I started out my career as a trial lawyer and over the years I’ve had the opportunity to try all kinds of cases in all kinds of courts. And I’ve been privileged to represent people from all walks of life, from self-made millionaires to other lawyers to drug addicts. One of my most memorable cases involved representing an older gentleman who was being sued by one of the top flite law firms in Dallas. The firm was demanding over $60,000 in attorneys’ fees and my client’s corporate pension paid him less than $90 a month. I defended him pro bono and put the case in a position where the firm was forced to drop all of its claims against him.
After so many years of trial work, I moved into appeals. While years of litigation and trials have provided a good foundation for appeals, the appellate practice is a different animal from the trial practice. Instead of dealing with depositions, hearings, witnesses, and juries, I examine court records and case law. But, again, the transition suits my personality and we’ve success in a number of areas.
People Want to Hire People, Not Corporations
In our firm, we don’t represent the same volume of clients that other firms do. We carry a comparatively smaller caseload so that we can focus more on the quality of our representation, rather than the quantity of it. Some clients find that we charge more than other firms, but our clients usually find the value of our fees in the quality of our services. In our experience, when the stakes are high (and they usually are), the cheaper proves to be the most expensive.
[styledbox type="shadow" align="center"]He is a professional in every sense of the word. His working knowledge of the law, ethical manner, and diligence in representing the interests of his clients is beyond question. —Bart Behr, Attorney at Law[/styledbox]
Memberships/Affiliations
- Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
- Federal Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas, Appellate Section
Recognitions
Legal Ability Ratings take into consideration the standard of professional ability in the area where the lawyer practices, the lawyer’s expertise, and other professional qualifications. If a lawyer’s practice is limited or specialized, Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review RatingsTM are based on performance in those specific fields of law.
Legal Ability Ratings are:
- C – Good to High
- B – High to Very High
- A – Very High to Preeminent
The General Ethical Standards Rating denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.
The General Recommendation Rating is: V – Very High
Reported Cases
- Tarrant Regional Water District v. Villanueva, 2010 Tex. App. LEXIS 10131 (Fort Worth, December 23, 2010).
- Pena v. Smith, 321 S.W.3d 755 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth 2010).
- United States v. Harris, No. 08-11151, 2010 U.S. App. Lexis 2754 (February 9, 2010).
- United States v. Inman, 411 F.3d 591 (5th Cir. 2005). Eighteen citing decisions, eight law reviews, and one brief.
- United States v. Austin, 432 F.3d 598 (5th Cir. 2005). Fifty citing decisions, one law review, and ten briefs.
- Atlas Copco Tools, Inc. v. Air Power Tool & Hoist, 131 S.W.3d 203 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth 2004, pet. denied). Six citing decisions, two law reviews, and twenty-three briefs.
Presentations
- Build a Better Brief, Dallas Area Paralegal Association (Dallas), August 2010
- Build a Better Brief, Dallas Area Paralegal Association (Collin County), September 2010
Admissions
- Texas 1993
- US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- US District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- US District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- US District Court for the Western District of Texas
Education
- JD, 1993, cum laude, Texas Tech School of Law, Texas Tech Law Review, associate editor
- BA, 1988, cum laude, Oral Roberts University, Communication
- Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, associate editor, 1992
- Clerk, The Rutherford Institute, 1992
- Trial Lawyers College, 2000
Texas Lawyer: E-Discovery at Issue in Case Involving Anna Nicole Smith’s Mom
In addition to his legal work, Peter is a writer and a photographer. His personal site is petersmythe.com.
