DALLAS, March 9, 2021—John S. Polzer has joined Duane Morris LLP as a partner in the firm’s Trial Practice Group in its Dallas office. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Polzer was a partner at Cantey Hanger LLP. Duane Morris announced its opening in the Dallas market February 9 with an initial group of four partners with long-standing roots in the Dallas metroplex area – litigators Robert M. Castle III, Randy D. Gordon, Jamie R. Welton and Lucas “Luke” Wohlford.
Joining Polzer in his move to Duane Morris is his Cantey Hanger colleague Jason Boatright, who will be special counsel in the Trial Practice Group.
“Texas is one of the centerpieces of our firm’s strategic growth plan and we are excited about the momentum we have in Dallas, with a first-class team of partners and a premier location at The Crescent,” said Duane Morris Chairman and CEO Matthew A. Taylor. “John Polzer is a nationally prominent litigator with broad experience in complex matters. Overall, we have an exceptionally talented team out of the gate in Dallas and we look forward to building upon this foundation to better serve our clients.”
“I’m thrilled to join Duane Morris and be part of the firm’s entrance into the Dallas market,” added Polzer. “Matt Taylor and his team’s strategic vision for Dallas, Fort Worth and all of Texas was very appealing to me and it is very exciting to be with such a like-minded group in Dallas.”
John S. Polzer represents clients nationwide and has litigated cases in more than 20 states. His practice focuses on bankruptcy, commercial litigation, construction, energy litigation and real estate. Polzer has represented numerous clients in asset purchase litigation in Delaware. He also represented an international food company in class action litigation in California. Additionally, Polzer represented an E&P company in title litigation involving more than 200 parties. He represented a global technology company in an antitrust suit filed by a major airline and an international oil and gas producer in shareholder litigation filed after the announcement of a merger. Polzer is an adjunct professor at Texas Christian University.
Polzer is a graduate of the University of Houston Law Center (J.D., 2005), where he was articles editor of the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal, and the University of Texas at Austin (B.S., 2002).
Jason E. Boatright has held senior legal positions in state government in both Dallas and Austin. He is a former justice of the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals, the appellate court that reviews trial court decisions in Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties. Previously, he was director of the general counsel section of the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates the Texas oil and gas industry. He was also director of the Texas Attorney General’s opinions division, which issues official written legal opinions to government officials on the meaning of state laws and regulations.
Boatright is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, (J.D. 2003) and Middlebury College (B.A. 1998). He also received a Postgraduate Diploma in Latin and Ancient History from the University of St. Andrews in 2000.
About Duane Morris
Duane Morris LLP provides innovative solutions to today’s multifaceted legal and business challenges through the collegial and collaborative culture of its more than 800 attorneys in offices across the United States and internationally. The firm represents a broad array of clients, spanning all major practices and industries.