Denise Scofield

Partner

Denise Scofield is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Litigation Practice. Ms. Scofield focuses her practice on the defense of product liability and toxic tort lawsuits, as well as complex commercial litigation.

In her tort practice, Ms. Scofield defends product manufacturers and premises owners in actions brought by employees and third parties for personal injuries and property damage. Many of her cases have involved hundreds of plaintiffs. Ms. Scofield has worked extensively with companies in the chemical, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, railroad, and beverage industries and has served as a national and regional counsel in connection with the defense of mass tort claims. Additionally, she has experience investigating incidents giving rise to potential liabilities on an urgent and non-urgent basis.

In her commercial practice, she has represented Fortune 100 corporations as plaintiffs and defendants in complex business disputes. Those disputes have included securities matters, breach of contract cases, royalty disputes, tortious interference situations, and consumer class actions in both state and federal court and in arbitration proceedings. Ms. Scofield also has served in an in-house role at a major oil and gas corporation in order to assist with the integration of significant litigation assumed in a large merger.

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Ms. Scofield was a partner at a Houston-based litigation boutique.

In 2008, Texas Monthly magazine again named Ms. Scofield as a "Super Lawyer" in the area of business litigation, and, in 2007, H Texas magazine identified her as one of Houston's "Top Lawyers." In 2006, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Emerging Leadership from Southern Methodist University. In 2003, Ms. Scofield received the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas Award and the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Houston Award. Additionally, the Texas Jaycees and the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce selected her as one of 2004's Five Outstanding Young Texans and Houstonians, respectively.

Ms. Scofield currently serves as secretary of the Houston Bar Association and a director of Lone Star Legal Aid, an organization devoted to providing pro bono legal services to low-income Texans. Ms. Scofield is frequently invited to speak at continuing legal education programs regarding discovery and evidence issues, and was the course director of the 2007 State Bar of Texas Advanced Civil Trial Course.

Ms. Scofield received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1992. She received her B.A. from Vanderbilt University in 1989, where she received one of the five Founders Medals of Honor. Ms. Scofield is admitted to practice in Texas and before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas.