Daniel Charest

Professional Memberships

Admissions: Admitted to practice in Texas, Virginia, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Maine, as well as several federal district courts and courts of appeal, including all Texas federal courts.

Committee Member, Pattern Jury Charges – Oil and Gas Committee, State Bar of Texas (2019-2021); Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America (since 2020); Fellow, American Bar Foundation (since 2020); Member, Trial Law Institute - Litigation Counsel of America (2022); Member, Diversity Law Institute - Litigation Counsel of America (2022); “Attorney of the Year” by Texas Lawyer (2020)

Personal

Daniel Charest of Burns Charest LLP is recognized among the nation’s top litigators by building an impressive record of accomplishments. In 2020, Mr. Charest was honored as “Attorney of the Year” by Texas Lawyer and named among a select group of “Winning Litigators” by the National Law Journal for his high-profile trial wins and significant settlements. Mr. Charest has reinforced his distinction by earning jury verdicts of $30,718,873 in Dallas County for a fraud claim and $41,000,000 in Denver District Court for an oil and gas matter.

Mr. Charest currently serves as lead trial attorney for Upstream Plaintiffs before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims asserting claims against the federal governmental for flooding that devastated homes and businesses during Hurricane Harvey. Described as the largest takings claim in U.S. history, the ruling will allow more than 10,000 Houston-area property owners to recover compensation. In 2022, Mr. Charest led the trial team that won a just compensation trial for bellwether plaintiffs. The case is currently pending appeal in the U.S. Federal Circuit.

In addition, other recent successful efforts in litigation led to Facebook changing its practices in the training and care of content moderators, securing a $52 million settlement that included injunctive relief and funding for medical needs for the multi-state class.

Further, Mr. Charest leads a trial team that won the right to payment of California minimum wages on behalf of a class of detained immigrants housed in detention.

And, as a part of Mr. Charest’s highly regarded practice in the energy field, his team won a significant arbitration ruling that secured deep-water drilling rights off the coast of Africa for his client.

Through his work on these and other matters, and the track record of courtroom victories, Daniel Charest is cementing his reputation as a litigator who fights—and wins—for his clients.

Work Highlights

Representative Cases:

Daniel’s experience spans federal and state courts throughout the country, coast to coast, and his international arbitrations span the globe. Extraordinary harm warrants extraordinary relief.

Devillier v. Texas, 601 U.S. 285, 144 S. Ct. 938 (2024);

Boynes v. Limetree Bay Ventures LLC, 110 F.4th 604 (3d Cir. 2024);

Jerry “Scott” Stockton v. Sun Holdings, Inc., et al., No. CC-19-02768-D (County Court at Law No. 4, Dallas County, Texas);

GT Resources, LLC v. Black Hills Corporation, No. 2020CV30751, In the District Court for Denver County;

In re Upstream Addicks and Barker (Texas) Flood-Control Reservoirs, Sub-Master Docket No. 17-cv-9001L (Fed. Cl.);

Shirley, et al v. Limetree Bay Ventures, LLC et al., No. 1:21-cv-00259-WAL-EAH (D.V.I.);

Kosmos Energy Sao Tome and Principe v. ERHC Energy, Inc., No. 201771987 (157th District Court, Harris County, Texas), and Kosmos Energy Sao Tome and Principe v. ERHC Energy (BVI), LTD, No. 23177/TO (ICC International Court of Arbitration);

Scola v. Facebook Inc. and Pro Unlimited Inc., No. 18-CIV05135 (Superior Court, San Mateo County, California);

In re LTL Management, LLC, No. 21-30589-MBK (D.N.J. Bankr.);

Kay Brooke-Willbanks v. Flatland Mineral Fund, LP, et al. and Intervenor Expedition Royalty Company, LLC, No. 53258-A (118th District Court, Howard County, Texas);

Doe v. YouTube, Inc., No. 4:20-cv-07493-YGR (N.D. Cal);

Whitton Petroleum Services Ltd. v. Tavakoli, Plan Administrator (In re: Cobalt Int’l Energy, Inc.), No. 17-36709(MI), Adv. No. 18-03172 (S.D. Tex. Bankr.);

Devillier v. The State of Texas, No. 3:20-cv-00223 (S.D. Tex.);

Novoa, et al. v. The GEO Group, Inc., No. 5:17-cv-02514 (C.D. Cal.);

In re Chesapeake Barnett Royalty Litigation #2, MDL No. 48-000000-15 (48th District Court, Tarrant County, Texas);

Education

Awards