Paul K. Stafford
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Paul K. Stafford

Partner, Complex Commercial & Business Litigation 
  • paul@staffordmoore.law
  • 214.764.1531
Paul K. Stafford received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Texas A&M University in 1990, and his Juris Doctorate from Texas Tech School of Law in 1994. Licensed in Texas, and in all four United States District Courts in Texas (Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western) as well as the United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit), Paul has served the DFW community as an attorney for over 28 years.

Focus Areas

Complex Commercial & Business Litigation // Insurance Policyholder & Coverage Litigation// Civil Litigation 

Paul is a problem solver.  As abusiness litigatorwith extensive experience, Paul focuses his practice primarily on complex commercial & business litigation, as well as insurance policyholder & coverage litigation.  He also has significant experience in assisting small-to-mid capitalized companies, entrepreneurs, and start-ups with corporate formations & governance issues, intellectual property & technology matters, data privacy & cyber-security concerns, and labor & employment issues.  Prior to founding STAFFORD MOORE, PLLC, Paul worked as a civil litigator in corporate legal environments and large law firms, Early in his career, he served as an Assistant Criminal District Attorney in both Denton and Dallas Counties. 

Paul Stafford is a ‘lawyer’s lawyer’, having successfully tried more than 200 cases to verdict, including approximately 100 criminal cases (primarily violent crimes, drugs, organized crime, and white collar) as a former state prosecutor in two Texas counties (Denton & Dallas Counties) and as a defense attorney, as well as approximately 100 civil cases (including tort and insurance, business and complex commercial litigation, and intellectual property litigation).  Paul has been consistently recognized by his peers as a Texas Monthly “Super Lawyer” annually for each of the last 15 years, and has been recognized for his legal expertise by local, state, and national publications including U.S. News & World Reports, by Texas Lawyer as a Top-Five Commercial Litigator in its “Go-To Guide”, and by D-Magazine as among the Best Lawyers in Dallas.  

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Paul is a leader in the legal profession and community servant, having served as President of both the J.L.Turner Legal Association (2002) and the Dallas Bar Association (2012), and currently serving on the State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession Committee as well as the State Bar Insurance Section’s Insurance Council, and as Chair of the State Bar’s African American Lawyers Section (2021-2022).  He has served on various boards and commissions, including the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students Board of Directors, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Business & Community Advisory Board, and as a Trustee on the Dallas Bar Foundation.  He currently serves on the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, on Board of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Board of Governors, and as a Trustee on the Texas Tech School of Law Foundation Board.  He is a Sunday School teacher, a community advocate, and has been a Mock Trial Coach for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts for years. Paul is also an author and frequent lecturer, having written and presented numerous articles, papers, and CLE presentations on a variety of topics including insurance, e-discovery, cyber-security, litigation, and most recently, the business, legal, and societal implications of COVID-19.  Paul also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Texas Tech University School of Law (Insurance Law; Client Counseling & Negotiations; Trial Advocacy), and at Texas A&M University School of Law (Real Lawyer Basics; Texas Pre-Trial Procedure).​

Clients appreciate Paul’s efficient and effective approach to the law, his responsiveness, and his experience and legal expertise in getting excellent results.  Problem.  Solver.

Publications and Public Speaking

  • CLE Co-Creator & Moderator, “Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt In America”, Dallas Bar Association, 2020 Virtual Bench Bar Conference, September 24, 2020.
  • CLE Creator & Moderator, “So You Want To Be A Civil Rights Attorney: How To, and How To Make A Difference”, State Bar of Texas, African-American Lawyers Section; August 21, 2020.
  • Panelist, Aggie Conversations, Collaborative virtual (Zoom) panel discussion and dialogue on diversity, race, and race-relations, at Texas A&M University and throughout the state and the nation; July 21, 2020.
  • State Bar of Texas Podcast, “The 15th and 19th Amendments: Looking Back and Looking Forward” (based upon “Men, Their Rights And Nothing More; Women, Their Rights And Nothing Less: The 15th Amendment at 150, The 19th Amendment at 100”, Texas Bar Journal; June 2020), July 10, 2020.
  • CLE Creator, Author, and Moderator, “Enfranchisement: Past, Present, and Future – The 15th Amendment at 150, The 19th Amendment at 100”, State Bar of Texas African American Lawyers Section Zoom CLE Presentation with Frederick J. Barrow, Art Anthony, and Shonn Brown, June 19, 2020.
  • CLE Creator & Moderator, “Juneteenth to June 2020: History’s Relevance to Today’s Reality”, Dallas Bar Association & J. L. Turner Legal Association Zoom CLE Presentation with Josiah Daniel and Dr. Daina Berry (Incoming Chair, History Department, University of Texas at Austin), June 19, 2020.
  • “COVID-19: Catalyst for Courage?”, The Texas Lawbook; June 17, 2020
  • “Men, Their Rights And Nothing More; Women, Their Rights And Nothing Less: The 15th Amendment at 150, The 19th Amendment at 100”, Texas Bar Journal; June 2020.
  • CLE Webinar Panelist, Adaptability in the New Normal, Dallas Bar Association COVID-19 Task Force and Law Day Presentation. Dallas, Texas; May 8, 2020.
  • Coping with COVID-19: Law Day, “Constitutional Adaptability”, and the “New Normal”. Texas Lawyer; April 29, 2020.
  • Coping with COVID-19: Considerations for the “New Normal”. Texas Bar Journal Blog; April 20, 2020.
  • CLE Webinar Presenter, Coping with COVID-19: Business & Insurance Considerations, Dallas Bar Association
  • COVID-19 Task Force, in conjunction with the Dallas Bar Association Business Litigation Section and the Dallas
  • Bar Association Tort & Insurance Practice Section; March 30, 2020.
  • Coping with COVID-19: Business & Insurance Considerations for the Virus that Made America Virtual, The Texas Lawbook; March 18, 2020.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, The Aftermath of a Data Breach: Real Stories from the Trenches. Thompson Knight, LLP; Dallas, Texas; November 13, 2019.
  • CLE Co-Author and Presenter, TK Trial Academy Preparation – Trial Basics: Introduction to Evidence and Objections. Thompson Knight, LLP; Dallas, Texas; June 5, 2019.
  • Keynote Speaker, The Path of Excellence, Texas A&M University School of Law Black Law Students Association Scholarships & Awards Banquet. Fort Worth, Texas; April 6, 2019.
  • CLE Author and Moderator, Inside, Looking Out: Practical Tips from Corporate Counsel, State Bar of Texas African American Lawyers Section 4th Annual Summit and Awards. Dallas, Texas; March 30, 2019.
  • CLE Author and Moderator, Pre-Trial Discovery: What, How & Why?, State Bar of Texas African American Lawyers Section, 4th Annual Summit and Awards. Dallas, Texas; March 30, 2019.
  • CLE Facilitator, African American Attorneys in Dallas, with Dr. Darwin Payne, Southern Methodist University Professor Emeritus of Communication and author of “Quest for Justice: Louis A. Bedford, Jr. and the Struggle for Equal Rights in Texas”, co-sponsored by the J. L. Turner Legal Association, Dallas Bar Association Minority Participation Committee, and Dallas Bar Association Public Forum Committee. Dallas, Texas; February 20, 2019.
  • African-American Attorneys in Dallas: A Brief History of Time. Dallas Bar Association Headnotes; February 2019.
  • CLE Facilitator, A Conversation with Rusty Hardin, Dallas Bar Association Business Litigation Section. Dallas, Texas; December 11, 2018.
  • CLE Co-Presenter, The First 72 Hours: What Companies Wish They Had Done Before, During, and After Discovery of a Data Breach, Thompson Knight, LLP, at BDO 2018 Year End Update. Dallas, Texas; December 6, 2018.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Cybersecurity: Breach Preparation, Breach Response, and the Law, Thompson Knight, LLP, at Dean Foods. Dallas, Texas; October 11, 2018.
  • CLE Author and Presenter, Registrants, Rogues, Laches & Interlopers: Policing Marks During National Night Out, Thompson Knight Intellectual Property Section. Dallas, Texas; October 2, 2018.
  • Hindsight Is Not Wisdom: Timeliness of SEC Cyber Disclosures, Thompson Knight Cybersecurity Blog. September 24, 2018.
  • Whose Material Is This? Objective Subjectivity in SEC Cyber Disclosures, Thompson Knight Cybersecurity Blog. August 24, 2018.
  • Keynote Speaker, Implicit Bias and the Law, Texas Tech School of Law First Year Orientation in conjunction with COFFEE. Lubbock, Texas; August 15, 2018.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, TK Trial Academy Preparation – Evidence, Thompson Knight, LLP. Dallas, Texas; June 21, 2018.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Anti-SLAPP Motions (CPRC 27) & Motions to Dismiss Baseless Causes of Action (91a), State Bar of Texas African American Law Section 3rd Annual Summit. Dallas, Texas; April 28, 2018.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Cross-Generational Advocacy Techniques: The Art and Science of Persuasion, Thompson Knight, LLP. Dallas, Texas; March 21, 2018.
  • CLE Author and Presenter, Insurance Essentials for Business Litigators, Dallas Bar Association Business Litigation Section. Dallas, Texas; February 13, 2018.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Cybersecurity: Vendor Management, Breach Response and the Law, Thompson Knight, LLP, at Ericsson. Plano, Texas; January 23, 2018.
  • CLE Co-Presenter, The Business of Law, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Leadership Class. Dallas, Texas; January 11, 2018.
  • CLE Author and Co-Presenter, Don’t Worry, It’s Personal: An Analysis of Personal Lines Insurance Coverage, Dallas Bar Association Tort & Insurance Practice Section. Dallas, Texas; December 5, 2017.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Cybersecurity: Risk Management, Insurance, and the Law, Thompson Knight, LLP, at Valero. San Antonio, Texas; November 13, 2017.
  • CLE Facilitator, A Fireside Chat with Rusty Hardin, Dallas Bar Association Bench Bar Conference. Horseshoe Bay, Texas; October 6, 2017.
  • CLE Co-Presenter, Evidentiary Issues at Trial and Their Impact on In House Counsel, Association of Corporate Counsel GC Netweavers, at Thompson Knight, LLP. Dallas, Texas; June 7, 2017.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Representing the Corporate Client: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You, State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting, African American Lawyers Section. San Antonio, Texas; June 18, 2015.
  • CLE Co-Presenter, E-Discovery, State Bar of Texas State Bar College 15th Annual Summer School. Galveston, Texas; July 18, 2013.
  • CLE Author and Presenter, What Civil Litigators Need To Know About Insurance To Avoid Malpractice, State Bar of Texas 35th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course. Dallas, Texas; August 23, 2012.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Independent Counsel, What If You Are Wrong?, State Bar of Texas 9th Annual Advanced Insurance Law Course. Dallas, Texas; April 12, 2012.
  • Winners, Losers & Stowers, Dallas Bar Association Headnotes. November 2011.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, Hot Insurance Discovery Issues, State Bar of Texas Insurance Law Course. Dallas, Texas; March 27, 2008.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, The Policyholder’s Perspective On The Right To Independent Counsel, Dallas Bar Association Tort & Insurance Practice Section. Dallas, Texas; 2007.
  • A Policyholder’s Right To Independent Counsel, Dallas Bar Association Headnotes. October 2006.
  • CLE Co-Author and Co-Presenter, What Every Lawyer Need To Know About Insurance Law, State Bar of Texas 29th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course. Dallas, Texas; August 31, 2006.
  • Presenter, Transatlantic Relations in the Age of Terrorism, Texas Tech University School of Law. Lubbock, Texas; April 2004.
  • CLE Presenter, The Stowers Doctrine, Farmers Insurance Group Seminar. Dallas, Texas; September 2000.
  • Participant, Texas Aggie Bar Association 1st Annual Conference. College Station, Texas; March 31, 2000

Recognitions and Awards

  • Boy Scout (1980)
  • Prairie View A&M University Band Camp – Most Outstanding Percussionist (1982)
  • Texas State UIL Solo & Ensemble Competition – Percussion (1983)
  • Episcopal Diocese of Texas – Lay Minister (1984)
  • Episcopal Young Churchmen – President (1985)
  • Waller High School – Most Valuable Player – Tennis (1985)
  • FINA Academic All-American Finalist (Football) (1986)
  • Waller High School Citizenship Award (1986)
  • Waller High School Salutatorian (1986)
  • National Merit Commended Student (1986)
  • Texas A&M University Presidential Achievement Award (1986-1990)
  • Texas A&M University Association of Former Students “Buck Weirus Spirit Award” (1987)
  • Texas A&M University Distinguished Student Award (1990)
  • Who’s Who Among Texas A&M Greeks (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.) (1990)
  • Texas Tech University School of Law MLK Justice Award – Runner-Up (1994)
  • Texas District & County Attorneys Association “Top Gun” Trial Academy (March, 1996)
  • Farmers Insurance Group Trial Academy (July, 1999)
  • Farmers Insurance Group “Trial Horse of the Year” (1999) (2000)
  • Zurich North America Trial Academy (July, 2003)
  • JLTLA President’s Award (2003)
  • DBA JoAnna Moreland Outstanding Committee Award (Minority Participation Committee, 2004)
  • Texas Rising Stars® by Thomson Reuters (2005-2007)
  • DBA Outstanding Minority Attorney Award (2006)
  • Outstanding Alumnus, Texas Tech University School of Law Black Law Students Association (2007)
  • Eight Most Dynamic Lawyers in Dallas, by Eclipse Magazine (2008)
  • Texas Super Lawyers® by Thomson Reuters (2008-2020)
  • JLTLA Sam A. Lindsay Mentor Award (2009)
  • Super Lawyers® Business Edition by Thomson Reuters (2010, 2012)
  • Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas Pro Bono Appreciation Award (2012)
  • Top-Five Commercial Litigators in Texas, The Go-To Guide, Texas Lawyer (2012)
  • State Bar of Texas African-American Lawyers Section – Trailblazer Award (2014)
  • First Tier Ranking, Commercial Litigation, US News – Best Lawyers, Best Law Firms (2019)
  • D Magazine “Best Lawyers in Dallas” (2019, 2020)

Credentials

Texas Tech University School of Law 

Lubbock, TX

J.D., 1994


Texas A&M University  

College Station, TX

B.A. Science, Political Science (Minors in Economics and History)  1990

Admissions

  • State Bar of Texas (1994)
  • United States District Courts of Texas: Northern (2000), Eastern (2005), Western (2006), Southern (2012)
  • United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern (2000) and Southern (2012) Districts of Texas