David Kent

David C. Kent represents clients in federal and state trials and in appellate courts throughout the nation. He is board certified in civil trial law and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and his experience encompasses all facets of civil litigation.

David’s practice focuses on business disputes, professional liability claims—especially those involving architect and engineer design professionals—and mass tort and complex litigation in serious injury and death trials.

Clients especially trust David to bring a case to fruition; in fact he is often called upon at the eleventh hour to assist with, and sometimes completely take over, the defense of a pending case that is nearing trial.

David is a regular speaker at continuing legal education seminars. He has published more than 115 professional papers, law review articles and books, and served for nine years as the contributing editor on Evidence Law for the State Bar of Texas General Practice Digest.

After graduating from law school, David served a one-year judicial clerkship with the Supreme Court of Texas.

Experience :

• Design Professionals and Other Professional Liability
  • Defended a national engineering firm in a $60 million design-build suit arising from expansion of a commuter light rail transit system in a public-private partnership project.
  • Defended a national engineering firm in mass tort and class action claims arising from alleged lead contamination of municipal drinking water supply.
  • Defended a national engineering firm in a suit involving geotechnical design issues related to the runway and landing areas of the nation’s only privately developed/operated commercial airports.
  • Defended a national engineering firm in a two-week jury trial involving professional liability claim arising from the design of a temporary cofferdam at a public water reservoir in Florida.
  • Defended a vertically integrated engineering and construction firm in a $40 million claim arising from the design and construction of a cogeneration power plant located inside a petrochemical refinery in California’s Bay area.
  • Defended an architectural firm in a multimillion dollar claim arising from the construction of television broadcasting studios in Tampa, Florida.
• Business Litigation
  • Defended a contract electronics manufacturer in a $50 million California state court breach of warranty case arising from alleged defects in 60,000 printed circuit board assemblies used in traffic control and monitoring devices sold throughout the United States and abroad.
  • Represented a Pennsylvania-based provider of maintenance and repair operation supply chain management services in various contractual disputes in Texas.
  • Represented a buyer in a stock purchase agreement suing the seller for breach of contract, resulting in $5.2 million recovery in arbitration proceedings in San Diego, California.
• Real Estate and Environmental
  • Represented a real estate development company in a multimillion-dollar, high exposure real estate fraud and civil conspiracy case in a luxury residential golf course community located in Riverside County, California. Case settled during trial on favorable terms.
  • Represented landowners in condemnation proceedings involving the construction of a 43-mile long regional water pipeline.
  • Represented lessors and lessees in various commercial lease disputes, including restaurants, warehouses, hazardous chemicals, commercial properties, etc.
• Products Liability
  • Defended a roofing company in a multi-million dollar respiratory injury claim arising from alleged inhalation vapors from roofing adhesive product containing toluene diisocyanate (TDI).
  • Defended a national roofing system manufacturing company in a $35 million claim arising from the partial collapse of the roof of a shopping mall located on the Gulf Coast during Hurricane Rita.
  • National defense counsel for a Chicago-based football helmet manufacturing and reconditioning company in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits brought in state and federal courts throughout the nation.
  • Defended a Japanese manufacturer of steel I-beams used in the construction of manufactured housing against claims of design defect, which allegedly caused the I-beam to bend and collapse on top of a person who was working under the house, resulting in quadriplegia.
• Class Actions
  • Represented in Texas a U.S.-based international food company in toxic tort class action and mass action litigation brought by Central American farm workers.
  • Represented in Texas an international computer manufacturer’s employee in consumer class action for misrepresentations concerning laptop computer battery life.
  • Represented in Texas a consortium of water heater manufacturers in follow-on consumer class action for defective water heater components.

Education :

• Baylor University School of Law, J.D., 1978, Baylor Law Review, Editor-in-Chief
• Baylor University, B.A., 1975

Bar Admissions : Texas

Court Admissions :

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas