James D. Payne

• Biography
• Publications & Speaking
• Representative Matters

Mr. Payne, a fifth generation Texan, is a seasoned trial attorney.  Mr. Payne has been the lead attorney for plaintiffs (no personal injury) and defendants in hundreds of lawsuits, and he has tried numerous jury, bench, and administrative cases to verdict.  Mr. Payne regularly handles high stakes, multi-party litigation and has successfully defended clients against claims with an aggregate of liquidated damages exceeding one billion dollars.  He also serves as a mediator in Dallas County.  Mr. Payne is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.  Mr. Payne has been selected as a “Top Rated Lawyer” in “Litigation,” “Commercial Litigation,” and “Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources” by American Lawyer Media.

Mr. Payne has been lead trial counsel in cases filed in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, California, Kansas, Wyoming, Missouri, Illinois, and New York, and he has handled lawsuits in many diversified areas including the following:

• Construction defects and accidents
• Oilfield accidents
• Insurance defense including wrongful death, medical malpractice, construction, products liability, DTPA, and trucking and automobile accidents
• Commercial litigation
• Soil, groundwater, and air contamination cases
• CERCLA, RCRA, and the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act
• Environmental citizens’ lawsuits
• Environmental enforcement actions
• Remediation of contaminated properties
• Toxic torts including asbestos, silica sand, benzene, pesticide, chemical and “black mold” exposure
• Condemnations
• Collections

RECOGNITION

AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Selected as a “Top Rated Lawyer” in “Litigation,” “Commercial Litigation,” and “Energy, Environmental and Natural Resources” by American Lawyer Media.