David W. Elrod

David Elrod is a partner in the firm of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP and represents clients in all aspects of business and commercial litigation, including trials, arbitrations and appeals. He has been a trial attorney for more than 40 years and has defended large and small claims against businesses in courts across the nation.

Mr. Elrod has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients through verdicts and settlements and this exceptional success—including being one of the few attorneys in Texas to defend a company by trying a civil RICO case to verdict—has earned him numerous distinctions. He also was lead defense counsel in personal injury and property damage class actions arising out of arsenic contamination of the soil and water in a small town in east Texas and lead defense counsel in a $1 billion product defect action involving water pipes.

Both cases were resolved very successfully for his clients. David also successfully prosecuted as lead counsel a very interesting case in west Texas arising out a controlled burn that damaged 60,000 acres of a neighboring ranch, which involved unique damage issues relating to the intrinsic value of pristine ranch land not used for grazing.

David also has extensive experience with litigating cases in bankruptcy, including representing trustees and debtors in actions against officers and directors, prosecuting objections to plan confirmation, creditor claims and fraudulent transfers.

In addition, David and his trial team have developed extensive litigation and trial experience in the prosecution and defense of claims relating to almost every aspect of the energy industry, resulting in a highly regarded energy litigation practice. As lead counsel, he has handled extremely technical and complex legal issues in different jurisdictions around the country.

Named to the Best Lawyers in America in 2018-2024, Elrod also has been recognized among the Texas Super Lawyers since its inception in 2003, was named one of only fifteen ”Defenders“ by the Dallas Business Journal in 2008, and has been recognized by peers in D Magazine as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas for 2011, 2017 and 2018. Mr. Elrod is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor accorded to less than one percent of attorneys licensed to practice in any jurisdiction.

Practice Areas

• Energy Litigation
• Commercial Litigation
• Bankruptcy and Restructuring Litigation
• Fiduciary Litigation