Lené Alley DeRudder

Lené Alley DeRudder is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of the Cowles Thompson Family Law Practice. Dual-licensed in Texas and New York, Lené provides sophisticated legal counsel for high-net-worth individuals as they navigate the critical intersections of matrimonial and family law. Her practice is defined by a rare synthesis of technical precision and strategic discipline, with a deep-seated mastery of complex corporate structures, closely held business entities, and diversified global asset portfolios.

Strategic Asset Protection & Financial Acumen

Lené’s approach goes beyond standard property division; she considers family law through the lens of business continuity and wealth preservation. She is uniquely adept at deconstructing intricate financial interests, including:

• Business Valuation & Discovery: Navigating the nuances of private equity, professional practices, and multi-tiered corporate entities;
• Entity Shielding: Strategically analyzing the characterization of separate versus community property to protect pre-marital holdings and generational wealth;
• Liquidity Planning: Anticipating the long-term fiscal implications of asset distribution to ensure her clients’ financial futures remain robust.

The Art of Private Resolution

A dedicated advocate for Collaborative Divorce, Lené prioritizes private, interest-based negotiation to bypass the public exposure and emotional volatility of the courtroom. By leveraging her expertise in alternative dispute resolution, she crafts bespoke agreements that preserve professional reputations and maintain the operational stability of family-owned enterprises.

High-Stakes Litigation:  “Chess, Not Checkers”

While she exhausts every avenue for settlement, Lené’s reputation as a formidable trial attorney remains a cornerstone of her practice. With extensive experience before both judges and juries, she approaches litigation with “chess-not-checkers” precision. Her courtroom strategy incorporates meticulous preparation and commanding advocacy, ensuring that when a negotiated settlement is insufficient, her clients’ interests are defended with unwavering resolve.

Family Integrity & Future Positioning

Despite the heavy focus on financial complexity, Lené remains deeply committed to the human element of family law. She provides nuanced counsel on parental rights and responsibilities, and understands that while assets require rigorous protection, the integrity of the parent-child relationship is the ultimate metric of success.

For clients navigating significant professional and personal transitions, Lené offers more than representation: she provides a strategic roadmap. By applying rigorous analysis to every case, she ensures that even the most complex matters are resolved in a manner that secures a durable, well-considered future.

• Successfully obtained summary judgment confirming business entities as client’s separate property.
• Represented numerous high-net-worth clients in divorces that involved multi-million-dollar marital assets and estates, and obtained disproportionate divisions of property for clients.
• Successfully reversed supervised restriction on father’s possession.
• Obtained favorable outcome in jury trial where client was awarded sole conservatorship, opposing party was awarded supervised possession, and client received disproportionate division of property.
• Obtained exclusive right to designate primary residence for mother in highly contentious matter where custody evaluation was in favor of the father.
• Obtained exclusive right to designate primary residence for a father after a week-long jury trial.
• Obtained a reverse and remand on appeal in termination of a father’s parental rights.

• “‘Business’ vs. ‘Value’: What Actually Gets Divided in Divorce,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Apr. 2026
  “Separate vs. Community Property in Texas Divorce,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, Jan. 2026
• “What is Professionalism in Family Law?” interviewee, The Melinda Eitzen Show podcast, May 2025
• “Collaborative Divorce:  A Better Alternative to Divorce,” author Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, June 2023
• “Unwinding a Healthy Marital Estate:  Where to Begin,” author, Cowles Thompson Business and Legal Update, July 2021
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Divorce, guest appearance, WFAA-TV Ch. 8, Dallas, TX, April, and September 2020
• Faith, Politics, and Marriage; guest appearance, BEONDTV talk show, KDOC-TV, Los Angeles, CA, 2019
• “The Anatomy of an Inventory and Appraisement: What, Why, & How,” author, Dallas Bar Association Headnotes, September 2019
• “Update on Military Divorce Law and Primer,” panelist, State Bar of Texas Webcast, August 2017
• “Money Makes Your Practice Go Round – Strategic Operational Considerations,” co-presenter, Collin County Bar Association 6th Annual Making Your Practice Work CLE, January 29, 2015
• “Attorney’s Fees: Five Cases You Must Know. Getting Them, Fighting Them, the Ins and Outs,” presenter, University of Texas School of Law 2014 Trial Skills Training Camp CLE, May 2, 2014
• “Guarding Against Scams and Violence,” Presenter, Collin County Bar Association’s 4th Annual Making Your Practice Work CLE, January 17, 2013
• “Ten Notable Lessons from My (Almost) Two Years of Practice,” author, DAYL Dicta, February 2012 and TYLA Newsletter, March 2012
• Feature, Technology Page, Texas Bar Journal, February 2012
• “Blocking & Tackling: Interviews/Resumes/Social Media,” panelist, State Bar of Texas Webcast, November 2010

• J.D., Texas A&M University School of Law, 2010
  • Dean’s List Honor, Fall 2009
  • 2009 ABA Arbitration Traveling Team
  • 2008 Pepperdine National Entertainment Law Moot Court Traveling Team
  • 2008 ABA Mock Trial Traveling Team
  • 2007 ABA Labor and Employment Mock Trial Traveling Team (semi-finalist)
• B.A., Political Science, Appalachian State University, 1998

• State Bar of Texas, 2010
• State Bar of New York, 2025
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Law-related:

• Annette Stewart American Inn of Court
• Collaborative Divorce Texas
• Collin County Bar Association, Past President, current member
• Collin County Women Lawyers Association
• Dallas Bar Association
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
  • Ethics and Standards Committee, member
• Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, Volunteer Attorney
• New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers
• New York State Bar Association
• State Bar of Texas
• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Leadership Class, 2012 Graduate
• Dallas Bar Association Trial Academy, 2011 Graduate

Civic / Political:

• FC Dalla, Season Ticket Member Advisory Board
• John Paul II High School, Legacy Gala Committee
• Golden Corridor Republican Women, Past President
• Texas Federation of Republican Women, Legal Counsel Chair
• Prince of Peace Catholic Community, Parishioner, Gala Committee
• Allen-Fairview Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class XXVI, 2015 Graduate

• Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation, Life Fellow
• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Texas Federation of Republican Women, “Tribute to Women,” honoree, 2023
• Texas Rising Stars©, Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers®; selected for inclusion, 2014-2020
• The College of the State Bar of Texas 2012 – 2021
• “One to Watch,” Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, January 2013
• MacLean & Boulware Award, December 2009

Lené was a recent guest on the Melinda Eitzen podcast.  Click here to view their discussion on the topic of “What is Professionalism in Family Law?”