Allen Stewart Attorneys

Allen Stewart

Trial attorney Al Stewart discovered his calling early in his legal career — to help people who have contracted cancer and other serious illnesses due to negligence find justice. A former research chemist, his practice encompasses product liability and cases against large companies that failed to warn users of the dangers of their products or industrial pollution.
With blue-collar roots and strong family ties to union activity, Al’s compassion for his clients comes naturally. His grandfather, who ultimately died of black lung disease, helped found the coal miners’ union in West Virginia and Kentucky. This personal fact has been a great motivator in his work.
Throughout his career, Al has been responsible for significant trial verdicts and settlements. These successes have brought Al impressive public recognition from fellow lawyers on the local, state, and national levels. What Al is particularly proud of, however, is the pro bono work he’s done on behalf of nonprofits, seeking to protect them from unscrupulous leaders.
Al is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a board-certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Outside the legal arena, Al is a man of diverse interests. In addition to being an accomplished guitarist, and a self-confessed bookworm, Al also runs his own candy company, producing flavors ranging from granola to yogurt candy bars.

Education

• Juris Doctorate, 1990, University of Arizona College of Law (Editor in Chief, Arizona Law Review)
• Bachelor of Science,1987, University of Arizona

Bar and Court Admissions

• Texas
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
• United States District Court of the Western District of Washington
• United States District Court of Colorado

Professional Associations

• American Bar Association
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• American Association for Justice
• Dallas Bar Association
• Dallas Bar Foundation – Fellow
• Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
• State Bar of Texas
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association

Steve B. Jensen

Since his days as a college student, Steve Baughman Jensen has always been concerned about the systematic destruction of the environment by domineering corporate interests. During his first year of law school, “I read a case involving a chemical spill on the Mississippi River and its impact on local fishermen, tourism, and residents of the area. I was fascinated by the possibility of using private litigation as a means to securing environmental justice.” After a year-long position as a briefing attorney for then-Texas Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Doggett, Steve has devoted his career to toxic tort litigation.

With over fifteen years of practice, Steve has attained many accomplishments. In 2006, he was awarded the “Trial Lawyers of the Year” award by Trial Lawyers for Public Justice (TLPJ) for resolving a 21-year-long case on behalf of over 1,600 residents of Tucson, Arizona who were injured by contaminated drinking water. Steve has worked on a wide variety of toxic injury cases involving such substances as asbestos, trichloroethlyne (TCE), lead, radiation, beryllium, benzene, mercury, arsenic, and dioxins.

Steve is also well-known for his work in successfully fighting several proposed nationwide class action settlements that attempted to resolve “future” asbestos claims; that is, claims that might someday be brought by people exposed to asbestos but not yet sick as a result. The United States Supreme Court twice overturned such settlements in the cases of Amchem v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591 (1997) and Ortiz v. Fibreboard Corp., 527 U.S. 815 (1999).

Steve has also fought against class action abuses in other cases. In 1997, he received the Public Justice Achievement Award from Trial Lawyers for Public Justice for his successful efforts in opposing a collusive class action involving insurance fraud in Mississippi. Steve also worked on a case opposing a nationwide class action settlement initiated by the tobacco corporation Liggett, which would have capped that company’s future tobacco liabilities. For his many professional accomplishments, Steve has been recognized by D Magazine on its list of “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” (2004) and has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics Media and Texas Monthly magazine in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Steve is a past chair of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s Section on Toxic, Environmental, and Pharmaceutical Torts and a current board member of TLPJ. Additionally, he devotes his time to litigating many cases pro bono as a TLPJ cooperating attorney.

Steve is an avid guitarist, describing himself as a “strummer and singer.” A lover of big dogs, Steve owns a Great Dane named Layla and a Labrador named Turbo. He is also a dedicated family man, devoted to his 2 boys and his wife of 20 years.

Education

• University of Texas School of Law (J.D., high honors, 1992); Order of the Coif; Clerk of the Chancellors; Order of the Barristers.
• Trinity University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1989)

Bar and Court Admissions

• Texas
• United States Supreme Court
• United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Circuits
• United States District Court for the Northern District of TexasUnited States District Court for Colorado

Professional Associations

• American Association for Justice (past chair, Section on Toxic, Environmental, and Pharmaceutical Torts)
• Public Justice (Member, Board of Directors)

Presentations

• Multiple Continuing Legal Education presentations on both toxic tort-related issues and class action issues.

Reported Cases

• AAU v. Wood, 98 P.3d 572 (Ariz. Ct. App. 2004) Ortiz v. Fibreboard Corp., 527 U.S. 815, 119 S.Ct. 2295, 144 L.Ed.2d 715 (1999)
• Amchem Products v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591, 117 S.Ct. 2231, 138 L.Ed.2d 689 (1997)
• Freier v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp., 303 F.3d 176 (2d Cir. 2002)
• Walker v. Liggett Group, Inc., 175 F.R.D. 226, 38 Fed.R. Serv. 3d 377 (S.D. W. Va. 1997)

Williams Kherkher Attorneys

Harry G. Potter III

Harry has been with Williams Kherkher since 1999 and currently serves as the firm’s General Counsel.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985
• Law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1987

Memberships

• State Bar of Texas
• Travis County Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Honors and distinctions

• Appointed by the Texas Supreme Court in 2005 to serve on the 9-member Texas Professional Ethics Committee, which issues advisory opinions on compliance with the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct
• Founding Life Fellow of the Travis County Bar Foundation
• Served on the State Bar Grievance Committee for District 9A for six years
• Twice elected Chairman of the State Bar Grievance Committee for District 9A

Licensed to practice

• All Texas state courts
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• United States Supreme Court

Past experience

• Harry spent 10 years as a lawyer in the Texas Attorney General’s Office where he served as Deputy Division Chief of the General Litigation Division and later as a Special Assistant Attorney General
• After leaving the Attorney General’s Office, Harry taught full-time as a Visiting Professor at the University of Texas School of Law, where he taught Professional Responsibility

Waters, Kraus & Paul Attorneys

Peter A. Kraus

Peter Kraus is a founding and managing partner of Waters, Kraus & Paul. A native of Dallas, Texas, Peter earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University and his law degree from the University of Texas. He began his career as a commercial litigator in Washington, D.C., and has since focused his practice on toxic torts and pharmaceutical injury litigation. He has tried numerous asbestos and pharmaceutical cases to verdict in state and federal courts across the country, including many multimillion-dollar verdicts. He is an ardent supporter of consumer and victims’ rights, having testified before the Texas Legislature and frequently lobbied Congress on behalf of asbestos litigants. Peter also serves on several asbestos bankruptcy creditor and trustee advisory committees. He is involved in steering committees for both U.S. and Texas asbestos multidistrict litigation, and has served on the ABA Commission on Asbestos litigation. Licensed to practice law in Texas, California and Virginia, Peter has been elected for membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates by his peers. He has been recognized on the D Magazine “Best Lawyers in Dallas” list and the Thomson Reuters Texas Super Lawyers® list from 2003 to 2011. Peter is active in the community as well, and is the former chairman of the St. Paul Medical Foundation, chair-elect of the board of the Greenhill School and a current board member of the Southwestern Medical Foundation. In addition, he is a current board member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He formerly served on the board of the Public Justice Foundation (formerly known as Trial Lawyers for Public Justice). He is also a member of the Dallas Bar Association.

Areas of Practice

• Asbestos Litigation
• Toxic Tort
• Pharmaceutical Litigation

Pro Bono and Community Service

• Board of Directors, Public Justice, 2004-present
• Member, Leader’s Forum, American Association for Justice
• Lead Donor, Dallas Area Volunteer Program, 2001, 2003

Bar Admissions

• Virginia, 1985
• Texas, 1992
• California, 2011
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1994
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1986
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, 1986
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 2001

Education

• University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas J.D., 1985
• Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, B.A., 1982

Professional Associations & Memberships

• American Association for Justice
  • Board of Governors
• American Board of Trial Advocates
• Texas Trial Lawyers Association
  • Executive Committee, Board of Directors
• Dallas Bar Association
• State Bar of Texas Association
• Virginia Bar Association
• Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
• Texas Bar Foundation
• Southwestern Medical Foundation
  • Board of Trustees
• Greenhill School
  • Chair-Elect, Board of Trustees

Honors & Awards

• Selected for recognition on the Texas Super Lawyers list, published by Thomson Reuters, Legal, 2003-2011
• Selected for recognition on the “Best Lawyers in Dallas” list in D Magazine, published by D Magazine Partners
• AV® Preeminent^™ 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell Featured Peer Review Rated Lawyer

Scott L. Frost

Scott Frost is a partner at Waters, Kraus & Paul in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Scott is licensed to practice law by the state bars of California, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Indiana. He also formerly served with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the U.S. Army. Scott is a cum laude graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law. While serving in the United States Army, Scott was appointed as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. In that capacity, he tried cases on behalf of the United States in District Court in Waco, Texas and earned the victim assistance award. Scott is a graduate of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College. Since 2000, Scott has successfully tried asbestos cases across the country. Recognized in Texas Monthly magazine on the 2005 Thomson Reuters Texas Rising Stars® list, Scott is a frequent presenter at asbestos conferences. His pro bono work includes of counsel appointments by the Public Justice Foundation for asbestos removal litigation involving the St. Louis Airport, the Fort Worth Cowtown Inn project, and St. Bernard Parish. Scott is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Kentucky Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, and the State Bar of Texas.

Areas of Practice

• Asbestos Litigation
• Toxic Tort
• Product Liability

Pro Bono and Community Service

• Of counsel, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Foundation
• St. Louis Airport Asbestos Removal Litigation
• Fort Worth Cowtown Inn Project
• St. Bernard Parish Asbestos Removal

Bar Admissions

• California, 2008
• Texas, 2000
• Georgia, 1996
• Kentucky, 1994
• Indiana, 1994
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana

Education

• University of Kentucky College of Law, J.D., 1994
• Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, B.S.B.A., cum laude, 1991

Professional Associations & Memberships

• American Association for Justice
• Kentucky Bar Association
• State Bar of Georgia
• State Bar of Texas

Honors & Awards

• Selected for recognition on the Texas Rising Stars® list, published by Thomson Reuters, Legal, 2005
• Graduate, Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College, 1999
• National Moot Court Team, University of Kentucky, 1994

Other Appointments

• JAG Corps, United States Army, 1995-2000

Publications & Speeches

• Co-Chair, 4th Annual Emerging Trends in Asbestos Litigation Conference, HB Litigation Conferences, April 7-8, 2011
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s National Asbestos Conference: Litigation and Trial of MDL Asbestos Claims in Federal Court, February 24-25, 2011
• Speaker, Asbestos Litigation Crash Course, HB Litigation Conferences, February 24, 2010
• Speaker, Asbestos Litigation Conference: A Comprehensive National Overview and Outlook, Perrin Conferences, San Francisco, California, September 14-16, 2009
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s Asbestos Conference: Trial of a Take-Home Exposure Case from Jury Selection to Verdict, The Peninsula Chicago, June 22-23, 2009
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s Trial of a Benzene Case Conference, December 8-9, 2008
• Speaker, Mealey’s Asbestos Litigation Super Conference, Sept. 22-24, 2008
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s Trial of a Mesothelioma Case from Jury Selection to Verdict, June 23-24, 2008
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s “Alabama Toxic Tort Litigation: Life After the Griffin Ruling”, May 19, 2008
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s Asbestos Litigation Conference: Peripheral No More, Part III, 2008
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s Texas Asbestos & Silica Litigation Conference: Life After Borg-Warner v. Flores, 2007
• Speaker, HarrisMartin’s Asbestos Litigation Conference: Peripheral No More, 2007
• Speaker, Mealey’s Asbestos 101 Conference, 2005
• Speaker, Mealey’s Asbestos Premises Liability Conference, 2003