For more than half a century, Naman Howell Smith & Lee has recognized the growing need for lawyers who concentrate on appellate practice. Our appellate section was first organized in the 1950s by Jack Pew, Jr., who limited his practice to appellate matters. Mr. Pew continues to practice with the firm and has been the attorney of record in more than 200 published opinions. Today, experienced appellate lawyers are found in each Naman Howell Smith & Lee office. Our appellate lawyers frequently prosecute appeals in the Supreme Court of Texas and each of the State's fourteen appellate courts. Our appellate lawyers also regularly practice before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, other Circuits, and the United States Supreme Court. We also appear in state appellate courts from California to New York to Florida.

Many of our attorneys served as federal appellate and district court law clerks. Others gained experience as state appellate clerks and briefing attorneys. Our lawyers are members of the State Bar's Appellate Practice Section as well as the Dallas and Houston Bar Appellate Sections. One of our attorneys is the Chairman of the Texas Supreme Court Rules Advisory Committee, which advises The Texas Supreme Court on proposed rules of appellate and trial procedure.

In addition to appeals of judgments and orders, Naman Howell Smith & Lee's appellate lawyers routinely handle:

SIGNIFICANT PRETRIAL MOTIONS
Our appellate lawyers are often called upon to plan, research, draft, review, and argue critical pretrial motions, such as motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, and motions related to expert testimony. We also regularly assist our trial attorneys at trial in preparing motions for instructed verdict and motions for judgment as a matter of law.

CHARGE PREPARATION
Our appellate lawyers prepare favorable jury charges for our clients and routinely handle charge conferences in the trial court to ensure that a proper trial record is preserved for appeal.

POST-VERDICT PROCEEDINGS
After the jury's verdict is announced, our appellate lawyers review the record, analyze the issues, and prepare and argue appropriate motions and briefs, including motions for judgment, motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, and motions for new trial. We also litigate the suspension of the enforcement of judgments.

ORIGINAL PROCEEDINGS AND AMICUS BRIEFS
Our appellate lawyers are frequently called upon to resist or initiate original proceedings, including petitions for writs of mandamus, prohibition, injunction, and habeas corpus. For decades, Naman Howell Smith & Lee attorneys have filed amicus briefs to assist federal and state appellate courts on important issues of substantive or procedural law, frequently on behalf of interested clients.

RECENTLY REPORTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Our appellate practice often involves high profile matters as well as important issues of public policy and substantive law. The following cases are representative of some of the appellate results our attorneys have obtained for clients in recent years.