For twenty-five years, Darren has been trying cases in state and federal courts across the country. An accomplished and nationally recognized trial lawyer, his cases have been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Bloomberg News, People Magazine and other publications.

Darren has successfully tried cases on behalf of clients of every kind, from personal injury plaintiffs, to Fortune 500 companies, patent holders, business owners, corporate executives, and criminal defendants. Currently, he is co-lead trial counsel for sixteen hospital systems asserting RICO claims against manufacturers, distributors, and retailers for causing the opioid epidemic.

Every case is different, and so is every client. Whatever the case, Darren invests the time and effort to identify the client’s objectives and to tailor a client-specific strategy to achieve them – whether trying the case, negotiating a settlement, avoiding litigation all together, or pursuing another option entirely.

Darren began his career at Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington D.C., one of the country’s premier law firms, and returned to Dallas in 2008, becoming a partner at the nationally recognized trial boutique Sayles Werbner PC. Darren joined Burns Charest LLP in 2019 with one goal in mind – to help build one of the premier trial firms in the country.

Outside of work, Darren is a proud husband and father of three daughters. He is an active member of the Dallas Bar and enjoys coaching the Woodrow Wilson High School mock trial team.

Education

Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. cum laude, 2001
The University of Texas, B.S., Mathematics, 1997
The University of Texas, B.A., Psychology, 1997

Admissions & Honors

Admitted to practice in Texas, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Supreme Court, and numerous U.S. Court of Appeals and U.S. District Courts, including all Texas federal courts.

Benchmark Litigation Star, 2026
Best Lawyers in America, 2018-2026
Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2017-2024
Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer by Lawdragon, 2021-2026
Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer by Lawdragon, 2021-2026
Super Lawyers, 2017-2026
Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2010-2015
Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Barrister, Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court, 2009-2012                                       

Speaking Engagements

The Unlikely Plaintiff: Hospital Claims Against the Opioid Supply Chain, TTLA Mass Tort Seminar, 2022
The Ethics of Witness Preparation and Presentation, State Bar of Texas, Sept. 2019, 2023
Turning the Tables—Offers of Judgment Under Federal Rule 68, Dallas Bar Association, Sept. 2015
Protecting Plaintiffs’ Wins from the IRS, Texas Lawyer, June 2014
Closing Arguments, Dallas Bar Association Trial Academy, Oct. 2012
Exclude the Opposing Expert Witness on Qualifications and Reliability, Dallas Bar Association, July 2010
The Ethics of Lawyer-Judge Interactions, presented to the Higginbotham Inn of Court, March 2010

Representative Cases

Healthcare: 

• Florida Health Sciences Center, Inc., et al. v. Richard Sackler, et al. – co-lead trial counsel on behalf of 16 Florida hospital systems against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and retail pharmacies for violations of Florida’s Civil RICO Act. Set for trial Sept. 2026.

• Dallas County Hospital District, d/b/a Parkland Health & Hospital System, et al. v. Amneal Pharmaceuticals, et al. – co-lead counsel for 26 Texas hospitals against the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers that caused the opioid epidemic.

• San Miguel Hospital Corporation v. Johnson & Johnson, et al. – negotiated class settlements in excess of $1 billion on behalf of acute care hospitals for claims against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Aviation and Wrongful Death: 

• Tavantzis, et al. v. American Airlines, Inc. – won a seminal $9.6 million jury verdict under the Montreal Convention on behalf of catastrophically injured passenger and spouse.

• Estate of Porscha Brown v. Korean Air Co. – trial counsel for estate of former DoD employee who tragically died on an international flight from Washington, DC to Seoul, Korea.

• Arzu v. American Airlines, Inc. – trial counsel for family of a fourteen-year-old who tragically died on an international flight from Honduras to Miami.

• United States of America v. The Boeing Company – counsel for families enforcing their rights under the Crime Victim’s Rights Act in criminal case against Boeing for the 737 MAX airplane crashes.

• Powell, et al. v. Thornton Drilling, et al. – trial counsel for two minor children in a wrongful death case involving a West Texas oil rig with confidential settlement on the eve of trial.

• Artinger, et al. v. i3 Plastic Cards, et al. – trial counsel for widow and minor child in a wrongful death case involving a workplace electrocution resulting in substantial confidential settlement.

Complex Business Cases:

• AerReach, et al., v. Stanford, et al. – trial counsel for plaintiffs in a multi-million-dollar business fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and commercial bribery case against multiple defendants resulting in substantial confidential settlement.

• Paradigm Air v. Texas Rangers Baseball Partners – summary judgment recovery for plaintiff in breach-of-contract case stemming from the Texas Rangers Baseball Partners’ bankruptcy.

• Andrew Silver v. Tabletop Media, LLC d/b/a Ziosk – favorable settlement for counter-plaintiff and defendant claim for breach of a patent purchase agreement.

Intellectual Property:

• Commil USA, LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc.,135 S.Ct. 1920 (2015) – won U.S. Supreme Court patent case eliminating defense of “good-faith belief in invalidity.”

• e-Lynxx Corporation v. Ariba – brought infringement lawsuit for patent holder and obtained significant patent licensing agreements with successful licensing program.

False Claims Act:

• United States of America, ex rel. Haight v. RRSA (Commercial Division) LLC, et al. – obtained multi-million-dollar settlement of False Claims Act case involving fraudulent small business subcontracting on military bases.

• United States of America, ex rel. Fisher, et al. v. Ocwen Loan Servicing – obtained favorable settlement for defendant in hundred-million-dollar major False Claims Act case against non-bank mortgage servicer.

Criminal Defense:

• U.S. v. Mahoney – acquittal on a seven-count indictment for a court-appointed client in Washington, D.C. Superior Court.

• U.S. v. Barry, et al. – obtained favorable plea bargain and no jail time for a real estate agent indicted in a federal case involving mortgage fraud.