As a member of Locke Lord’s Appellate Practice Group, Kirsten Castañeda handles a wide variety of sophisticated state and federal appeals involving arbitration, financial institutions, employment issues, class actions, and other commercial disputes. She frequently works with trial lawyers on discovery disputes, error preservation, and jury charge preparation and objections. Ms. Castañeda also has significant experience in mandamus matters.
An active member of the American Bar Association's Council of Appellate Lawyers, Ms. Castañeda is a regular speaker on state and federal appellate issues.
Education
- J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1994
Hatton W. Sumners Scholar
Order of Barristers - B.A., Baylor University, 1991
National Merit Scholar
Outstanding Scholar of the University School
Bar Admissions
Admitted To Practice
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Representative Experience
- Handled jury charge and drafted post-verdict motions for four privately-held corporations in employment dispute. Trial court granted motion for judgment notwithstanding verdict, reducing potential million-dollar award to take-nothing judgment in the clients’ favor.
- Represented corporation in its appeal of a multimillion dollar judgment. In published opinion, the court of appeals reversed and rendered take-nothing judgment in the client’s favor.
- Represented various clients in appellate mediations, including settlement negotiations and the formulation and drafting of the agreements, motions, and orders necessary to resolve pending appeals.
- Represented various clients in post-judgment collection efforts, yielding experience with issues relating to supersedeas, garnishment, turnover, execution, and post-judgment discovery.
Publications & Presentations
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Co-Author,
"Locke Lord QuickStudy: Evidentiary Impact of Shared Corporate Initials and Employer Vicarious Liability,"
Locke Lord
(June 30, 2011)
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Co-Author,
"Locke Lord QuickStudy: U.S. Supreme Court Addresses Commonality and “Injunction Class”,"
Locke Lord
(June 23, 2011)
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Author and Presenter,
"United States Supreme Court Update: Highlights of Recent and Upcoming Decisions,"
Dallas Bar Association Appellate Section
(December 16, 2010)
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Moderator,
"Civil Issues Percolating in Federal Courts of Appeals,"
Appellate Judges Education Institute
(November 20, 2010)
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Author and Presenter,
"Quick, Quick, Slow: A Brief Dance Through Recent Appellate Business Torts Opinions,"
State Bar of Texas Business Torts Institute
(October 29, 2010)
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Co-Author,
"You Say Yes, I Say No: Federal Circuit Splits That Impact Texas Lawyers,"
22 APPELLATE ADVOCATE 423 [State Bar of Texas]
(2010)
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Co-Author,
"Client Alert: Texas Supreme Court to Address Employee Stock Options as Consideration for Covenants Not to Compete,"
Locke Lord
(May 13, 2010)
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Co-Author,
"Client Alert: Supreme Court Rules No Class Arbitration Absent Contractual Basis,"
Locke Lord
(April 29, 2010)
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Author and Co-Presenter,
"Guerrilla Editing: Maximizing Your Revisions When Time is Short,"
Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP Litigation Associate Training
(April 1, 2010)
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Author and Presenter,
"United States Supreme Court Update: Highlights of Recent and Upcoming Decisions,"
Dallas Bar Association Appellate Section
(December 17, 2009)
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Author and Presenter,
"Navigating the Summary Judgment Maze,"
State Bar of Texas Nuts and Bolts of Appellate Practice
(September 9, 2009)
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Co-Author and Co-Presenter,
"The Melting Pot of Appellate Law,"
State Bar of Texas Minority Counsel Program
(September 3, 2009)
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Author and Presenter,
"Building a Solid Structure on the Shifting Sands of Mandamus,"
State Bar of Texas Appellate Boot Camp
(September 3, 2008)
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Author and Co-Presenter,
"Appellate Law for Non-Appellate Lawyers, Or, Things that Go Bump in the Appellate Night,"
State Bar of Texas Minority Counsel Program
(September 6, 2007)
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Author and Presenter,
"Helpful Hints for a Trial Attorney’s Appellate Practice,"
Dallas Bar Association Solo & Small Firm Section
(June 7, 2006)
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Presenter,
"What Issues are Being Granted by the Texas Supreme Court,"
State Bar of Texas Practice Before the Texas Supreme Court
(April 1, 2005)
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Co-Author,
"Common Issues in Civil Appeals of Summary Judgments,"
State Bar of Texas, Appellate Section, In-House CLE for Court Attorneys
(2004)
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Co-Author,
"Recurring Issues in Consumer and Business Class Action Litigation in Texas,"
33 TEX. TECH. L. REV. 971
(2002)
Professional History
- Senior Counsel, Locke Lord LLP
- Briefing Attorney to Justice John D. Ovard, Court of Appeals, Fifth District of Texas at Dallas (1994 - 1995)
Professional Affiliations & Achievements
- Member, Executive Committee (2008-present) and Chair, Membership Committee (2010-present), of the ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers
- Member, Planning Committee, ABA Appellate Judges Education Institute Summit (2009-present)
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation
- Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
- Member, College of the State Bar of Texas
- Co-Editor, News for the Bar, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section (2007-10)
- Member, State Bar of Texas, Appellate Section
- Member, Dallas Bar Association, Appellate Section
- Named a Texas Monthly Rising Star in Appellate Law (2007-10)
Community Leadership
- Member, Trinity Commons Foundation, Executive Board
- Member, DISD Partners in Education for Medrano Elementary
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