T. Dawn Estes

T. Dawn Estes


Estes Thorne Ewing & Payne, PLLC

Recognized since 2016

Dallas, Texas

Practice Areas

Arbitration

Commercial Litigation

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Arbitration
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Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Arbitration
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For over 25 years, Dawn's practice has focused on trial work, representing a variety of large and mid-sized corporate clients in claims involving a wide range of litigation topics. Dawn is an AV Preeminent® rated lawyer with a proven ability to manage and resolve sophisticated disputes. Dawn is comfortable in state and federal courts and arbitrations. Dawn serves as a court-appointed mediator, and she also serves on the American Arbitration Association's National Panel of Commercial and Employment Arbitrators.

Dawn has additional expertise in e-commerce, Internet and computer technology law, including issues of software performance, development disputes, domain name issues, cybersmear, Internet e-commerce ventures and website development issues.

Dawn has repeatedly been selected by Thomson Reuters and her peers among Texas Super Lawyers in Business Litigation in 2003-2023. She also has the distinction of being selected as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Texas and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Dallas/Fort Worth (by Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Monthly), Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine, and one of the Best Women Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine. Dawn has also served as an Adjunct Professor at SMU's Dedman School of Law.

Practice Areas:

Commercial/Business Litigation

Electronic Discovery and Document Retention

Internet and Computer Technology

Personal Injury Defense

Arbitration/Mediation/ADR

Contact & Links
Location
  • 3811 Turtle Creek Boulevard, Suite 2000
    Dallas, TX 75219
Education
  • Saint Mary's University, J.D., graduated 1989
  • Southern Methodist University, B.A., graduated 1986
Bar Admissions
  • Texas, State Bar of Texas
  • Oklahoma, State Bar of Oklahoma
Affiliations
  • Association of Attorney Mediators - Member
  • Attorneys Serving the Community - Member
  • Dallas Bar Association - Member, Presidential Citation (2011, 2017), Board of Directors (2016-2017), Judiciary Committee Co-Chair (2012), Bench Bar Committee Co-Chair (2011)
  • Dallas Bar Foundation - Life Fellow, Former Trustee
  • Dallas Committee for a Qualified Judiciary - Member
  • Dallas Women Lawyers Association - Advisory Board
  • Dallas Women Lawyers Association, Mentoring Circle - Mentor
  • Dallas Young Lawyers Association (DYLA) Foundation - Fellow
  • Federal Bar Association - Member
  • Higginbotham Inn of Court - Master, Executive Committee Member
  • Litigation Counsel of America - Fellow
  • State Bar Committee on Administration of Rules of Evidence (2008-2012) - Former Member
  • State Bar Committee on Administration of Rules of Evidence (2008-2012) - Former Subcommittee Chair, Technology
  • State Bar of Oklahoma - Member
  • State Bar of Texas - Member
  • Texas Bar Foundation - Fellow
  • The University of Texas at Austin, Center for Women in Law - Circle of Leaders
Court Admissions
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2024 - Arbitration
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Arbitration, Dallas/Fort Worth (2024)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for work in:
  • Arbitration
  • Commercial Litigation
Awards:
  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers, 2023

  • Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators, 2023

  • Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation and Arbitration, 2016-2024
  • Recognized, Best Lawyers in Dallas, as published in D Magazine (2011-2023)
  • Recognized, Texas Super Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Monthly (2003-2023)
  • BTI Client Service A-Team (2019)
  • Recognized Top 100: Dallas/Ft. Worth Super Lawyers , Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Monthly (2011-2012, 2015-2023)
  • Recognized, Top 100: Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Monthly (2017-2021)
  • Recognized, Top 50: Women Texas Super Lawyers in Texas, Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Monthly (2006, 2011-2013, 2015-2023)
  • AV Preeminent - Martindale-Hubbell
  • Recognized, Texas Trial Legend, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Dallas Bar Association (2016)
  • Recognized, Outstanding Female Partner Award, Dallas Women Lawyers Association (2016)
  • Recognized, Best Women Lawyers in Dallas in commercial litigation, as published in D Magazine (2010)
  • Recognized, Best Lawyers Under 40, as published in D Magazine (2002)
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Mediation

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