Janet Douvas Chafin
Partner, Houston
Practice Areas
Experience
- Business Litigation
- Employee Whistleblower & Retaliation Claims
- Energy Litigation
- Financial Institution Litigation
- Labor & Employment Litigation
- Product Liability
- Real Estate Litigation
Biography
Janet Chafin provides client-centered dispute resolution as efficiently and economically as possible.
Education
B.A., with honors, Northwestern University
J.D., SMU Dedman School of Law
Bar Admissions
Texas
Colorado
Court Admissions
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas
Janet has developed many areas of focus to meet her clients’ needs in the ever-changing legal world for the more than 30 years she has been practicing. Janet’s dispute resolution/ litigation practice has encompassed a wide variety of business controversies, including:
- An array of energy/oil and gas matters
- Real estate-related disputes including title insurance matters for various title insurance companies, sellers/buyers, lenders, investors, owners, developers, and landlords, including property tax valuation disputes
- All types of banking/financial disputes
- Employment law matters, including ADA complaints, covenants not to compete, unfair competition, employee misappropriation of trade secrets/proprietary information, usurpation of corporate opportunities, employment agreement and severance agreement disputes, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and consulting with employees concerning celebrity and employee related stalking and harassment problems
- Personal injury/wrongful death defense matters including product liability, toxic tort exposure, and premises liability claims
- Construction industry disputes involving AIA contracts, architects, and engineers, errors and omissions prosecution and defense, indoor air quality claims – “sick building syndrome” and mold, and construction failure claims as well as other contract-based disputes
- Deceptive Trade Practices Act and other business-related problems
- Divorce/family law matters involving unique and/or complex business, real estate, and/or asset characterization and division disputes
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Top Lawyer, H Texas Magazine, 2007-2010
- American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Law Practice Management Section
- State Bar of Texas
- Litigation Section
- Employment Section
- Women in the Law Section
- Houston Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association – Litigation Section, Chair, 1992-1993
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Crime Stoppers of Houston, Advisory Board Member
- St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Practice Experience
Janet has developed many areas of focus to meet her clients’ needs in the ever-changing legal world for the more than 30 years she has been practicing. Janet’s dispute resolution/ litigation practice has encompassed a wide variety of business controversies, including:
- An array of energy/oil and gas matters
- Real estate-related disputes including title insurance matters for various title insurance companies, sellers/buyers, lenders, investors, owners, developers, and landlords, including property tax valuation disputes
- All types of banking/financial disputes
- Employment law matters, including ADA complaints, covenants not to compete, unfair competition, employee misappropriation of trade secrets/proprietary information, usurpation of corporate opportunities, employment agreement and severance agreement disputes, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and consulting with employees concerning celebrity and employee related stalking and harassment problems
- Personal injury/wrongful death defense matters including product liability, toxic tort exposure, and premises liability claims
- Construction industry disputes involving AIA contracts, architects, and engineers, errors and omissions prosecution and defense, indoor air quality claims – “sick building syndrome” and mold, and construction failure claims as well as other contract-based disputes
- Deceptive Trade Practices Act and other business-related problems
- Divorce/family law matters involving unique and/or complex business, real estate, and/or asset characterization and division disputes
Recognition & Accolades
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Top Lawyer, H Texas Magazine, 2007-2010
Community Involvement
- American Bar Association
- Litigation Section
- Law Practice Management Section
- State Bar of Texas
- Litigation Section
- Employment Section
- Women in the Law Section
- Houston Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association – Litigation Section, Chair, 1992-1993
- Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Crime Stoppers of Houston, Advisory Board Member
- St. Luke’s United Methodist Church