Benton Williams
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Business Litigation Attorney in Dallas, TX
Dallas, TX 75201
- Business Litigation (70%),
- Intellectual Property Litigation (30%)
- English,
- Spanish
As the founder of his eponymous law firm, Benton Williams PLLC, which is based in Dallas, Texas, Benton Williams focuses his practice on helping individuals and businesses in Dallas County and its surrounding areas with a wide variety of business and intellectual property law issues. Mr. Williams’ track record of success in patent, trademark, copyright and trade secrets cases has led to his selection as one of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®.
Mr. Williams earned his Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University of Oklahoma and his Juris Doctor from Texas Tech University School of Law. He is licensed to practice before the state courts of Texas, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the 5th and Federal circuits. He sits on the American Intellectual Property Law Association’s Patent Litigation and Trademark Litigation committees as well as on the American Bar Association’s Trademark Litigation Committee.
While Mr. Williams prefers to resolve complex business and intellectual property disputes through negotiation, he is prepared to advocate fiercely on behalf of his clients in court when an amicable resolution cannot be reached. His courtroom successes include serving on trial teams that obtained a directed verdict in a case involving alleged violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and a $12 million summary judgment in a probate case involving tortious interference and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Mr. Williams is also an active member of the philanthropic community, working closely with the Dallas Museum of Art and sitting on the board of the Texas Youth Scholarship Organization.
- 70%Business Litigation
- 30%Intellectual Property Litigation
Trade Secret
Selections
Rising Stars: 2018 - 2021
To: Benton Williams
Super Lawyers: Potential Client Inquiry
Additional Sources of Information About Benton Williams
About Benton Williams
Admitted: 2009, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.bentonwilliamspllc.com/attorneys/benton-williams...
Honors/Awards:
- Texas Rising Stars, 2020
- Member, Benton Williams has been selected as a member of America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators, 2018, link here
- Elite Advocate, The American Institute of Legal Advocates (AIOLA) is an organization reviews select candidates with positive reviews for outstanding work in their field, positive recommendations of other lawyers in their field, along with no ethical concerns in their local licensing authority. Less than 1% of all attorneys are invited to join the membership of the American Institute of Legal Advocates, 2020
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Attended National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) Trial Skills Program in New Orleans, LA, 2019
Bar/Professional Activity:
- College of the State Bar of Texas, Member, 2021
- Dallas Bar Association, Business Litigation Section
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Texas
- American Intellectual Property Law Association, Committee on Trademark Litigation
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
- Texas
- College of the State Bar of Texas, Member, 2020, 2020
- Federal Bar Association, 2020
- Active Member, American Bar Association, Trademark Division of the Intellectual Property Law Section, 2018
- Federal Bar Association, Dallas Chapter, 2020
- Hon. Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court, Barrister (2017-Present), 2021
- American Intellectual Property Law Association, Committee on Patent Litigation, 2016
- American Bar Association, Committee on Trademark Litigation, 2017
- Federal Circuit Bar Association, Special Committee on Model Patent Jury Instructions, 2015
- State Bar of Texas, Business Litigation Section, 2020
- Hon. Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court (Associate), (2015-2016)
- American Bar Association, Council of Appellate Lawyers, 2016 - 2017
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Junior Partner, Dallas Museum of Art
- Junior Associate, Dallas Museum of Art, 2013
- Co-Founder and Current Board Member of the Texas Youth Scholarship Organization (TYSO), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that raises funds to finance scholarships for underserved high school students in the Dallas area
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Practical & Legal Tips for Businesses Entering a New Year: Protecting Proprietary Information & Trade Secrets in 2019, Author, Protecting Your Proprietary Business Information: Get a Fresh Start, Firm, Business Law, Intellectual Property Law, Trade Secrets, 2018
Verdicts/Settlements:
- ESPOT, Inc. v. MyVue Media, LLC, et al., 2020 WL 5877839 (E.D. Tex. Oct. 2, 2020)
- Altima Diagnostic Imaging Solutions, Inc. v. JDIS Group, LLC, 2020 WL 1666385 (N.D. Tex. April 3, 2020)
- Huffmaster v. Autoflex Leasing, Inc., 2019 WL 3955782 (Tex. App.--Dallas Aug. 22, 2019) (Burns, J.), 2019
- Springboards to Education, Inc. v. W.W. Grainger, Inc., et al., 2017 WL 6025332 (N.D. Tex. Dec. 5, 2017)
- Madison Avenue Properties, et al. v. Oak Cliff Soc. Club, et al., 2017 WL 4546077 (Tex. App.—Dallas Oct. 12, 2017, no pet.)
- Cortinas v. Lopez, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 13194 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi, Dec. 10, 2014, pet. denied) (regarding successful motion for involuntary dismissal due to opponent's discovery abuse) (info here), 2014
- Fox Bend Development Associates, Ltd., et al. v. Ennis, 2018 WL 4003311 (N.D. Tex. Aug. 17, 2018)
- Obtained Temporary Restraining Order in Trade Secret litigation against competing business enterprise, One Stem Cell Lab, LLC v. Re-Gen Active Lab, Inc., et al., 2018 WL 5994330 (219th Dist. Ct. Nov. 13, 2018)
- Red Dog Mobile Shelters, LLC v. Kat Industries, Inc., et al., 664 Fed.Appx. 905 (Fed. Cir. 2016)
- Red Dog Mobile Shelters, LLC v. Kat Industries., Inc., et al., 2015 WL 5896124 (N.D. Tex. Oct. 6, 2015)
- Served on trial team that obtained summary judgment on behalf of 501(c)(3) corporation in $12MM probate litigation involving claims of breach of fiduciary duty and tortious interference with inheritance rights. In re: Estate of Loran W. May, Deceased; Cause No. PR-10-4224-2; Probate Court No. 2; Dallas County, Texas, 2013
- Served on trial team that obtained directed verdict on behalf of 501(c)(3) charitable corporation on claims of, inter alia, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Williamson v. High Plains Children's Home & Family Services, et al.; Cause No. CC-13-03662-B; Dallas County Court at Law No. 2, 2014
- Autoflex Leasing—Dallas I, LLC v. Sunmark Fed. Credit Union, 3:18-CV-01105-S (N.D. Tex. Sept. 13, 2018)
Transactions:
- Represented majority shareholder in the formation and funding of $1 million real estate investment partnership, 2019
Representative Clients:
- Covenant Imaging, LLC v. Viking Rigging & Logistics, Inc., et al.; Civil Action No. 3:20-CV-00593-KAD; U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut (representing third-party Altima Diagnostic Imaging Solutions, Inc. regarding Rule 45 subpoena to testify pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(b)(6)). , 2021
- M Distillery Inc v. Blacklands Malt LLC; 3:20-cv-00971; Texas Northern District Court; Kinkeade, J. (trademark litigation), 2020
- ESPOT, Inc. v. MyVue Media, LLC, et al., 4:19-CV-954-SDJ, 2020 WL 5877839 (E.D. Tex. Oct. 2, 2020) (finding personal jurisdiction under RICO statute in trade secret litigation), 2020
- Serve as lead attorney on behalf of Plaintiff in injunction proceedings asserting claims under RICO, Defend Trade Secrets Act, and Computer Fraud & Abuse Act. ESPOT, Inc. v. MyVue Media, LLC, et al., 2019 WL 7423564, Civil Action No. 4:19-cv-00954-SDJ; U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Info here, 2020
- Representing global medical device corporation in federal litigation seeking to recover $2 million in contractual damages against two California companies. See Altima Diagnostic Imaging Solutions, Inc. v. The JDIS Group, LLC, et al., 2019 WL 4239902, 3:19-cv-02102-M (N.D. Tex. Sept. 4, 2019), 2019
- Representing nationally known auto dealer in numerous trademark infringement lawsuits as well as additional pre-suit investigations. Info available here, 2019
- Represented charitable 501(c)(3) organization against for-profit corporation in federal trademark litigation, Springboards to Educ., Inc. v. Collaborative Summer Learning Program, et al.; 3:16-CV-02398-D; United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. Info here, 2017
- Served on trial team representing Plaintiff in litigation against 14 defendants regarding claims of, inter alia, professional liability and negligence. See Atos IT Solutions & Svcs, Inc., et al. v. Morely-Moss, Inc., et al.; Cause No. CC-14-05877; pending in County Court at Law No. 5; Dallas County, Texas, 2015
Newsletters:
- Practical & Legal Tips for Businesses Entering a New Year: Protecting Proprietary Information & Trade Secrets in 2019, Protecting Your Proprietary Business Information: Get a Fresh Start, Business Law, Intellectual Property Law, Trade Secrets
- Recovery of Attorney Fees for Breach of Contract in Texas
- With the passage of the Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”) on May 11, 2016, businesses finally hold greater protections when guarding against trade secret misappropriation. The DTSA does not eliminate or usurp the various rights provided by state trade secret laws, but provides the key for employers and businesses to access federal courts when their proprietary information has been misappropriated. The passage of this new statute is of great significance to employers and has expanded the body of intellectual property rights in the United States, Defend Trade Secrets Act Expands Protections of Employers' Proprietary Information
- Federal Circuit Update: Recent Cases on Patent Claim Construction
- Cooper & Scully Attorneys Obtain Victory in High-Stakes Patent Litigation
Educational Background:
- University of Oklahoma, B.A., Honors: Cum Laude, 2005
- Georgetown University, Institute on Comparative Political & Economic Systems, Honors: Post Graduate Scholarship, 2005
Industry Groups
- Business Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Trade Secrets
- Trademarks
Benton Williams:
Last Updated: 12/29/2020