You are here

Justin Waggoner

Justin Waggoner, Smyser, Kaplan & Veselka
Justin M. Waggoner's primary practice areas include civil appellate law, commercial litigation, securities, and legal malpractice defense. He regularly handles litigation matters at both the trial and appellate level. Mr. Waggoner has had extensive involvement in class actions, representing both plaintiff classes that were certified by Texas and federal courts and defendants opposing class certification.

Mr. Waggoner is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He has tried cases in both U.S. District Court and Texas District Court and arbitrated matters under the auspices of the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Waggoner has briefed and argued appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, as well as the First, Fifth, Eleventh and Fourteenth Judicial Districts of Texas. He has responded to petitions for review and mandamus petitions in the Texas Supreme Court and has filed petitions for writs of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Waggoner has been involved extensively in pro bono activities and has tried a pro bono civil rights case in federal district court. He has also served as lead counsel in a capital habeas case.

He graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Summa Cum Laude, first in his class. He also graduated Summa Cum Laude, first in his class, from the University of Houston Law Center, where he served on the Houston Law Review. Upon graduation, Mr. Waggoner was selected for a prestigious federal clerkship for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Session

10:45am - 11:45am - Civil — You’ve Won the Battle; Don’t Lose the War: Avoiding Malpractice by Preserving Error and Protecting the Record