Claire E. James

Shareholder Claire James guides her clients through their family law and commercial disputes with compassion and pragmatism, maintaining a results-driven approach guided by sound strategy and open communication. She understands her clients often have everything on the line – their children, their assets, and their futures – and while she strives to resolve disputes amicably where possible, she is also a skilled courtroom advocate.

Family Law
Claire represents clients in all types of family law matters, including complex property divorces, contentious custody disputes, and pre- and post-marital agreements. Her experience in commercial litigation gives Claire an edge, as she can identify and address the complex legal and financial issues facing business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and their spouses. She also has significant experience representing clients in high-conflict custody cases, and in addition to representing parents, she represents children as an amicus/ad litem attorney.

Commercial Litigation
In her commercial litigation practice, Claire assists companies seeking to protect their trade secrets, uphold their agreements, and maintain their competitive edge. She litigates disputes involving violations of covenants not to compete, breach of fiduciary duty, and theft of trade secrets. She also has experience representing clients in lawsuits involving landlord/tenant issues, business divorces, and collections. Drawing on both her family law and commercial experience, Claire also represents clients in non-marital relationship dissolutions involving real estate issues.

Family Law

• Successfully defended requests for temporary restraining orders against client in high-conflict divorce and custody case in Collin County. 2024
• Obtained summary judgment on separate property claim in Collin County divorce case. 2024
• Secured temporary ruling in Dallas County case appointing father the parent with the exclusive right to designate the child’s primary residence. 2024
• Negotiated and prepared Partition or Exchange Agreement (“post-nup”) for client. 2024
• Prepared Premarital Agreement for business-owner client. 2023
• Successfully defended client in the Dallas Court of Appeals, avoiding reversal of trial court’s orders in suit affecting parent-child relationship. 2022-23
• Prevailed at trial of Collin County modification case, securing modified conservatorship, possession, and child support and obtaining attorney’s fees on behalf of mother. 2021
• Prevailed at trial of Collin County common-law marriage case, securing ruling that client was never married to his former girlfriend. 2021
• Prevailed after Collin County bench trial in suit affecting parent-child relationship, obtaining sole managing conservatorship on behalf of father. 2021
• Attained sole managing conservatorship of child on behalf of father in Tarrant County. 2020
• Secured 2-year protective order on behalf of client in Dallas County. 2020
• Prevailed after trial in Collin County common-law marriage case, securing ruling that client was never married to his former girlfriend. 2019
• Prevailed in seeking primary possession on behalf of father in Tarrant County. 2018
• Acquired modified custody order allowing client to have primary possession of child in Dallas County. 2018
• Secured temporary restraining order and, ultimately, primary possession of child on behalf of father in Tarrant County modification case. 2016
• Obtained emergency relief and, ultimately, a final order giving father primary possession of children in Dallas County. 2013

Commercial Litigation

• Negotiated favorable settlement on behalf of landlords in Dallas County landlord-tenant dispute. 2025
• Represented client in Dallas County real estate dispute involving non-marital relationship dissolution. 2023
• Prevailed in Collin County bench trial defending fraudulent transfer claims. 2021
• Obtained partial summary judgment upholding enforceability of non-compete agreement on behalf of regional multi-family flooring company. 2019
• Secured temporary injunctive relief on behalf of multi-family-industry client in non-compete case wherein sales executive left client’s employ to work for a competitor (Tina White v. Impact Floors of Texas, LP, No. 05-18-00384- CV, 2018 Tex. App. LEXIS 10462 (Tex. App.—Dallas Dec. 18, 2018)). 2018
• Procured temporary injunctive relief, and eventually a favorable settlement, in favor of business-owner client to prevent ex-business partner from jeopardizing value of business. 2017
• Secured summary judgment in favor of commercial landlord in breach of implied warranty of suitability case, which was later upheld on appeal (Protegga, LLC v. Brandywine Place, Ltd., No. 05-16-00957-CV, 2017 (Tex. App.— Dallas May 10, 2017)). 2017
• Acquired temporary injunctive relief against former employee in non-compete case representing multi-family industry client. 2015
• Obtained temporary injunctive relief against former controller in non-compete case representing aviation industry client. 2015
• Served as counsel for anonymous blogger in successful mandamus proceeding before the Texas Supreme Court (In re Doe (Trooper), 444 S.W.3d 603 (Tex. 2014)). 2014

• “Parental Alienation – Part 1,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Feb. 2025
• “What About Alimony? Spousal Maintenance in Texas,” author Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Jan. 2025
• “Marital Property Basics,” author Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Nov. 2024
• “Is Your Ex a Narcissist? Parenting with a High-Conflict Ex, part 2,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, June 2024
• “Is Your Ex a Narcissist? Parenting with a High-Conflict Ex, part 1,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, May 2024
• “Child Custody Basics in Texas,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Mar 2024
• “Pandemic Parenting in Two Homes,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Feb. 2022
• “A Grandparent’s Rights in Texas,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Sep. 2021
• “Child Custody Basics,” author, Cowles Thompson Family Law Newsletter, Jul. 2021
• “Can I Be Married Without Knowing It?  Myths and FAQs on Common-Law Marriage,” co-author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Jun. 2021
• “Dallas Residential Real Estate Trends that Don’t Favor Buyers,” co-author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, May 2021
• “Texas House Bill 803 and the Downsides of ‘Equal Parenting Time’,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Apr. 2021
• “Family Matters:  An Overview of Child-Related Issues in Family Law Cases,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Feb. 2021
• “Co-Parenting in the Age of COVID-19,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Sep. 2020
• “How Cheating Affects Divorce,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Jan. 2019
• “Six Pre-Divorce Resolutions,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Jan. 2018
• “Possible Outcomes of the November 29 CPS Hearing Regarding the Sister of Sherin Mathews,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Nov. 2017
• “No More Unhappy Holidays?  Child Custody Basics,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Nov. 2017
• “Residential Landlord and Tenant Duties After Hurricane Harvey,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Sep. 2017
• “The ABCs for Back-To-School Co-Parenting,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Aug. 2017
• “Ninth Court of Appeals Rules Presumption of Parenthood Does Not Apply to Same-Sex Married Couples,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, May 2017
• “’Alimony’ is Strictly Limited by the Texas Family Code,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Dec. 2016
• “Fort Worth Court of Appeals Considers Parental Rights of Sperm Donor,” Reverse & Render blog, Dec. 2016
• “The Intersection of the Anonymous Right to Free Speech, The Texas Citizens Participation Act, and Rule 202 Pre-Suit Discovery,” Reverse & Render, Oct. 2016
• “Show Me the Money – Divorce and Constructive Fraud in Texas,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Oct. 2016
• “Texas Anti-SLAPP Commercial Speech Exemption Does Not Apply to Blogger’s Statements about Wedding Photographer,” Reverse & Render blog, Aug. 2016
• “Protecting Your Business from Divorce,” Cowles & Thompson Newsletter, Dec. 2015
• Writer in Residence for Ms. JD, 2015
• “Internet Torts:  What are the Limits of Personal Jurisdiction?”  Dallas Bar Association Headnotes, Aug. 2015
• “Attorney Speech, What Lawyers Can and Can’t Say; Handling Bar Grievances and Other Disciplinary Actions; Confidentiality, Loyalty, and the Attorney-Client Privilege,” materials for National Business Institute CLE, Dec. 2012

• J.D., cum laude, Southern Methodist University, 2012
  • SMU Law Review Association, 2010-2012
• B.S., Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2005

• State Bar of Texas, 2012
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

• Texas Bar Association
• Collin County Bar Association
• Dallas Bar Association

• One To Watch — Family Law, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation – Labor and Employment; Best Lawyers in America®; selected for inclusion 2021-2025
• Super Lawyer; Thomson Reuters® Super Lawyers®; selected for inclusion 2024
• Rising Star; Thomson Reuters® Super Lawyers®; selected for inclusion 2022-2023