McGinnis Lochridge is pleased to announce the expansion of its Dallas office with the addition of three new partners: Ashley Parrish, James T. Phillips and Lee Kirner. All three were previously with Cantey Hanger and their move to McGinnis Lochridge marks the continued expansion of its Dallas office.
“We are pleased to welcome these talented new colleagues to the firm,” said Doug Dodds, Managing Partner. “Ashley and James bring with them years of experience guiding clients through complex litigation, while Lee will bring his expertise from his extensive work with clients on transactional, real estate and corporate matters. We are excited to add this depth to our firm.”
Since opening its Dallas office in 2018, McGinnis Lochridge has been committed to grow in that location. The firm welcomed employee benefits/employment partner Traci Clements in 2020 and the three latest laterals continue that momentum.
“Building on the strengths of our presence in Dallas has been a strategic priority for our firm. Ashley, James and Lee’s experience and client bases perfectly complement our team and align very well with the needs of our clients in Dallas and the broader Texas and national market,” said Felicity Fowler, Partner-in-Charge of the Dallas Office. “We are thrilled to welcome them to McGinnis Lochridge.”
Parrish is a trial attorney with extensive litigation and arbitration experience who focuses his practice on business law and commercial litigation. He represents clients internationally and domestically in various areas of the law. While with his previous firm, Parrish successfully pursued cases involving unfair competition claims and served as lead counsel on behalf of overseas insurance brokers. In one matter, he secured a take nothing judgment on behalf of a broker in a suit alleging damages in excess of $20 million. Parrish earned his J.D. from St. Mary’s School of Law, where he served as a member of the Board of Advocates, Order of Barristers and Inns of Court.
Phillips has spent over 25 years litigating cases involving commercial matters, construction defects cases, product liability, insurance and tort claims. His successes while at a previous firm include resolving a negligence and product liability lawsuit against a major manufacturer, defending a civil engineering firm against claims of negligence and breach of contract and defending a pipe manufacturer in a wrongful death claim for gross negligence. Earlier in his career, Phillips performed damage tolerance and fatigue analysis on various commercial aircraft components as a structural engineer for a major airplane manufacturer. Phillips earned his J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1995 and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Southern Methodist University in 1988.
Kirner has spent more than two decades representing lending institutions in connection with commercial financing projects. His work includes documenting secured loans, collecting unpaid sums through foreclosure and other legal processes and recovery, and preservation of secured collateral interests following customer bankruptcy filings. In addition, he handles the full range of real estate transaction work for developers and investors. Kirner earned his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He received his B.S. from the University of Oregon.