Dallas trial lawyer among 26 attorneys on the National Law Journal’s elite list  

DALLAS – Daniel Charest, founding partner of Burns Charest LLP, is one of only 26 attorneys in the nation recognized as a 2020 “Winning Litigator” by the National Law Journal. The prestigious annual report highlights trial lawyers who scored significant victories on behalf of their clients in high-stakes matters during the past 18 months. [Story Here]

In the special report published September 1, Charest was recognized for his work as lead trial counsel in securing a landmark win for Houston-area property owners before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The court held that the United States is liable for flooding and property damage caused by the Army Corps of Engineers’ management of Houston-area reservoirs during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The ruling allows more than 10,000 property owners to recover significant flood-damage compensation for their Fifth Amendment taking claims.  

Among other significant victories, in July 2019 Charest worked on a litigation team that obtained an international arbitration ruling in favor of the firm’s client, Dallas-based Kosmos Energy. The January 2019 arbitration in London secured deep-water drilling rights off the coast of Africa and resulted in a multimillion-dollar award. In addition to the London arbitration, Charest led related litigation involving subsidiaries in Houston.   

Announced in May 2020, Charest served as co-lead counsel in reaching a $52 million settlement on behalf of a multistate class alleging that Facebook failed to properly support and care for content moderators, who frequently suffer psychological damages from monitoring violent and unlawful activity posted on Facebook. In addition to significant injunctive relief, the settlement provides class members funding for diagnosis and treatment.  

When offering trial tips for success in the courtroom, Charest told the NLJ: “Become the person the judge believes. Never mislead the judge. But advocate. Be respectful. But don’t grovel and scrape.” Charest also said the main key is being prepared.   Burns Charest represents clients in large, complex class actions; antitrust cases; oil and gas royalty disputes; environmental pollution cases; mass torts; and asbestos exposure claims. The firm has offices in Dallas and New Orleans. To learn more, visit http://www.burnscharest.com.