CHRISTIAN DENNIE

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Christian Dennie is an attorney, mediator, and arbitrator.  He has served clients all across the country in a myriad of legal disputes and negotiations. 

Christian has tried more than forty cases, bringing them before judges, juries, administrative panels, and arbitrators, and has argued before courts of appeals and administrative bodies.  He has successfully represented clients in the construction industry on both sides of the docket including owners, developers, banks, municipalities, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, architects, and engineers in disputes including claims for breach of contract, negligence, breach of express and implied warranty, delay and liquidated damages, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, fraud claims involving property damage, death or personal injury, nonpayment, foundation defects, and defective design/construction in state and federal courts; mediations; arbitrations; and, pre-suit investigations and recommendations concerning potentially liable parties.

Christian is an experienced arbitrator and mediator serving in disputes in the construction industry.  Christian brings his skills and history of litigating major complex matters to his alternative dispute resolution practice.  He has litigated contentious multi-million dollar disputes and negotiated multi-million dollar transactions with some of the most arduous and difficult adversaries.  He has a knack for quickly assessing matters and working towards a fast and simple solution.  Christian provides the parties with his thorough knowledge of the law and uses techniques to allow parties to decide their own fate in mediation or allow him to do so in arbitration. In either area, Christian works industriously to provide quick and efficient results.  Christian also provides services as an early mock arbitrator, neutral evaluator, private judge, referee, umpire, dispute review board, and special master. He is a panelist serving as a neutral for disputes presented to Construction Dispute Resolution Services, American Arbitration Association (AAA), National Arbitration Forum (Forum), United States Council for International Business (USCIB), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Alternative Dispute Resolution Services International, and Resolute Systems. 

Christian is also an adjunct professor of law at Texas A&M University School of Law and Southern Methodist University.  He has served as a panelist for symposia at, among others, Harvard Law School, Duke Law School, University of Virginia School of Law, University of Texas School of Law, SMU Dedman School of Law, University of Mississippi School of Law, University of Miami School of Law, University of North Carolina, Texas A&M University School of Law, and Thomas Jefferson School of Law.  Additionally, Christian has authored and published articles for law journals at the University of North Carolina, University of Mississippi, Syracuse University, University of Arkansas, University of Virginia, University of Texas, Seton Hall University, and Tulane University and trade publications for the Texas Bar Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, Andrews Entertainment Industry Litigation Reporter, Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Sports Litigation Alert.  Christian is also commonly interviewed by media outlets relating to hot button legal issues and has provided commentary to USA Today, New York Times, Fort Worth Star Telegram, and several others.  For his work, Christian has been recognized as a top attorney by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine and Super Lawyers. 

Christian is a Partner at Barlow Garsek & Simon, L.L.P. in Fort Worth, Texas.  He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Sam Houston State University where he was the centerfielder on the baseball team and a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

SELECTED REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

The following are examples of services previously provided, but is in no way an exhaustive list of prior representation:

• Defended and obtained a take nothing verdict at trial on behalf of a construction contractor in a breach of contract action and obtained a verdict in favor of client on counterclaims for fraud, conversion, and harassment. 
• Defended and obtained a take nothing summary judgment securing the dismissal of inverse condemnation claims under the Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and state law private nuisance claims in federal court on behalf of a municipality pertaining to the construction of Dallas Cowboys Stadium and the traffic management plan for events.
• Represented shopping center owner in multi-million dollar construction defects matter in arbitration proceeding that ultimately favorably settled for the shopping center owner.
• Defended and obtained a take nothing summary judgment on behalf of an engineer in a construction defects case.
• Defended subcontractor in a multi-party dispute relating to injuries on a construction site and ultimately settled matter for pennies on the dollar.
• Defended municipality in a multi-party dispute in which a group of contractors argued the municipality charged building fees in violation of the Texas Constitution and the United States Constitution.
• Represented homeowners in a dispute with a general contractor relating to faulty construction and installation of the foundation and ultimately successfully resolved the dispute.
• Defended and obtained a take nothing summary judgment on behalf of a general contractor who was sued for allegedly failing to properly install stucco on a high-end custom home.
• Represented and recovered damages for a shopping center owner in an arbitration proceeding whereby the owner claimed the contractor failed to properly install a TPO roof and failed to properly apply stucco.
• Defended and obtained a take nothing summary judgment on behalf of a subcontractor in a fatality whereby a sub-subcontractor failed to observe fall protections when exiting the roof.
• Enforced a delay provision in a construction contract and obtained liquidated damages when the contractor argued the liquidated damages provision was an unenforceable penalty.
• Represented a subcontractor in a dispute whereby the owner of a condominium project alleged contractors’ services and defects led to water intrusion.
• Defended shopping center owner in a dispute with an electrician over payment of contractor services in a matter in which the electrician’s services were determined to be faulty.
• Drafted commercial and residential construction contracts on behalf of owners.
• Drafted lending documents for construction projects.

EDUCATION

• Sam Houston State University, Bachelor of Business Administration, 2001
• University of Oklahoma College of Law, Juris Doctor, 2004

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PANELS

• American Arbitration Association (AAA), Panelist
• United States Council for International Business (USCIB), ICC Dispute Resolution, Panelist
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Panelist
• Construction Dispute Resolution Services, Panelist
• National Arbitration Forum (Forum), Panelist
• Resolute Systems, Panelist
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Services International, Panelist

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION ORGANIZATIONS

• State Bar of Texas, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section

HONORS, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND RECOGNITION

• Texas Super Lawyer – Rising Star, Texas Monthly and Law & Politics Magazine, 2012-2015.
• Top Attorneys, Fort Worth, Texas Magazine, 2012-2014.
• Best Law Firms, U.S. News & World Report, 2013-2015 (Nationally and Regionally).