Daniel Charest
Daniel focuses his practice on high-stakes litigation matters. When large landowners need representation in royalty cases to protect their mineral interests against major operators, they call on Daniel. He represents many interests throughout the Barnett Shale and similar oil & gas plays. Daniel also represents oil & gas companies in wide-ranging matters.
Daniel developed his trial-lawyer skills at a nationally-recognized litigation boutique, where he became a partner, tried cases, and ran his clients’ cases. Over the years, he honed his skills into an effective, efficient approach to lawyering that focuses on his client’s needs and achieving their desired outcome. He left that firm to establish Burns Charest LLP. And, now, he attacks his clients’ problems with skills, smarts, and hard work.
Daniel’s body of work reaches beyond any particular practice area. He has successfully handled matters involving antitrust, breach of contract, oil & gas, financial-service company disputes, business torts, such trade secret misappropriation and unfair competition, consumer protection, class actions, fraud, insurance bad faith, and wrongful death. His work has taken place across the United States: federal and state courts from coast to coast with plenty of places in between. Daniel’s docket has involved procedural and jurisdictional challenges such as removal and remand, class certification, transfers, temporary restraining orders, temporary injunctions, and appeals. In all, the body of work is, simply, high-stakes litigation.
Daniel recently tried—and won—an arbitration as first chair in a multi-million dollar dispute involving an executive employment matter. The ICDR Panel granted complete relief in favor of Daniel’s client and rejected all counterclaims against it. In addition, the Panel awarded over a million in fees and expenses to the client as part of the award.
In addition to his legal experience, Daniel brings real-world experience developed from working in leadership roles in industry at a young age that involved travel all over the globe and required cooperation with all forms of culture and character. While maintaining his full workload, Daniel has served as a pro bono mediator in a program administered by the Dallas courts, called “Settlement Week.”
PRACTICE AREAS:
- Litigation
- Oil and Gas
- Contracts and Agreements
- Antitrust and Trade Law
- Class Actions
- Best Lawyers in America, 2018-2019
- Named “Future Star” in Texas by Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys, 2012-2014
- Texas Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters, 2012-2104, as published in Texas Monthly
- Managing Editor of the Tulane Law Review, 2003-2004
- Order of the Coif, 2004
- Chief Mate, unlimited tonnage, U.S. Coast Guard
- Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy (Reserve), with an honorable discharge
Dallas, Texas 75202