Dallas Bar Association
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Focus | Family Law
September 2022 Volume 47 Number 9
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DBA’s Trial Lawyer of the Year: Veronica Moyé BY GRACEN DANIEL
Veronica Moyé’s recognition as the Dallas Bar Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year is indicative of her commitment to both the preparation and candor necessary for effective advocacy on a global scale. Nominated for the award by DBA President Krisi Kastl, Moyé embodies excellence. “Veronica is exceptionally talented and bright, as well as hardworking and ambitious,” Kastl said. “Her dedication to her clients and to the profession is admirable, and I am most inspired by her ability to thrive in a male-dominated world.” Moyé ‘s career is marked by her commitment to authenticity and preparation in the courtroom. Moyé is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Dallas office, a member of the Veronica Moyé Firm’s Executive Committee, and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Global Litigation Practice Group. She just finished representing Apple at trial in what some dub “The Superbowl of Antitrust.” Moyé noted the case was special to her because her trial team was incredibly diverse in gender and ethnicity. As Moyé put it, this diversity paired with the subject matter—technology—”felt like the future.” “The team I was working with for closing argument was all women...It’s the beginning of a bright new future other women will have. It’s going to be so much better than the world I came up in,” remarked Moyé. In a new world of trial consultants, the trial team’s diverse composition was not premeditated. “We pulled together the best people and it happened to be that everyone was that diverse.” Moyé’s hope for the future is prophetic in view of her experiences. Moyé grew up in Dallas before attending MIT, and received her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1986. Upon graduation, Moyé received feedback that the Dallas legal market at the time was not “ready” for a black woman lawyer. She then moved to New York to commence her trial practice at a globally renowned law firm. Moyé excelled. She became a nationally recognized antitrust trial lawyer, and her accolades followed.
“I had this mentality of being extremely hardcharging with perfection as the goal,” Moyé said. As life happened, Dallas called Moyé’s name once more. She made one of the most difficult, but rewarding, decisions of her career to move back for the sake of her family—stepping away from her successful practice in New York. “It was hard to step away and start from scratch. When you come in new to the city, and you’re already kind of senior, it’s much harder to start over,” Moyé said, but “It turns out I really needed to be here [in Dallas].” Despite her professional reluctance, Moyé rebuilt her antitrust, class action, and commercial litigation practice in Dallas. “It really was a hard decision,” Moyé said, “but it was the best decision for my family, and I’ve still been able to have a very satisfying career. I don’t regret it at all.” Moyé recounts that each of her three children has a litigation story, including having her five-week-old with her during an oral argument before the Fifth Circuit. “There is no good time to have a child. You just have to decide ‘I’m going to have a child’ and everything else is going to have to work around,” Moyé said. Moyé has more good days as a trial lawyer than she can remember—a mark of a career well-served so far. “Putting on Tim Cook [Apple’s CEO] for his trial testimony was pretty momentous.” She recounted that, like anyone, the global CEO was just as human as the next person, but also brilliant. “The counselor role is frequently more important than the trial attorney part,” Moyé said. “It requires complete candor, honesty, and integrity.” Moyé certainly has her fair share of interesting clients. She represented Tyler Perry at trial of a copyright infringement action, at which she obtained a prevailing jury verdict, and the pair emerged on the courthouse steps where Perry gave his victory statement. “The good thing about doing this is you get a broad range of interesting clients that you really get to know well and develop a personal relationship continued on page 34
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DBA Announces New App STAFF REPORT
Yes, there is an App for that! The Dallas Bar Association is proud to announce its new App available to both Apple and Android users. This new Member Benefit offers upto-date content, communication and networking via Groups. You will have your own personal Feed that updates directly with information from the Sections and Committees of which you are a part. Download it now!
The App has a lot to offer, here are some areas to be sure to check out:
Single Sign On
Easily login to the App using your DBA website username and password.
Groups & Engagement
Sections and Committees–we listened. You wanted a better way to engage and communicate with each other, and now we have it! The Groups option on the App allows back-andforth communication. You can post reminders about your CLEs and programs, discuss hot topics in your area of law, or just connect with other members in your Sections and Committees. Remember to follow the online community guidelines (these are the same ones found in your E-Communities).
Homepage
On the App homepage you will find quick links such as the DBA Calendar of Events, Career Center, Online CLE, Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities, and a “Renew Membership” button. You must be a member to log in and access other resources such as Groups, Feed, Member Directory, and more. It’s always easy to find the daily CLEs, programs, and events. Just click on the homepage “Calendar of Events” image and it will take you
straight to our Online Calendar.
Connection and Contacts
Once logged in, you can connect with other members of your Groups, or those in the Member Directory via email through the App. This keeps your email address and personal information secure, while still encouraging engagement and connection.
Some Reminders
• You must be a DBA Member to access all of the options and engagement tools, so be sure to renew now! • Once you log in using your DBA website username and password, you will receive a code in your email to verify for security purposes. If you stay logged into the App, you will not need to do this step every time. If you log out, it will again ask for verification. • If you feel someone’s post is inappropriate or not following the community guidelines, you can “Flag” it and it will be reviewed by an administrator. • Remember to be professional in your posts and comments and not discuss confidential legal information. • Please remember that this is a work in progress. Be kind. If you need assistance, please email jsmith@dallasbar.org. HN
Inside 12 The Trauma-Informed Attorney 18 Divorce and In Vitro Fertilization 28 What’s Required When Children Resist or Refuse Possession 35 Top 5 Concerns for Business Owners During Divorce
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Newly joining members that join the DBA during the month of September will save over 30% on dues, which includes up to 16 months of membership for the price of 12 months. Questions? Contact membership@dallasbar.org. This special is available to NEW MEMBERS of the DBA (never joined before) or former DBA members that have not paid dues since 2020.