E. Leon Carter

Principal

E. Leon Carter

Principal

Biography

E. Leon Carter is a principal of Carter Arnett Stahl + Cho Hernandez. Leon was recognized as the Dallas Bar Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year. Leon has over 25 years of trial and litigation experience working with an impressive client list. Leon is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers, the Litigation Counsel of America, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. Leon has been named by the Dallas Business Journal to “The Defenders – One of the Top 15 Business-Defense Lawyers in the DFW Metroplex in 2019.” Since 2007, Leon has been selected as one of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America. Since 2010, Leon has been selected for inclusion in Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers® Top 100 Lawyers in Texas.

Leon has served as a Dallas County Assistant District Attorney and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas. He has also served as an adjunct professor at The University of Texas at Arlington and SMU’s Dedman School of Law. He has provided legal analysis for Court TV, a CBS affiliate and a FOX affiliate.

After serving as Assistant District Attorney, Leon joined the law firm of Jackson Walker, L.L.P. where he became an equity partner in the litigation section. His experience includes representing plaintiffs and defendants in the areas of commercial litigation, products liability, patent litigation, First Amendment, labor and employment, and redistricting. He has appeared in a variety of state and federal courts and has tried more than 100 civil and criminal cases to a jury.

Recently, Leon was selected by Thomson Reuters “Super Lawyers as one of the Top 10 lawyers in Texas”.

Education

Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas, 1986
Juris Doctor

East Texas Baptist University, Marshall, Texas, 1980
B.A., History & Pre-law

Admissions

Texas
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas 1987
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

Honors & Distinction

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
- State Committee Member, 2011-2016, 2019-present
- National Trial Competition Committee, 2009-2016
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Fellow, International Society of Barristers
Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
Associate, American Board of Trial Advocates
- Executive Committee, 2002, 2016, 2018-present
National Association of Distinguished Counsel
Chambers USA, Ranked in Litigation, 2009-2026
100 Managing Partners You Need to Know, Lawdragon, 2026
500 Leading Global Antitrust & Competition Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2026
500 Leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon, Litigation Defense, 2025-2026
Texas Super Lawyers, 2007-2026
- Top 100 in Texas, 2010-2015, 2017-2026
- Top 100 in Dallas/Fort Worth, 2010-2015, 2017-2026
- Top 10 in Texas, 2022-2023
Best Lawyers in America, 2012-2026
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- First Amendment Litigation
- Labor & Employment Litigation
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Patent Litigation
Lawyer of the Year in DFW, Best Lawyers in America, 2026
Lawyer of the Year for First Amendment Litigation, Best Lawyers in America, 2017
Top 15 Business Defense Lawyers in the DFW Metroplex, Dallas Business Journal, 2007
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent™ (5.0 out of 5) Peer Review Rating
Director of the Dallas Bar Association, 2008-2010
Member of the Committee for a Qualified Judiciary, 2009-2015
Martin Luther King Jr. Justice Award, Dallas Bar Association, 2011
Trial Lawyer of the Year, Dallas Bar Association, 2019
- Watch What Opposing Counsel Said About Him
Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2009-2018, 2020-2025

Professional Associations & Community Involvement

Judge T. John Ward Inn of Court, Charter Member
Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn IP Inn of Court, Charter Member and Master
State Bar of Texas
- Director, 2014-2017
- Executive Committee – Litigation Council, 2005-2011
Texas Appleseed, Board of Directors, 2015-2018
Judge Patrick E. Higginbotham Inn of Court, Past Member
Dallas Bar Association
- Judiciary Committee, Past Co-Chair
Dallas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Past Chair
Collin County Bar Association, Member
Harrison County Bar Association, Member
Camp John Marc, Past Board Member
Vickery Meadows Learning Center, Past Board Member
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Past Board Member
Leadership Dallas, Class 2000
Martin Luther King Center, Past Chairman of the Board
Volunteer Center of Dallas County, Past Board Member
Dallas Subcommittee of the Unauthorized Practice of Law, Past Board Member
Intensive Trial Advocacy Course, Visiting Faculty, Notre Dame Law School, South Bend,
- Indiana 2009-2014, 2016, 2018
Distinguished Alumnus of ETBU, 2010
Hall of Fame Inductee of Carthage High School, 2010

Published Works & Speaking Engagements

“Opening Statements and Closing Arguments without Violating the Golden Rule,”
- Moderator, Trial Skills Training Camp, UT CLE, May 2014
“Top Ten Issues in Intellectual Property Law,” State Bar of Texas Business Torts Institute, 2012
“Top Ten IP Issues,” Dallas Bar Association, 2012
“Legal Action on the Go: The Patent Rocket Docket,” SmartBusiness Dallas, June 2007
“How to Select a Jury for a Corporate Client: Overcoming Jury Bias”
“Discovery About Experts Under the New Rules”
“Discovery Regarding Expert Witnesses”
“Expert Testimony in Texas Courts”
“Government Authorities Use of Subpoenaing to Obtain Financial Records: How Far Can They Go?”
“Preparing a Client (or Witness) for Deposition”
“How to Offer and Exclude Evidence – Evidence Tampering and Destruction”