Jackson Walker is pleased to announce the addition of prominent litigator Paul Watler as a partner in the Firm. Paul, formerly of Jenkens & Gilchrist, is well-known for his work with leading media clients.
In a Texas Lawyer story about the move, Paul called Jackson Walker a “very natural fit” for his practice. “Their really well-established national reputation in the media law field was obviously a big attraction for me. It was just so complementary to what I do; it was just a strong fit,” he said.
The partners in Jackson Walker’s media and litigation sections, including such notables as Chip Babcock and Bob Latham, heartily agreed with Paul.
“He’s a great addition to what I think is probably the largest, deepest media group in the region,” Chip said.
Paul is a board-certified civil trial lawyer who has successfully defended Texas newspapers and broadcasters in numerous libel and privacy cases during the past 20 years. His litigation victories include the first Texas Supreme Court opinion defining a public figure in a libel case, a suit which arose out of the Branch Davidian incident in Waco, Texas. His media clients have included major newspapers, magazines, and wire services, as well as television stations in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Beaumont, Waco, New Orleans, and Boston. He has handled a number of copyright, trademark, and unfair competition cases during his more than 25 years of practice. He has routinely provided counsel to a major news media corporation regarding fair use of copyrighted material. His trial experience covers a wide range of complex cases including employment, securities, banking, media, intellectual property, antitrust, oil & gas, and real estate.
Paul has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 1995, where he is currently recognized in the categories of commercial litigation and First Amendment law. He has been named one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine, was named one of the state’s top 135 attorneys in Texas Lawyer’s Go-To-Guide and has been named a “Super Lawyer” by Texas Monthly since 2003. He served as president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas in 1996-99 and currently serves on the board of directors of North Texas Public Broadcasting (KERA).
