We are counselors, trial lawyers, mediators, and professional instructors.

David Brenner

Partner
Burns Anderson Jury & Brenner, L.L.P.

Phone: (512) 338-5322
Fax: (512) 338-5363
E-mail: dbrenner@bajb.com
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David applies tenacious problem-solving abilities and an easygoing manner to his colleagues and clients. His grounded mindset helps him focus on the clients’ real issues and desires, so he can lead them to favorable outcomes, while maintaining the integrity of the judicial process.

The same sense of balance that keeps him on top of complex litigation and legal business issues also helps him keep himself firmly grounded, allowing him to enjoy his family and personal life in his own unfettered way.

Licensed in Texas, Oklahoma and Utah.


Certification:

Personal Injury Trial Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Civil Trial Law – National Board of Trial Advocacy


 

Professional Affiliations:

American Board of Trial Advocates
American Bar Association
State Bar of Texas
Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
Board Member, Texas Association of Defense Counsel
Austin Bar Association


Reported Appellate Decisions as Lead or Co-Counsel for a Party:

(Supreme Court)

In re XL Specialty Ins. Co., 373 S.W.3d 46 (Tex. 2012)
Addressing attorney-carrier-insured privilege in the context of workers’ compensation proceedings.

Transcon. Ins. Co. v. Crump, 330 S.W.3d 211 (Tex. 2010)
Re-defining causation standard in workers’ compensation claims and the right to jury trial on attorney fee disputes.

Morales v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 241 S.W.3d 514 (Tex. 2007)
Addressing judicial review standards on coverage and compensability disputes.

Valley Forge v. Austin, 105 S.W.3d 609 (Tex. 2003)
Supreme Court review of election of remedies defense and whether it is abrogated to statute.

Continental Cas. v. Downs, 81 S.W.3d 803 (Tex. 2002)
Addressing carrier’s waiver of right to dispute compensability.

(5th Circuit Court)

Effinger v. Cambridge Integrated Services Group, 478 Fed. Appx. 804 (5th Cir. 2011)
Affirming directed verdict in bad faith claim.

Thompson v. Zurich American Ins. Co., U.S. 664 F3d 62, 2011 (5th Cir. 2011)
Affirming summary judgment in favor of carrier in bad faith claim.

Gray Law, LLP v. Transcontinental Ins. Co., 560 F.3d 361 (5th Cir. 2009)
Addressing attorney fee protocol in Workers’ Compensation subrogation claim.

Gasch v. Hartford Acc. & Indem. Co., 491 F.3d 278 (5th Cir. 2007)
Removal jurisdiction in bad faith claim.

Brown v. Kinney Shoe Corp., 237 F.3d 556 (5th Cir. 2001)
Application of punitive damages and Batson challenges in race discrimination case.

National Fire Ins. Co. v. Giron, 573 Fed. Appx. 322 (5th Cir. 2014)
Addressing entitlement to lifetime benefits in single amputation case.

Sport Supply Group v. Columbia Cas. Co., 335 F.3d 453 (5th Cir. 2003)
Affirmation of summary judgment in bad faith claim associated with advertising injury.

American Ins. Co. v. Jasso, 589 Fed. Appx. 239 (5th Cir. 2015)
Review of diversity jurisdiction of Workers’ Compensation cases, evaluation of coming and going doctrine.

(Texas Appellate Court)

Welch v. AABTEL, Inc., 03-14-00102-CV, 2015 WL 4196520 (Tex. App.—Austin July 8, 2015, no pet.)
Addressing no duty to rule in non-disabling injury claims.

Hazelip v. Am. Cas. Co. of Reading, PA, 01-09-00659-CV, 2012 WL 2453716 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] June 28, 2012, pet. denied)
Affirmation of trial court verdict in extent of injury dispute.

American Cas. Co. v. Bushman, 480 S.W.3d 667 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2015, no pet.)
Coming and going doctrine in out of town temporary assignment.

Pinkus v. Hartford Cas. Ins. Co., 487 S.W.3d 616 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2015, pet. denied)
Liability for Workers’ Compensation in personal mission during out of town event.

In re: Texas Health Resources, 472 S.W.3d 895 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2015, no pet.)
Mandamus proceeding on attorney-client privilege.

New Hampshire Ins. Co. v. Allison, 414 S.W.3d 266 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2013, no pet.)
Heart attack evidentiary coverage standard.

Region XIX Service Center v. Banda, 343 S.W.3d 480 (Tex. App.—El Paso 2011, pet. denied)

Zurich American Ins. Co. v McVey, 339 S.W.3d 724 (Tex. App.—Austin 2011, pet. denied)

Collins v. Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America, 2011 WL 4488601 (Tex. App. —San Antonio 2010, pet. denied)
Addressing compensability of off-duty flight attendant while traveling home.

Discover Property & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Tate, 298 S.W.3d 249 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2009, pet. denied)
Right to jury trial in attorney fee dispute.

Twin City Fire Ins. Co. v. Vega-Garcia, 223 S.W.3d 762 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2007, pet. denied)

Texas Property and Cas. Guar. Ass’n v. National American Ins. Co., 208 S.W.3d 523 (Tex. App.—Austin 2006, pet. denied)

Roskey v. Continental Cas. Co., 190 S.W.3d 875 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2006, pet. denied)
Workers’ compensation commission had exclusive jurisdiction precluding employee’s personal injury action against employer.

Strange v. Continental Cas. Co., 126 S.W.3d 676 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2004, pet. denied)

Continental Cas. Co. v. Davilla, 139 S.W.3d 374 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2004, pet. denied)

Truck Ins. Exchange v. Smetak, 102 S.W.3d 851 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2003, no pet.)

Continental Cas. Co. v. Rivera, 124 S.W.3d 705 (Tex. App.—Austin 2003, pet. denied)
Timely receipt of insurer’s request by claimant alone does not suffice to perfect appeal.

Texas Workers’ Comp. Commission v. Texas Workers’ Comp. Ins. Fund, 132 S.W.3d 5 (Tex. App.— Amarillo 2003, no pet.)
Court affirming carrier’s right to assert election of remedies between suit against employer on workers’ compensation claim.

American Casualty Co. v. Martin, 97 S.W.3d 679 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2003, no pet.)
Election of remedies dispute and finding in favor of carrier on issue of employer’s waiver of reimbursement.

McGatlin v. Hartford Ins. Co., 94 S.W.3d 311 (Tex. App —Texarkana 2002, no pet.)
Dispute relating to TWCC’s jurisdiction to entertain motion for rehearing in workers’ compensation appeal.

Texas Workers’ Comp. Ins. Fund v. Lopez, 21 S.W.3d 358 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2000, pet. denied)
Applicability of Robinson standards to causation testimony in workers’ compensation case.

Texas Workers’ Comp. Ins. Fund v. Martinez, 30 S.W.3d 490 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 2000, pet. denied)
Evaluation of enforceability of benefit dispute agreement in workers’ compensation proceeding.

Ins. Co. of State of Pennsylvania v. Stelhik, 995 S.W.2d 939 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1999, pet. denied)
Application of single employer rule to computation of average weekly wage for union employees.

Gadison v. Econ. Mud Products Co., Inc., 964 S.W.2d 652 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1997, pet. denied)
Jurisdiction of trial court in employee’s discrimination suit against employer.

Hernandez v. Texas Workers’ Comp. Ins. Fund, 946 S.W.2d 904 (Tex. App.—Eastland 1997, no writ)
Jurisdictional determination in appeal of maximum medical improvement in workers’ compensation case.

Simplex Elec. Corp. v. Holcomb, 949 S.W.2d 446 (Tex. App.—Austin 1997, pet. denied)
Interpretation of statutory employer bill of rights in a workers’ compensation case.

Texas Workers’ Comp. Ins. Fund v. Rodriguez, 953 S.W.2d 765 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1997, pet. denied)
Application of the comfort doctrine and recreational activity exception to coverage in a sports injury.

Commercial Union Ins. Co. v. Spaw-Glass Corp., Inc., 877 S.W.2d 538 (Tex. App.—Austin 1994, writ denied)
Duty of contractor to retain under McGregor Act.

Lowe v. U.S. Shoe Corp., 849 S.W.2d 888 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1993, writ denied)
Burden of proof in equitable bill of review proceeding.

Unpublished

McClure v. Amerisure Ins. Co., 2-07-035-CV, 2008 WL 3540204 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Aug. 14, 2008, no pet.)

Yarbrough v. American Contractors Ins. Group., 2011 WL 1833453, (Tex. App.— Dallas 2011; pet. denied).

Riley v. Cohen, 03-08-00285-CV, 2009 WL 416637, (Tex. App.—Austin Feb. 19, 2009, pet. denied)

Delgado v. Texas Workers’ Comp. Ins. Fund, 03-03-00621-CV, 2006 WL 663903 (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 17, 2006, no pet.)

Christus Health/St. Joseph Hosp. v. Price, 01-05-00210-CV, 2007 WL 1500854 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] May 24, 2007, pet. denied)

Goodall v. Valley Forge Ins. Co., 11-07-00200-CV, 2007 WL 2677289 (Tex. App.—Eastland Sept. 13, 2007, no pet.)

Douglas v. Moody Gardens, Inc., 14-07-00016-CV, 2007 WL 4442617 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] Dec. 20, 2007, no pet.)

Southerland v. Wright, 07-06-0147-CV, 2006 WL 1680858 (Tex. App.—Amarillo June 15, 2006, pet. denied)

Halfmann v. Employers Gen. Ins. Co., 03-04-00295-CV, 2005 WL 2574062 (Tex. App.—Austin Oct. 14, 2005, no pet.)

In re Transp. Ins. Co., 04-05-00385-CV, 2005 WL 2012731 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Aug. 24, 2005, no pet.)

In re Luna, 04-05-00591-CV, 2005 WL 2138279 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Sept. 7, 2005), opinion withdrawn and superseded on denial of reh’g, 04-05-00591-CV, 2005 WL 2755949 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Oct. 26, 2005, no pet.)

Roy Crouch v. Cont’l Cas. Co., 05-05-01481-CV, 2005 WL 3062920 (Tex. App.—Dallas Nov. 16, 2005, no pet.)

Silvey v. Ins. Co. of Pennsylvania, 04-00-00439-CV, 2001 WL 951012 (Tex. App.—San Antonio Aug. 22, 2001, no pet.)
Affirmance of trial court’s judgment in favor of carrier reversing Appeals Panel Decision on impairment rating.


Publications & Seminars:

Author  “Voir Dire,” Texas Bar Journal, July/August 2023.

Speaker “Mediation Tips and Tactics” TADC – Winter Meeting -2021
Author and Speaker: “Emerging Changes in the Intentional Tort Exception,” TADC – 2022 winter seminar.
Speaker: “Identifying the Employer,” Texas Bar Advance Workers’ Compensation Law, 2021.
Speaker: “Understanding and Preventing Bad Faith Claims,” Texas Texas Bar Advance Workers’ Compensation Law, 2005 and 2006.
Speaker: “Identifying Exceptions and Defenses under TWCA,” Safeco, 1998.
Speaker: “Law on Voir Dire,” TADC – Winter Meeting, 2013.
Speaker: “Understanding and Preventing Bad Faith Claims,” CNA, 1997.
Author and Speaker: “Identifying Exceptions and Defense Under TWCA,” Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fund, 1997.
Author and Speaker: “Automobile Mock Trial and Case Evaluation,” Government Employees Insurance Company.
Author and Speaker: “Workers’ Compensation Mock Trial,” Houston Association of Insurance Agents.
Author and Speaker: “Workers’ Compensation Mock Trial,” Tarrant County Association of Insurance Agents.

Education

  • Doctor of Jurisprudence – Baylor University, 1987
  • B.B.A. – University of Texas, 1984

Career

  • Partner, Burns Anderson Jury & Brenner, 1997 to present
  • Partner, Wilson, Grosenheider & Burns, 1994-1996
  • Associate, Wilson, Grosenheider & Burns, 1987-1994

Practice Admissions

  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States District Court, Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • Texas State Bar
  • Oklahoma State Bar
  • Utah State Bar

Practice Areas