Douglas S. Lang

Justice (Fmr) Douglas Lang advises on litigation and appellate strategies and presents appeals in jurisdictions across the country. He co-chairs Thompson Coburn’s appellate group and is a leader in the legal profession on mentorship, civility and ethics.

Justice Lang collaborates with the firm’s trial lawyers to devise the best appellate strategies for clients and also works directly on filings or argues cases before appellate panels. Since returning to private practice, Justice Lang has appeared in state and federal courts across Texas and presented appeals in federal circuit courts and at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Drawing on his many years of judicial service and trial experience, Justice Lang provides prompt, strategic, and solution-oriented advice on resolving or avoiding conflicts. Most recently, he represented clients in cases before the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Justice Lang served over 16 years on the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas, a 13-judge appellate court with the highest case volume of the 14 intermediate appellate courts in Texas. He authored more than 2,100 opinions and participated in deciding more than 6,100 cases. During that same period, he served for six years as a member of the Texas Multi-District Litigation Panel and as chair of the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Highly respected for his tireless leadership in bar and community activities, Justice Lang’s dedication to mentoring young lawyers and devotion to civility and ethics in the legal profession have been guiding forces in his practice over 50+ years. Renowned in the field, Justice Lang is a frequent speaker at civic and continuing education events around Texas and nationally and has published many articles on appellate law, civility, and ethics.

I authored “Deeds, Not Words —Mentors As Guiding Lights of Integrity In The Legal Profession,” a compilation of mentoring experiences from leaders in the law.

Alexander M. Breaux

I believe the most effective legal strategies are grounded not only in the law, but in understanding a client’s business and goals. I like digging deep into the facts, understanding how the technical pieces fit together, and turning complex issues into clear, practical arguments. Clients appreciate that I am thoughtful, prepared, and strategic, and that I tailor my approach to their objectives–whether that means helping resolve a dispute before litigation, positioning a case effectively for mediation, developing the right record through discovery, or preparing for trial when necessary. 

What I find most meaningful about practicing law is helping clients navigate challenges with steady judgment, disciplined preparation, and a practical, solution-oriented perspective. 

Alex Breaux represents clients in complex commercial disputes in state and federal court. His practice includes construction, real estate, energy, environmental, land-use, toxic-tort, products-liability, and other business litigation. He handles all phases of litigation, including dispositive and evidentiary briefing, discovery strategy, witness preparation, depositions, expert development, and trial preparation. 

Before practicing law, Alex worked as an environmental geologist and project manager, which gives him a practical, technically grounded perspective in matters involving complex records and expert-driven issues.

Val C. Cronin

I function as a proactive advisor to my clients. I try to think ahead and come up with creative solutions to issues before they become problems for my clients. What makes coming to work exciting is coming up with creative solutions that most people don’t think of. The center of my wheelhouse is federal taxation. Since just about everything we do has a tax impact, my practice is varied. From helping clients structure their business lives from inception to sale to maximize their after-tax cash flow, to provide asset protection planning to help clients protect the wealth they have acquired, to mergers and acquisition work, to estate planning.

Val practices in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, taxation, asset protection, and estate planning. He offers considerable experience in business sales and acquisitions, family and business tax planning, asset protection, and estate planning for family succession.

Val offers years of experience structuring family business interests for growth and asset transfers and minimizing the tax consequences of those transactions in present day transfers and in transferring the family business to the next generation. He strongly believes in protecting key family assets from litigation risk and creating the business structures most likely to offer that advantage. As lawyers we frequently encounter people in crisis. He has learned to be a good listener to understand a client’s issues and concerns before he starts talking about solutions.

He has advised start-up businesses from inception through negotiating and drafting the documents to selling the business. In that process, he works with the client to structure the deal in a manner that minimizes income tax consequences and maximizes cash flow.  Finally, he works with the client to plan for minimizing estate taxes and protect the assets the client has spent their business lives accumulating.

Val is a Certified Public Accountant.

David L. Campbell

I have been called “user friendly” and a lawyer who always looks at the big picture.

David focuses his work on the bankruptcy, creditor rights, and real estate title litigation practices of the firm. His clients include institutional lenders, pension funds, landowners, developers, asset managers, landlords, tenants, lessors, lessees, contractors, bankruptcy debtors, and trustees. He serves diverse industries, including real estate, energy, and technology.

David was an editor of “Foreclosure & Related Remedies,” published by ABA Press in 2009. He was also a National Business Institute speaker and an advisor to the Uniform Law Commission Home Foreclosure Procedures Act Committee.

Emily Owen

Emily Owen represents individuals and businesses across a range of industries through all phases of litigation. Whether through motion practice, mediation, or trial, she is a dedicated advocate for her clients both in and out of the courtroom. Prior to joining Carrington Coleman, Emily served as an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. There she defended a broad range of civil matters as lead counsel on behalf of the United States, including cases arising under Title VII, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Federal Tort Claims Act, and the Whistleblower Protection Act. She also investigated cases involving the False Claims Act. Emily also has significant experience representing and advising health care providers in medical malpractice claims, guardianship matters, and proceedings before the Texas Medical Board and Texas Board of Nursing. Her diverse legal background allows her to approach cases with a strategic and innovative perspective. Emily understands the overlapping areas of law that may impact her clients and their positions in litigation. She understands that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to litigation and brings a tailored, client-focused strategy to every matter she handles.

Michael Patrick O’Brien

Prior to working at Carrington Coleman, Michael represented many of the world’s largest insurance companies, providing them with coverage advice and litigation defense. Now he brings that invaluable experience to the commercial policyholder side, using his knowledge of how insurance companies work to maximize insurance recovery for his clients.  He knows how to persuade insurers to resolve claims prior to litigation wherever possible, but he also knows how to mount the strongest litigation offensive if that fails.

As a former law clerk, Michael enjoys the intricacies of civil procedure and motion practice. As a former English teacher with a Master’s in Medieval Literature, Michael excels in closely analyzing coverage to find the most persuasive arguments. He has won motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, motions to compel, motions in limine, and appellate arguments—always by pursuing the clearest yet most innovative way to argue his client’s case. Perhaps most importantly, Michael’s clients find that he puts them at ease with the litigation process—particularly in preparing for depositions, hearings and trial—and that he is adept at explaining complex legal concepts in an approachable manner.

LaCrecia Perkins

LaCrecia is a member of Carrington Coleman’s Business Litigation Practice Group. She represents businesses and individuals in a variety of industries and practices in both state and federal courts. After law school, LaCrecia served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Renée Harris Toliver, United States District Court Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Texas.

LaCrecia Perkins is a real estate lawyer that assists property owners and property interest holders alike in navigating through complex litigation. She helps her clients navigate a wide variety of real estate issues involving purchase and sale agreements, lease agreements, property management agreements, and other real estate contracts. She’s pursued and defended against claims that include breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, commercial evictions, and large commercial foreclosures. LaCrecia’s experience extends to real estate finance disputes under construction loan agreements, including promissory notes, deeds of trusts, mortgages, and personal guarantees.

LaCrecia is also adept at navigating the legal complexities of legal practice across a variety of other industries, including private equity, telecommunications, insurance, public housing, and others. Her extensive background allows her to provide comprehensive legal solutions tailored to the unique needs of her diverse clients. Skilled in advisory, pre-litigation, and litigation roles, LaCrecia has consistently demonstrated the ability to achieve favorable outcomes for her clients.

Robert K. Fountain

Robert Fountain is a commercial litigator whose practice focuses on insurance recovery. In addition to representing commercial policyholders in all stages of litigation, Robby conducts comprehensive insurance program reviews and advises policyholders through every step of their insurance claims.

Known for his tenacity and exceptional writing skills, Robby is adept at spotting inconsistencies others overlook, a skill that regularly saves his clients time and money. His eye for detail and affinity for problem-solving, combined with his ability to quickly master complex legal issues, allow him to anticipate issues long before they arise and distill in-depth analysis into valuable advice for his clients. Robby’s economics background informs his understanding of insurance as a business and the solutions he crafts for clients.

Robby’s skills as a coverage lawyer also make him an exceptional contract lawyer. He has represented clients in contract disputes involving software licensing, employment contracts, service agreements, and mineral/royalty interests. His attention to detail is particularly valuable when drafting settlement agreements.

Brent M. Rubin

Brent Rubin advocates for individuals, businesses, and government entities in litigation at the trial and appellate levels. Brent’s practice encompasses complex business disputes, including non-compete/non-solicitation issues, insurance coverage, and real estate and construction matters. He also handles government law matters for both public and private clients, including land use and zoning, open government, and immunity issues.

Brent represents both plaintiffs and defendants in claims of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, fraud, and tortious interference. He represents clients as first-chair trial counsel and presents oral argument on appeal. He has also drafted, argued, and won dispositive motions in both state and federal court and has substantial experience with motions to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, Texas’s anti-SLAPP statute. Additionally, Brent assists the firm’s clients with immigration issues, focusing on business immigration.

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When a client encounters a problem, out-of-the-box advice doesn’t cut it. I work to craft creative and efficient solutions that take my client’s goals to heart. Every case gets my thorough attention. That helps me plot effective—and often innovative—strategies and arguments that achieve the best results for my client.

Brent Rubin advocates for individuals, businesses, and government entities in litigation at the trial and appellate levels. Brent’s practice encompasses complex business disputes, including non-compete/non-solicitation issues, insurance coverage, and real estate and construction matters. He also handles government law matters for both public and private clients, including land use and zoning, open government, and immunity issues.

Brent represents both plaintiffs and defendants in claims of breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, fraud, and tortious interference. He represents clients as first-chair trial counsel and presents oral argument on appeal. He has also drafted, argued, and won dispositive motions in both state and federal court and has substantial experience with motions to dismiss under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, Texas’s anti-SLAPP statute. Additionally, Brent assists the firm’s clients with immigration issues, focusing on business immigration.

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