Title
Service
Law School
Press Releases Alerts News Events
Filter by Service
Category
Filter by Practice & Industry

Practices

Industries
Filter by Practice & Industry

Practices

Industries

Practices

Industries

Brent A. Turman

Brent A. Turman

Partner
Practice Areas
Biography

Brent's commercial litigation practice covers a variety of matters including business disputes, real estate, intellectual property, arbitration and civil RICO actions. He advocates for clients ranging from startups to Fortune 50 companies. For the past six years, Brent has been recognized by his peers as a Super Lawyers "Rising Star" for business litigation. 

Brent frequently gives trial skills presentations across the country, teaching other attorneys about the strategies and tools he has used in the courtroom.

Before Brent’s legal career, he was an Associate Operations Producer for ESPN / ABC College Football. In addition, Brent produced commercials, industrial videos, in-arena entertainment, and music videos for clients throughout North America. Brent has continued to use this experience to craft compelling narratives for juries and assist clients in the Entertainment, Media and Sports industry by preparing and reviewing relevant contracts and navigating clients through business disputes. Outside of the office Brent produces short films and worked as a Remote Producer for the XFL’s re-launch in 2020.

Education

  • J.D., cum laude, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, 2012
  • B.B.A. & B.A., cum laude, Southern Methodist University, 2007

Admissions

  • State Bar of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Districts of Texas

Related Industry

Representative Matters
  • Secured jury verdict finding that his client was a partner in the entity that initially published the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy books.  The jury found the client was entitled to over $13.2 million in royalties, interest and attorneys' fees.
  • Brent and a team of attorneys secured a unanimous defense verdict in favor of manufacturer of downhole sand and gas separation products in a $4.5 million dollar patent infringement suit.
  • As lead briefing attorney, persuaded federal judge to quash notice of deposition for a Fortune 50 CEO and dismiss claims for trademark infringement and business disparagement.
  • Obtained $10.3 million summary judgment for entity that loaned funds for production of feature film distributed by a major studio.
  • Obtain denial of application for temporary restraining order filed against CEO of business intelligence consulting firm.
  • Brent and a team of attorneys represented an LLC and one of its members in claims against a large Chinese state-owned enterprise, as well as several of its "subsidiaries." In pursuing the arbitration claim, the team also defended its clients in two federal proceedings in the Northern District of Texas, one federal proceeding in the Northern District of California, one proceeding in the Delaware Court of Chancery, and one appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The panel awarded the claimants over $68 million (confirmed in 2018).
  • Developed biometrics policies for companies with a nationwide presence, with employees in states including Texas, California and Illinois.
  • Served as production counsel for films produced in Texas.
  • Represented multiple University Presses when approached to option film or television rights to books.
  • As lead counsel, Brent obtained multiple favorable settlements on behalf of a campus safety and student conduct software provider against several public and private universities around the United States.
  • Obtained summary judgment for large residential developer in negligence action.
  • Obtained summary judgment for water park after oral argument, defeating the plaintiff's premises liability action. 
Noteworthy
  • Named to D Magazine's "Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas" List, 2021 and 2022
  • Named to The Best Lawyers in America® "Ones to Watch" List, 2021
  • Selected by attorney peers for inclusion as Texas Rising Star® for Business Litigation, Thomson Reuters, 2017 – 2022
  • Eagle Scout
  • Best Short Film, 2018 AutomaCon Short Film Festival
  • Best Drama, 2018 Wildwood Film Festival
  • Best Director, 2014 Universal Film Festival
Activities & Memberships
  • Dallas Regional Chamber's 2023 "Leadership Dallas" Class
  • Highland Park United Methodist Church Day School Advisory Board
  • Texas Bar Association, Entertainment & Sports Law Section, Chair
  • American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment & Sports Law Industries Litigation Division, Member
  • Texas State Bar College
  • Texas Association of Motion Media Professionals, Former President
  • Dallas Bar Association, Entertainment Art & Sports Law Section, Former Chair (2016)
  • Women Texas Film Festival Advisory Board, Former Member
  • Texas State Bar Entertainment Law Institute, Planning Committee Member (2018)
  • D Magazine Young Leaders Network
  • Dallas Producers Association, Producer Member
  • SMU Meadows Alumni Advisory Council
  • Texas UIL Young Filmmakers Festival and USA Film Festival, Judge
Publications
Presentations
  • "Protecting Your Company's Most Important Assets," TechFW, September 20, 2022.
  • "Entertainment Law Update Podcast," August 2022.
  • "Astroworld Aftermath: Litigation and Its Impact on the Live Events Industry," Collin County Bar Association, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, Dallas Bar Association and Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association, 2022. 
  • "The Ethics and Strategy of HBO's Succession," Texas General Counsel Forum, Dallas Bar Association, Louisville Bar Association, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Dallas Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, 2022
  • "What Kanye West Can Teach Us About Litigation," Louisville Bar Association, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Birmingham Bar Association, Mobile Bar Association Civil Litigation Section, Denton County Bar Association, New Mexico Trial Law Institute, New Orleans Bar Association Procrastinators Program, Dallas Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, Italian American Attorney Association of Los Angeles, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Amarillo Area Bar Association, Corpus Christi Bar Association Young Lawyers, Memphis Bar Association Intellectual Property Section, District of Columbia Bar Litigation Community, Santa Monica Bar Association, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, State Bar of Nevada Entertainment Law Section, King County Bar Association (x2), New Orleans Bar Association (x3), Multnomah Bar Association, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, New Orleans Bar Association, various law firm litigation sections, 2019-22
  • "Litigation Psychology Podcast: Inspired by Kanye," Courtroom Sciences, Inc., April 12, 2021.
  • “Litigation Psychology Podcast: Storytelling in Litigation,” Courtroom Sciences, Inc., 2021.
  • “Litigating Partnership Disputes,” King County Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association Litigation Section, 2019-2021.
  • "The Future of Theatrical Exhibition," Entertainment Law Institute, 2021
  • "Combatting Sexual Harassment on Film Sets," Women Texas Film Festival, 2020.
  • "Legal Issues Impacting the Live Event and Entertainment Industries in the Wake of COVID-19," State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, Dallas Bar Association, Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, 2020.
  • "Using Social Media Evidence at Trial," SMU Dedman School of Law, Guest Lecture, 2019.
  • "Litigation in the Film and Media Industries," University of Texas Arlington, Guest Lecture, 2019.
  • "What Kanye Can Teach us About Litigation,” State Bar of Texas Podcast, 2019.
  • "The State of the Art Law in Dallas," Dallas Bar Association, Legal Panel, 2019.
  • “A Content Creator’s Guide to Staying out of the Courtroom: Defamation and Business Disparagement in Texas,” Entertainment Law Institute, 2018.
  • “Obeying Terms of Use When Conducting Business on Social Media,” SMU Dedman School of Law, Guest Lecture, 2018.
  • “Editing: Finding the Story and Editing Ethically,” Docu Fest, Legal Panel, 2018.
  • “Legal Issues in Filmmaking,” Women Texas Film Festival, Legal Panel, 2018.
  • “Top 10 Video Game Decisions: From Donkey Kong to eSports,” Texas State Bar Annual Meeting, 2018.
  • “After the Handshake Deal: Proving What’s Not in Writing,” Austin Bar Association: Business, Corporate, & Tax Law Section, 2018.
  • “Fifty Shades of Greed: A Case Study on Partnership by Conduct,” Entertainment Law Institute, Houston Bar Association, 2016-2017.
  • “Art Law Roundtable,” Arts Counsel Texas, Legal Panel, 2017.
  • “Success in the Screenwriting Business,” The Dallas Screenwriters Association, Panel, 2017.
  • “Script to Screen: Legal Issues Relating to Filmmaking,” Arts Counsel Texas Lunch & Learn, 2017.
  • Entertainment Law Practitioners Panel, SMU Dedman School of Law SELA, 2017
  • “The Book of Sanctions: Enforcement of NCAA Bylaws,” Dallas Bar Association, Legal Panel, 2016.
  • “Lights, Camera, Action: Legal Issues Affecting Film Festivals,” Dallas Bar Association, Legal Panel, 2016.
  • “Why I Learned to Love Contracts,” Arts Counsel Texas Lunch & Learn, 2016.
×

To view our COVID-19 Legal Services Resource Directory, please click here.