My goal is to give clients the sophistication and firepower they expect in high-stakes litigation while remaining personally engaged in the details and making each client feel that its matter is at the top of my stack.
That means rolling up my sleeves, mastering the facts, giving clear and practical advice, and being highly responsive from the beginning of a dispute through its resolution. I want my clients to be able to hand me a difficult problem and know that it is being handled. When a dispute calls for an aggressive approach, I am comfortable applying pressure because I know the record, the witnesses and the details of the case firsthand.
David Leonard is a trial lawyer who represents businesses, business owners, investors and high-net-worth individuals in complex commercial disputes, with particular experience in real estate and oil and gas litigation. His practice includes matters that proceed to trial or arbitration, as well as high-stakes pre-suit disputes, expedited injunction proceedings, complex discovery, expert work and dispositive motions.
David takes the lead through every phase of a dispute, from internal investigations and pre-suit negotiations through fact and expert discovery, evidentiary hearings, arbitration and trial. He has substantial experience handling matters on compressed timelines, including applications for temporary restraining orders and temporary injunctions.
David’s real estate practice focuses on commercial lease disputes, easements and access rights, restrictive covenants, purchase and sale agreements, option agreements, title issues and ownership interests in real estate ventures. He regularly represents owners, developers and closely held businesses in disputes involving retail, medical, industrial and office properties.
His oil and gas practice focuses on disputes involving the operation, ownership and development of oil and gas assets. David has substantial experience with disputes arising under joint operating agreements and other agreements governing relationships among operators, nonoperators and working interest owners. His practice also includes disputes involving gas gathering, processing, transportation and other midstream agreements, as well as oil and gas leases, mineral and royalty interests, master service agreements, division orders and vendor agreements.
David also has significant experience representing sophisticated dealership and equipment businesses, including companies operating automobile, heavy construction equipment, forklift and heavy-duty truck dealerships. His work in this area includes disputes involving noncompetition, nonsolicitation, confidentiality and other restrictive covenants, as well as a broad range of commercial contracts and real estate matters.
Across industries, David regularly handles disputes among partners, shareholders, members and owners of closely held businesses, as well as disputes involving noncompetition, nonsolicitation, confidentiality and related contractual restrictions.
In 2023 and 2024, David was recognized among the “Top 100” Rising Stars by Texas Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters publication. He was selected as a Texas Rising Star for 10 consecutive years.
David is licensed to practice in state and federal courts in Texas and New Mexico.