Jeffrey S. Levinger

Jeffrey S. Levinger has over 25 years of appellate and trial law experience.  He has handled substantial appeals for corporations, professional organizations, and individuals in state and federal appellate courts and in the United States Supreme Court.  Jeff’s practice has featured a wide range of complex legal issues, including state and federal procedure, antitrust, breach of contract, securities and common law fraud, corporate and partnership law, lender liability, bankruptcy and insolvency, oil and gas, professional malpractice, insurance, products liability, deceptive trade practices, officer and director liability, civil rights, intellectual property, misappropriation of trade secrets, wrongful termination, and employment discrimination.  In recent years, trial counsel with contingent fee interests in substantial judgments have engaged Jeff to protect their clients’ judgments on appeal.

In addition to handling appeals, Jeff frequently works on a collaborative basis with trial lawyers in cases involving significant and difficult legal issues at the trial level.  He is particularly skilled at bringing clarity out of confusion.  This entails providing critical advice that not only helps to protect a client’s interests on appeal, but also extends to providing an early analysis of legal issues that facilitates more efficient discovery and pretrial efforts.  Jeff also assists with pretrial and trial motions, develops jury charges, and handles trial briefs that deal with thorny legal and evidentiary issues.  He also has significant experience preparing and responding to writs of mandamus, handling interlocutory appeals, and providing representation in all aspects of the post-verdict process.  Jeff handles these matters for both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial and personal injury lawsuits.

Jeff is a 1979 magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, and received his JD in 1982 from the University of Virginia, where he was honored with the Order of the Coif and was a member of the editorial board of the Law Review.  After law school, Jeff clerked for the Honorable Patrick E. Higginbotham of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  Jeff is a member of the American Law Institute and a Master in the Wm. “Mac” Taylor American Inn of Court, an organization that is dedicated to fostering and promoting ethical and competent representation in an environment of civility and respect.  He is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a former Chairman of the Civil Appellate Law Advisory Commission for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  Jeff currently chairs the State Bar of Texas Committee on Pattern Jury Charges (Malpractice, Premises, Products), is a former Council Member of the Appellate Section of the State Bar, and is the former Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Appellate Law Section.  He is admitted to practice in the Texas Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Sixth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.  Before establishing Hankinson Levinger LLP, Jeff was a partner at Carrington Coleman Sloman and Blumenthal, L.L.P, where he headed the firm’s appellate practice group.

Jeff is board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.