inmate’s capital murder conviction.
In addition to top-quality legal representation, Mr. Garnett emphasizes client value, work efficiency, timely reporting and responsiveness. His dedication to quality legal services was recognized in 2019 by his inclusion as a Top Rated Lawyer in Texas for the 8th year, a Texas Super Lawyer for the 12th time and a “Client Service All-Star”. In 2013, he was named a Top Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation Law. In 2012, he was named a Top Rated Lawyer in Business Litigation. In 2010, he was named one of the top 3000 lawyers in America by LawDragon. He is 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.” He is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Mr. Garnett 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 for 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. Mr. Garnett has published and lectured in the areas of e-discovery and trial strategy.
Mr. Garnett has been married 36 years to his high school sweetheart and they are the parents of four grown children. In his spare time, he likes to watch college sports, go to the movies and socialize with friends.
Business Fraud/Commercial Litigation
Transportation
Dram Shop
Energy Industry Disputes
Fire Loss
Premises Liability
Products Liability
Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
Professional Liability
Appellate