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We felt like we were in good hands the minute we walked out of the first meeting. That is hugely important to an embattled client.

Client Feedback

Overview

Scott brings 30+ years of trust and estate litigation experience to clients’ cases.

Scott has practiced in the private wealth arena since 1989, when he worked for a small firm that did a significant amount of estate planning, as well as trust and estate litigation. He quickly discovered a passion for helping clients with matters of such great importance to them and to their families’ futures, but he also knew he was at his best as an attorney when developing litigation strategies and implementing them in the courtroom. Scott went on to build a decades-long career with a focus on trust and estate litigation, later becoming managing partner of a boutique probate litigation firm in Dallas.

In 2023, Scott and his colleagues joined Husch Blackwell with a goal of offering clients greater legal resources through the firm’s national platform. He continues to represent clients in both trust and estate matters, handling cases involving contested wills, allegations of undue influence or incompetency, and other related controversies. He also assists in situations involving highly complex estates, such as those funding large numbers of trusts or with ambiguities requiring family negotiations and agreements. While traditional trust and estate litigation forms the majority of his practice, Scott has experience with guardianship matters as well.

In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Scott is also an accomplished mediator. He is frequently appointed by the courts or recommended by the lawyers to help other parties settle their trust and estate disputes. He has mediated more than 300 cases.

A sophisticated legal strategist and trial lawyer, Scott is devoted to advocating for clients, whether through negotiation or at trial, and he understands how significant these cases are to clients – whether they are individuals or institutions. However, he is perhaps best known for his gift for client communication: clients appreciate how well he explains their legal rights and the likely outcomes of their cases, as well as his dedication to keeping them informed and aware as he navigates complex processes on their behalf.

We felt like we were in good hands the minute we walked out of the first meeting. That is hugely important to an embattled client.

Client Feedback

Industry

Services

Recognition

  • Thomson Reuters' Texas Super Lawyer, 2006-present
  • D Magazine, Best Lawyers in Dallas, Probate: Trust & Estates, 2021-present
  • BL Rankings’ The Best Lawyers in America®, 2008-2025
    • Litigation – Trusts and Estates, 2011-2025
    • Best Lawyers® Litigation – Trusts and Estates "Lawyer of the Year," Dallas, 2015, 2022

Education

  • J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
  • B.A., Columbia University

Admissions

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

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  • Certified Mediator
  • Dallas Bar Association; Probate, Trusts & Estates Section; Program Chair, 2013-14; Secretary/Treasurer 2014-15; Chair Elect 2015-16; Chair 2016-17
  • State Bar of Texas; Litigation Section; Real Estate, Probate & Trust Law Section
  • Certified by the State Bar of Texas to serve as an Ad Litem in Guardianship Proceedings

Languages

  • Spanish, conversational
Experience
  • Represented trustee in complex trust lawsuit involving trusts with combined assets valued at more than $100 million in stock of a billion dollar plus privately held company. Matter was successfully settled through mediation.
  • Obtained summary judgments in multiple will contests.
  • Obtained a favorable settlement for beneficiaries of $40 million estate that would have otherwise gone to the assistant executive director of the retirement community where the decedent resided.
  • Obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of beneficiary, executor, trustee, managing member, and general partner of complex estates holding assets valued more than $25 million.
  • Obtained a guardianship to protect elderly widow and her estate valued at approximately $100 million.
  • Obtained a judicial partition of a 300-acre development site.
  • Obtained a judicial discharge for co-trustees of $6m trust with disgruntled beneficiaries.
Outside the Office

Scott enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors, especially on his ranch in Montague County, Texas. He’s also an amateur woodworker.

At the moment, much of Scott’s time is devoted to training his young Black Lab, Hadley.

Community Leadership

Scott has previously been on the board of the Southwestern Diabetic Foundation and participates in Dallas Bar Association activities.