Mr. Payne, a fifth generation Texan, is a shareholder in the firm and is the coordinator of the firm's trial practice. His practice focuses on commercial litigation with an emphasis on cases involving environmentally-impacted properties. Mr. Payne has been the lead attorney for plaintiffs and defendants in hundreds of lawsuits, and he has tried numerous jury, bench and administrative cases to verdict. Mr. Payne regularly handles high stakes, multi-party litigation and has successfully defended clients against aggregate claims exceeding $1 billion. Mr. Payne is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Payne has been lead trial counsel in cases filed in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Wyoming New York and Illinois, and he has handled lawsuits in many diversified areas including the following:

• Environmental contamination and remediation
• CERCLA, RCRA and the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act
• Environmental citizens' lawsuits
• Professional malpractice including environmental consultants
• "Black mold" litigation
• Toxic torts including pesticide, chemical asbestos, silica sand, and benzene exposure
• Commercial litigation
• Collections
• Landlord/tenant disputes including evictions
• Construction defects
• Products liability
• 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), Tarrant, and Rockwall County Bar Associations. He is also a member of the American Bar Association (Environmental Litigation Section and Environment, Energy and Resources Section).  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 as well as the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Payne is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Additionally, Mr. Payne is the Director of the Dallas Chapter of the American Indoor Air Quality Council. He is a member of MENSA. Mr. Payne is active in various Masonic organizations including the Dallas Scottish Rite, the York Rite and the Hella Shrine.

While at Texas Tech, Mr. Payne was a member of the National Order of Barristers and was also an officer on the Texas Tech Board of Barristers. Mr. Payne received several awards in law school including the Outstanding Trial Advocate Award and the American Jurisprudence Award in Mock Trial Competition. He was a member of the Texas Tech 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).

"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).

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