Mr. Payne, a shareholder in the firm, has practiced civil litigation since 1991, concentrating in the areas of insurance and corporate defense. His practice now focuses on the prosecution and defense of cases involving environmentally impacted properties. He has also mediated numerous cases pursuant to court appointments and at the request of local attorneys. Mr. Payne is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Payne has successfully pursued and defended hundreds of lawsuits on behalf of his clients, including multimillion dollar cases, in many diversified areas including:

• Environmental contamination and remediation
• CERCLA, RCRA and the Texas solid Waste Disposal Act
• Environmental consultant liability
• "Black mold" litigation
• Pesticide, chemical, asbestos and silica sand exposure
• Commercial litigation
• Construction accidents
• Products liability
• General negligence litigation including premises liability and trucking/automobile accidents
• Medical, psychiatric, nursing and legal malpractice
• Insurance coverage and bad faith
• Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act

Mr. Payne received his law degree in 1991 from Texas Tech University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 1988. Mr. Payne is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Defense Research Institute, College of the State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Association (Environmental Law Section), and Jefferson County Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Bar Association (Environmental Litigation Section and Environment, Energy and Resources Section).  Mr. Payne is also an advisory board member of the Dallas Chapter of the American Indoor Air Quality Council.  He is licensed by the State Bar of Texas and the U.S. District Courts in the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. Mr. Payne is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

While at Texas Tech, Mr. Payne was a member of the Order of Barristers and was also an officer in the Board of Barristers. Mr. Payne received several awards including the Outstanding Trial Advocate Award and the American Jurisprudence Award in Mock Trial Competition. He was a member of the National Mock Trial Team for two years and was Regional Quarterfinalist in 1991. He also won first place in the Texas Tech Advanced Mock Trial Competition in 1990.

Mr. Payne's papers and presentations have included:

"Texas Mold:  The Litigation Gusher That Didn't Hit, . . .  Yet" (2003) (prepared with regard to related speaking engagement at the 25th Annual Corporate Counsel Institute; also presented at a meeting of the Dallas Chapter of the American Indoor Air Quality Council);

"Indemnity Agreement Primer" (2003) (prepared with related speaking engagement);

"Slips and Falls, Animals and Employer Liability:  An Overview" (2000) (a paper prepared at the specific request of a large insurance company and presented as part of a regional training exercise for claims adjusters);

"Strategic Discovery and the Theory of the Case" (2000) (prepared and presented for Discovery Skills for Legal Staff in Texas Seminar);

"Drafting Interrogatories & Considerations in Responding to Discovery Requests" (2000) (prepared and presented for Discovery Skills for Legal Staff in Texas Seminar);

"Anatomy of a Collision Case:  Trucks, Trains & Automobiles" (1999) (prepared and presented for a continuing legal education course);

"The Not So New Discovery Rules:  An Adventure into the Dark Continent" (1999) (prepared and presented for a continuing legal education course); and

"Recent Developments in Legal Malpractice & Related Ethical Issues" (1998) (prepared and presented for a continuing legal education course).