Practice areas: Eminent Domain
Licensed in Texas since: 2017
Education: The University of Kansas School of Law
Selected to Rising Stars: 2024 - 2025 James S. Chaney is a partner at Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP, with offices in Austin, Texas and Houston, Texas. He champions the cause of landowners embroiled in condemnation and eminent domain legal battles. His legal journey is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of Texas property owners confronted with eminent domain takings.
Throughout his career, Mr. Chaney has skillfully navigated cases involving the acquisition of diverse properties, ranging from sprawling ranches and residential homes to commercial developments, golf courses, vineyards, gas stations, hotels, and apartment complexes. He stands as a formidable defender of Texas landowners against claims from the State, local governments and various corporations, including those in the oil, gas, pipeline and electric transmission sectors. His experience spans all phases of eminent domain proceedings, including Special Commissioners' hearings, substantive court hearings, mediations and trial.
Originally from Brownsville, Texas, Mr. Chaney started with Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP in Austin as an intern in 2012 before attending the University of Kansas School of Law. He has been practicing law in Texas since 2017. A respected member of the legal community, he is actively involved with the Austin Young Lawyers Association, the Austin Bar Association (where he currently serves on the board of the Real Estate Section) and is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
Peers and clients alike have praised Mr. Chaney for his commitment to a client-focused approach, characterized by personalized attention and a keen dedication to resolving legal challenges. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (2024-2026), Super Lawyers: Rising Stars (2024-2025) and Lawdragon’s list of “The Next Generation of 500 Leading Lawyers in America” (2023). His contributions extend to both publications and presentations, reflecting his passion and proficiency in the field of eminent domain.
Practice areas
Eminent Domain- 100% Eminent Domain
First Admitted: 2017, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://mehlaw.com/attorneys/stu-chaney/
Bar / Professional Activity
- Texas
- Austin Bar Association
- Austin Young Lawyers Association
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Stu has served as trial counsel in significant condemnation cases, including a 2023 Caldwell County jury trial in which he and Luke Ellis secured a $2.368 million verdict on behalf of their landowner client—exceeding the condemning entity’s valuation at trial by more than 19x and reflecting the firm’s continued success in the courtroom., 2023
Pro bono / Community Service
- Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation
Honors
- Excerpt from Lawdragon.com: We’re thrilled to announce the 2023 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation. At many firms, the future is now. The achievements and pace at which these lawyers have vaulted to the forefront of the legal profession are remarkable. They represent the tried and true paths worn by those who came before them – clerking for prestigious judges, anchoring law reviews. Then they have blown down the walls of private practice, amassing courtroom victories, leading deals and protecting IP and civil rights. This is our inaugural guide dedicated to those who will define where the legal profession of our country goes. Whose leadership will be called upon by businesses and individuals when they face their crossroads? After reviewing thousands of candidates for what we informally call LDX500, we’re confident the future is in good hands. We received a record number of submissions for this guide and appreciate the time and care put into them. To those, in our time-honed Lawdragon selection protocol, we added hundreds of hours of independent research across the nation’s leading firms – from global corporate powerhouses to the top plaintiff firms coast-to-coast. We then vetted these lawyers with their peers, resulting in this guide. We’re proud of the sprawling representation of this guide on many fronts. It’s demographically more in line with law school graduates of recent years and the population in general, with 45 percent female and 21 percent inclusive. It represents a wide range of private practices as well as tremendous geographic diversity (hello, Texas!). And these graduates hail from more than 100 law schools. We hope this is a profound reminder of what the law can provide if we allow it. A stable framework on which to go forth and build, create, compete and seek to ensure that the law works for everyone, Lawdragon’s list of “The Next Generation of 500 Leading Lawyers in America”, https://www.lawdragon.com/guides/2023-07-07-lawdragon-500-x-the-next-generation, 2023
- Super Lawyers: Rising Stars (2024-2025)
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/stu-chaney/364821
Educational Background
- B.A., Political Science, University of Kansas, 2008
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- “Taking of Private Property: What to Know When Condemnation Approaches” – Austin Bar Association Real Estate Section CLE, February 11, 2025
- “Texas Eminent Domain & Condemnation: The Tension Between Demographic Growth, Infrastructure Projects, and Protecting Private Property Rights” – Presentation at Texas A&M AgriLife “Landowner Laws and Responsibilities” Virtual Series, November 6, 2020 (Virtual Event)
- “Establishing Damages in Texas Eminent Domain Cases” – Publication and Presentation at Texas Bar CLE: 13th Annual Damages in Civil Litigation Seminar, February 25, 2021 (Virtual Event)
- “Gillespie County Eminent Domain: Projects, Procedure, & Valuation” – Presentation at Texas A&M AgriLife “Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know” Conference, September 12, 2022 (Fredericksburg, Texas)
- University of Texas School of Law – “Eminent Domain and Condemnation” – Guest Lecturer (May 2023)
- “Legal Update: Developments in Case Law and Legislation” – Publication and Presentation at Texas Eminent Domain Institute, CLE International’s 6th Annual Texas Eminent Domain Conference, August 10-11, 2023 (Houston, Texas)
- “Eminent Domain: Projects, Procedure, & Valuation” – Presentation at Texas A&M AgriLife “Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know” Conference, September 26, 2023 (Emory, Texas)
- “Eminent Domain: Projects, Procedure, & Valuation” – Presentation at Texas A&M AgriLife “Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know” Conference, February 20, 2024 (Tyler, Texas)
- “Eminent Domain: Projects, Procedure, & Valuation” – Presentation at Texas A&M AgriLife “Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know” Conference, April 23, 2024 (San Angelo, Texas)
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2024 - 2025
