• About
• Education
• Admissions
• Memberships & Affiliations

About:

Education:

1. J.D., magna cum laude, Southern Methodist University School of Law, 2000
2. B.A., cum laude, Broadcast Journalism, Southern Methodist University, 1993

Admissions:

• Admitted to the State Bar of Texas, 2000
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

Memberships & Affiliations:

• Member, State Bar of Texas and State Bar of Texas Appellate Section
• Member, Dallas Bar Association and DBA Appellate Section
• Associate Member, Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court, 2001-2002

• Provides litigation support in pretrial matters, including review of pleadings, drafting and arguing complex motions and responses, preservation of error during trial, and preparation of jury charges.
• Handles post-trial and appellate matters, including drafting of proposed judgments, post-trial motions, requests for findings of fact and conclusions of law, supersedeas challenges, and appellate briefs and presenting argument to the trial and appellate courts.
• Obtained reversal of order granting judgment beyond policy limits to subrogees of party claiming additional insured status.  
• Obtained Fifth Circuit reversal of order granting summary judgment for defendant in Title VII sexual harassment case 
• Successfully defended denial of Defendants’ special appearances in multi-million dollar dispute involving breach of contract and business tort claims
• Successfully defended order granting summary judgment in a wrongful death case.  The court of appeals unanimously held that a social host owes no duty to protect a guest from another's criminal acts.
• Obtained reversal of state-court judgment ordering specific performance of a multi-million dollar real estate contract
• Successfully mediated cases to settlement following entry of judgment.
• Experience presenting oral argument in federal and state appellate courts, including the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Texas Supreme Court, and the First, Second, and Fifth District Courts of Appeals of Texas.
• Substantial experience arguing substantive motions and preparing jury charges in federal and state courts.
• Substantial experience conducting informal and formal charge conferences in state court.
• First chair appellate counsel and third chair trial counsel in two-week jury trial in Dallas County resulting in $11 million verdict in breach of contract and business tort action
• Experience as first-chair and third-chair trial counsel in bench and jury trials before state and federal courts
• Appellate counsel on two petitions for writ of certiorari to the United States Supreme Court, one as lead counsel

The following is a sample of opinions in which Ms. Casada wrote the brief and/or argued:

• Gurkoff v. Jersak, 278 S.W.3d 776 (Tex. 2009) (Justices Brister and Hecht dissenting from denial of petition for review)
• Maryland Casualty Co. v. American Home Assurance Company and Illinois National Insurance Company as Subrogees of National Equipment Services, Inc., 277 S.W.3d 107 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Jan. 29, 2009, pet filed)
• Lawler v. DiGiuseppe, 05-03-00468-CV, 2004 WL 1209569 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2004, aff’d in part, rev’d in part and remanded, DiGiuseppe v. Lawler, 269 S.W.3d 588 (Tex. 2008)
• Palasota v. Haggar Clothing Co., 499 F.3d 474 (5th Cir. 2007)
• Hard to Treat Diseases, Inc. v. Shinn, et al., No. 05-14737, 209 Fed. Appx. 968, 2006 WL 3613176 (11th Cir. Dec. 12, 2006)
• American Institute of Intradermal Cosmetics, Inc. v. Maryland Casualty Company, No. 06-10684, 207 Fed. Appx. 417, 2006 WL 3419773 (5th Cir. Nov. 28, 2006)
• Farley v. Watkins, 01-04-00800-CV, 2005 WL 1308943 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] June 2, 2005, no pet.)
• American States Insurance Company v. United States, 324 B.R. 600 (N.D. Tex. 2005)
• Godwin White & Gruber, P.C. v. Deuschle, No. 03-10630, 87 Fed. Appx. 338, 2004 WL 96789 (5th Cir. Jan. 21, 2004)
• Taylor-Rogers v. Robb & Stucky, Ltd., No. 03-40341, 2003 WL 22955876 (5th Cir. Dec. 12, 2003)