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Steve Kotara

Steve Kotara

Senior Counsel

Overview:

Since 1987, Steve Kotara has successfully handled a wide variety of cases in both federal and state courts, including complex business disputes, professional malpractice claims, and injury and death claims. Mr. Kotara began his legal career in Dallas at one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in Texas, and he worked for several years in Fort Worth at one of the top malpractice firms in Texas. In addition to having tried cases in state and federal courts, Mr. Kotara has handled hundreds of depositions and motions in state and federal courts.

Mr. Kotara also has significant appellate experience. In addition to handling appeals in the state and federal appellate courts, Mr. Kotara was an appellate court staff attorney for over sixteen years in three Texas appellate courts.

Areas of Practice:

  • Business Litigation
  • Probate Litigation
  • Insurance Litigation
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • Personal Injury
  • Wrongful Death
  • Product Liability
  • Medical Malpractice
  • Legal Malpractice
  • Civil Appeals

Background

Mr. Kotara obtained his law degree in 1987 from Texas Tech University School of Law, where he graduated with honors. During law school, Mr. Kotara was a member of the Texas Tech Law Review and served as its Managing Editor in 1986-87. Mr. Kotara also participated in moot court and mock trial and received American Jurisprudence awards in Evidence and Property.

Mr. Kotara obtained his bachelor’s degree in 1984 from the University of Dallas, where he graduated with honors with a major in Politics (Political Philosophy). During college, Mr. Kotara was active in student government and intramural athletics.

Personal

Mr. Kotara has resided in Fort Worth for over two decades with his wife, a Fort Worth native, and their son, who attends the University of Dallas. A native of Pampa, Texas, Mr. Kotara has resided in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex since 1987. Now an avid golfer, Mr. Kotara previously coached youth baseball, basketball, and flag football with the Fort Worth YMCA, and he was a volunteer leader in Pack 97 of the Longhorn Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Fort Worth.

Mr. Kotara is an active parishioner at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Fort Worth, and he was a volunteer leader of his son’s church youth group. Throughout the 1990’s, Mr. Kotara was active in the University of Dallas Alumni Association Board of Directors, including serving as its president.

Mr. Kotara is active in the Fort Worth Chapters of the St. Thomas More Society and the Federalist Society.

Education

Texas Tech University School of Law, Lubbock, Texas
Juris Doctor, 1987
Honors: Cum Laude
Honors: Texas Tech Law Review, Managing Editor, 1986-87
Honors: American Jurisprudence awards in Evidence and Property

University of Dallas, Irving, Texas
Bachelor of Arts, 1984
Honors: Cum Laude

Litigation Percentage

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

State Bar of Texas 1987
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas

Published Works

BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY (7th ed. 1999) (Assistant Editor)

A HANDBOOK OF BASIC LAW TERMS (West 1999) (Assistant Editor)

“Recent Changes in Texas Venue Law and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and Proposed Changes to the Texas Rules of Civil and Appellate Procedure,” University of Dallas Alumni CLE (Oct. 1995)

Note, Prejudgment Interest Available on Accrued Damages in Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, and Survival Actions: Cavnar v. Quality Control Parking, Inc., 696 S.W.2d 549 (Tex. 1985), 17 TEX. TECH L. REV. 293 (1986)

Mr. Kotara has also prepared and presented numerous local CLE articles on appellate matters and the Bill of Rights.

 

Representative Cases

Trench Tech Int’l, Inc. v. Tech Con Trenching, Inc., 2022 WL 1998466 (N.D. Tex. June 6, 2022)

George P. Bane, Inc. v. Ballard, 2021 WL 1084586 (Tex. App.—Dallas Mar. 22, 2021, no pet.)

Albo v. Bahn, 2018 WL 2204295 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] May 15, 2018, no pet.)

Wakefield v. Pinnacle Anesthesia Consultants, P.A., 2018 WL 1734984 (Tex. App.—Texarkana Apr. 2, 2018, pet. denied)

Sees v. Fagen, 2002 WL 460233 (N.D. Tex. Mar. 22, 2002)

Sanijet Corp. v. Jacuzzi Inc., 2002 WL 1398546 (N.D. Tex. Feb. 14, 2002)

Seibu Corp. v. KPMG, LLP, 2001 WL 1167317 (N.D. Tex. Oct. 2, 2001)

Fagan v. Gnade, 61 S.W.3d 76 (Tex. App.—Waco 2001, no pet.)

Cunningham v. American Airlines, Inc., 1993 WL 307391 (Tex. App.—Dallas Aug. 5, 1993, writ denied)

Reed v. Yarbrough, 917 F.2d 562 (5th Cir. 1990 Table), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1123 (1991)