Courtney Barksdale Perez, who handles commercial and employment-related disputes involving allegations of fraud, negligence, breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation, joins Baker & Hostetler’s labor and employment practice group. Joshua Bennett joins the litigation practice group. He does commercial litigation and appeals in areas such as trademark, copyright, patent infringement, antitrust, theft of trade secrets, First Amendment and civil rights and data security.
Shawn Cleveland, the partner -in-charge of the office and Dallas litigation leader, said in a written statement that Perez and Bennett are “phenomenal attorneys” who are extremely well-respected in the Dallas legal community.
“They will bring with them strong client relationships and impressive experience that will immediately benefit our litigation and labor and employment practice groups. Their arrival is another big milestone for our firm as we continue our strategic growth in North Texas,” Cleveland wrote.
Bennett wrote that Baker & Hostetler was a “clear draw” for him and he saw “immediate synergies” with the firm in client base, industries and practices. He also was attracted to the firm’s strategic growth in key markets including Dallas.
“The firm’s brand immediately instills confidence from clients and provides client value and rate flexibility uncommon among its peers,” he wrote.
Perez wrote that Baker & Hostetler recognizes her entrepreneurial spirit as an asset to the firm’s strategic plan. She wrote in the statement that she looks forward to bringing her trial practice in employment litigation and high-stakes commercial disputes to a firm with a strong focus on those areas.
“I am thrilled to be joining such a collaborative, full-service firm that will allow me to expand the services I can offer my clients into areas like M&A, cybersecurity, IP, tax and healthcare,” she wrote.
Asked to comment on the departures, Carter Arnett principal Leon Carter provided this statement: “Bob and I started Carter Arnett in 2012 with the vision of forming a litigation boutique, which could provide excellent legal services for our clients. We have done that, but it would not have been possible without Josh and Courtney. They have been instrumental in getting us where we are today, as they matured into outstanding attorneys over the last 12 years. We wish them nothing but continued success at their new national platform.”
