O’Melveny Welcomes Highly Regarded Houston Trial Lawyer Denise Scofield
July 30, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HOUSTON—July 30, 2024—O’Melveny announced today that highly regarded Houston trial lawyer Denise Scofield has joined the Houston office as a partner in the firm’s General Litigation Practice Group and Energy Industry Group.
Scofield is a respected first-chair trial lawyer with more than three decades of experience representing clients in high-stakes litigation—where significant sums and fundamental principles are on the line. She focuses on energy-related disputes and crisis management, defending industrial clients primarily in the oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. Throughout her career, she has been deeply dedicated to the legal profession and a leader in the Texas legal community, previously serving as president of the Houston Bar Association.
Scofield is recognized by The Legal 500 US as a “leading lawyer” in general commercial disputes, as well as a “key lawyer” in energy litigation and product liability, mass tort, and class action defense. She was named “Best Mentor” by the Texas Law Journal, and her recent work in a landmark case involving COVID-19 protections for older incarcerated individuals in Texas received the National Law Journal’s “Trailblazer Award for Crisis Leadership.”
Scofield comes to O’Melveny from the Houston office of Winston & Strawn, where she served as head of the Houston Litigation Practice and was a member of the Litigation and Trials Practice. Her arrival strengthens O’Melveny’s broad litigation capabilities in Texas and accelerates the firm’s rapid expansion in the Lone Star State. Since 2021, O’Melveny has added upward of 70 lawyers—including 29 partners—across its Houston, Dallas, and Austin offices.
“We are delighted to welcome Denise to our growing Houston office,” said O’Melveny chair Bradley J. Butwin. “She is widely recognized as one of the premier trial lawyers in Texas, and she is a perfect fit for our firm’s growing roster of all-star Texas litigators. Her standout trial skills and extensive expertise—particularly in the energy sector—will be an immediate asset to our clients in Houston and beyond. It is a pleasure to welcome her to O’Melveny.”
“Denise has a sterling reputation as one of Houston’s most formidable and respected trial lawyers,” added O’Melveny partner Tim Durst, the firm’s Texas regional head for litigation. “She is not only a brilliant litigator with a tireless commitment to her clients, but also a proven leader who puts integrity above all else. Denise’s long track record of service—to the community and the bar—is a hallmark of her distinguished career. She is a fantastic match for O’Melveny, and we are thrilled to welcome her to our Texas litigation team.”
“I’m excited by this opportunity to join such an exceptional firm,” said Scofield. “O’Melveny is a litigation powerhouse with a world-class reputation, a client-centric focus, and an impressive global platform. I was drawn to the firm’s strong values, its collaborative culture, and its commitment to establishing deep roots in the Texas market. I’m confident that O’Melveny will be a great fit for my clients and my practice.”
Scofield earned her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and her B.A. from Vanderbilt University.
About O’Melveny
It’s more than what you do: it’s how you do it. Across sectors and borders, in board rooms and courtrooms, we measure our success by yours. And in our interactions, we commit to making your O’Melveny experience as satisfying as the outcomes we help you achieve. Our greatest accomplishment is ensuring that you never have to choose between premier lawyering and exceptional service. So, tell us. What do you want to achieve? Visit us at www.omm.com; read our Insights 2024 report; learn more in our firm at-a-glance; and find us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Contact:
Brandon Jacobsen
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
+1 213 430 8024
bjacobsen@omm.com
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