Litigation - Intellectual Property Litigation - Patent
Darren P. Nicholson
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2018 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
An accomplished trial lawyer, Darren Nicholson has been trying cases in state and federal courts for more than twenty years. After beginning his career at Arnold & Porter LLP in Washington D.C., one of the country’s premier law firms, he returned to Dallas in 2008 and became a partner at the nationally-recognized trial boutique Sayles Werbner PC. Darren joined Burns Charest LLP in 2019 with one goal in mind – to help build one of the premier trial firms in the country.
Darren’s cases have been covered by The Dallas Morning News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg News, and other publications. Currently, he is lead counsel for Parkland and other hospitals who have filed claims against manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who caused the opioid epidemic. His past cases include successfully representing plaintiffs in a multi-million dollar lawsuit involving business fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and commercial bribery; obtaining a multi-million dollar jury verdict against Forgent Network for breach of a patent licensing agreement; and obtaining a favorable judgment in the Texas Ranger Baseball Partners bankruptcy for breach of contract, among many others.
Just as every case is different, so is every client. Whatever the case, Darren invests the time and effort to identify the client’s objectives and to tailor an aggressive strategy to achieve them – whether trying a case, negotiating a settlement, avoiding litigation, or pursuing another option entirely.
Overview
- Georgetown University, J.D., with honors, graduated 2001
- The University of Texas, B.S., mathematics, graduated 1997
- The University of Texas, B.A., psychology, graduated 1997
- Texas, State Bar of Texas
- District of Columbia, District of Columbia Bar
- American Bar Association - Member
- Dallas Bar Association - Member
- DBA Public Forum Committee - Member
- District of Columbia Bar - Member
- State Bar of Texas - Member
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
- Texas State District Courts
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- Texas, State Bar of Texas
- District of Columbia, District of Columbia Bar
- American Bar Association - Member
- Dallas Bar Association - Member
- DBA Public Forum Committee - Member
- District of Columbia Bar - Member
- State Bar of Texas - Member
- Georgetown University, J.D., with honors, graduated 2001
- The University of Texas, B.S., mathematics, graduated 1997
- The University of Texas, B.A., psychology, graduated 1997
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
- Texas State District Courts
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Litigation - Patent
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Commercial Litigation
- Consumer Law
Awards:
Best Lawyers in America, 2018-2026
Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2022-2025
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers, 2022-2025
- Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters, 2017-2025
- Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine, 2017-2018, 2020-2023
- Fellow, Dallas Bar Foundation, 2017
- Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2010-2015
- Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court, Barrister 2009-2012
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers award for appellate advocacy, 2001
- AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
News & Media
Additional Information
Case History
Cases
- Representative Experience
Mass Tort, Wrongful Death, Products Liability Cases:
- Dallas County Hospital District, d/b/a Parkland Health & Hospital System, et al. v. Amneal Pharmaceuticals, et al. – currently representing hospitals against the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers that caused the opioid epidemic.
- Powell, et al. v. Thornton Drilling, et al. – confidential settlement on the eve of trial for two minor children in a wrongful death case involving a West Texas oil rig.
- Artinger, et al. v. i3 Plastic Cards, et al. – substantial confidential settlement for a widow and minor child in a wrongful death case involving a workplace electrocution.
- In re Diet Drugs (Phentermine, Fenfluramine, Dexfenfluramine) Prods. Liab. Litig., No. MDL 1203 –representation of Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company in hundreds of product liability cases.
- AerReach, et al., v. Stanford, et al. – represented plaintiffs in a multi-million dollar business fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and commercial bribery case against multiple defendants.
- Paradigm Air v. Texas Rangers Baseball Partners – summary judgment recovery for client in breach-of-contract case stemming from the Texas Rangers Baseball Partners’ bankruptcy.
- Andrew Silver v. Tabletop Media, LLC d/b/a Ziosk – favorable settlement for defendant and counter-plaintiff in a breach of contract case involving a patent purchase agreement.
- A take-nothing judgment and an order sealing the case for a client wrongfully accused of fraud and tortious interference of a contract.
- United States of America, ex rel. Haight v. RRSA (Commercial Division) LLC, et al. – currently representing relator in a False Claims Act case involving fraudulent small business subcontracting on military bases
- United States of America, ex rel. Haight Fisher, et al. v. Ocwen Loan Servicing – settlement of a major False Claims Act case against non-bank mortgage servicer where plaintiffs sought over $100 million in damages.
- Commil USA, LLC v. Cisco Systems, Inc.,135 S.Ct. 1920 (2015) – favorable U.S. Supreme Court ruling eliminating the defense of good-faith belief in invalidity to induced infringement claims.
- e-Lynxx Corporation v. Ariba – obtained significant patent licensing agreements in patent infringement lawsuit and development of licensing program.
- U.S. v. Mahoney – acquittal on a seven-count indictment for a court-appointed client in Washington, D.C. Superior Court.
- U.S. v. Barry, et al. – favorable plea bargain and no jail time for a real estate agent indicted in a federal case involving mortgage fraud.
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