Brown Rudnick announced the addition of oil and gas litigator Lauren Varnado to the firm’s growing Houston office.
Varnado’s arrival bolsters Brown Rudnick’s focus on high-stakes litigation and closely follows the arrival of veteran trial lawyer Adam Schiffer, litigation associate Kelly Swanson and counsel Matt Davis to Brown Rudnick’s Houston office, which opened in August.
Varnado initially will bring two team members and joins from Michelman & Robinson, where she helped launch its Houston office, served as office managing partner, and led the firm’s energy practice.
“We have always had a substantial number of clients with disputes centered in Houston, and we are excited to continue our strategic growth in the region,” said Steve Wasserman, managing director of Brown Rudnick’s Dispute Resolution and Restructuring Department. “Lauren is a dynamic litigator who will accelerate our expansion in Houston.”
Varnado represents oil, gas and petrochemical clients in high-stakes, “bet the company” lawsuits in state and federal courts and arbitrations nationwide. She handles cases involving the production and/or transportation of oil and gas, breach of energy industry contracts, misappropriation of trade secrets, subsurface trespass, class actions over oil and gas royalties, and upstream disputes between energy producers. Outside the courtroom, Varnado advises clients on oil and gas production and business operations, accounting obligations to interest owners, interpretation of oil and gas leases, and royalty payment practices.
“I am thrilled to join Brown Rudnick and help build its Houston office,” Varnado said. “What differentiates Brown Rudnick in the Houston market is its client-centered approach and particular strength in litigation, restructuring and intellectual property.”
Varnado received her J.D. from South Texas College of Law and B.A. from Texas A&M University.