Enter legal issue and location
Galveston Design and Construction Defect Litigation and Arbitration Lawyer
Overview
Scott has retired from active litigation, and taken a position as "Of Counsel" to the firm. Scott remains in San Antonio but is most easily reached through the Firm's office in Galveston or email. He continues to assist clients with contract negotiations, and is available for mediations and arbitration as he winds down his litigation practice.
Scott has been a litigator, mediator, arbitrator, and contract negotiator...
Scott has retired from active litigation, and taken a position as "Of Counsel" to the firm. Scott remains in San Antonio but is most easily reached through the Firm's office in Galveston or email. He continues to assist clients with contract negotiations, and is available for mediations and arbitration as he winds down his litigation practice.
Scott has been a litigator, mediator, arbitrator, and contract negotiator...
Scott has retired from active litigation, and taken a position as "Of Counsel" to the firm. Scott remains in San Antonio but is most easily reached through the Firm's office in Galveston or email. He continues to assist clients with contract negotiations, and is available for mediations and arbitration as he winds down his litigation practice.
Scott has been a litigator, mediator, arbitrator, and contract negotiator. A trial attorney who defended architects, engineers, contractors, land surveyors, real estate brokers, and other professionals throughout the South and Central Texas area during his career, his practice in retirement is focused reviewing and advising design professionals on their design and construction contracts. He has been a frequent speaker at Risk Management Seminars, and teaches the contracts portion of the Professional Practice Leadership Program sponsored by AIA San Antonio. Scott was trained in mediation at the A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center at the University of Houston in 2007. He was formerly Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law since 1990 and Civil Trial Law since 1991. He is a past chair of the San Antonio Bar Association Construction Law Section, having served on the Board from 2007 through 2012.
Scott is a native Texan (Grapevine) who has been married to Barbara Tomlin Lyford since September 1966. His interests include travel, home repair, guitar, motorcycles, and gardening. He started his practice in Austin in 1975, and served as an Assistant District Attorney in Travis County from 1979 to 1983. From 1983 to 1985 he was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas. In 1985 he moved to Galveston where he was responsible for the litigation for Galveston County from 1985 until 1993, when he joined Mills Shirley. He opened the San Antonio office of Mills Shirley in 2005.
Scott was the trial attorney for the architect in a recent Texas case addressing the duty owed by an architect under the standard form AIA language addressing contract administration duties, Black & Vernooy Architects v. Smith, 346 S.W.3d 877 (Tex. App.-Austin 2011, pet. denied). Other representative appellate cases include Callahan & Associates v. Orangefield Independent School District, 92 S.W.3d 841 (Tex. 2002), and Payne v. City of Galveston, 772 S.W.2d 473 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1989, writ denied).
In 2015 Scott became an Honorary Member of the Texas Society of Architects. He was nominated by the San Antonio Chapter of the AIA for his longtime work with and support of architects.
About Scott Lyford
Practice Areas
- Design and Construction Defect Litigation and Arbitration
- Architect and Engineer Defense and Disciplinary Proceedings
- Litigation and Appeals
- Appellate Law
- Insurance Defense
- Professional Malpractice
- Mediation and Arbitration
Current Employment Position(s)
- Of Counsel
Year Joined Firm
- 2005
Languages
- Spanish
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1975
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit
- U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
Specialties and Certifications
- Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1990-2015
- Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1991-2015
Other Affiliations
- Texas Society of Architects, - 2015 (Honorary Member)
Education
- The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas, 1975
J.D. - University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1968
B.A.
Past Positions
- Austin, Texas, Private Practice, 1976 - 1979
- Travis County District Attorney's Office, Assistant District Attorney, 1979 - 1983
- State of Texas, Assistant Attorney General, 1983 - 1985
- Galveston County Legal Department, Chief of Litigation, 1985 - 1993
Classes and Seminars
- Contracts - Professional Practice Leadership Program sponsored by AIA San Antonio, 2005 - 2013
- Learning from History: Case Studies - Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention 2012
- Contracts A to Z - McLaughlin Brunson Risk Management Seminar, Dallas and Fort Worth, 2012
- Balancing Perspectives: Getting to Win-Win With Your Contracts - Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention 2011
- The Engineer as Witness - Halfmoon Seminars - January 2011
- Insurance Basics - Halfmoon Serminars - January 2011
- The Purpose of Understanding Legal Issues That Affect Your Practice - Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention 2010
- Contract Language - USI 2010 - September 2010
- The Power of Words-Understanding Your Contract - Texas Society of Professional Engineers Annual Convention 2010
- The Power of Words-Understanding Your Contract - Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention 2009
- Professional Malpractice Claims - Halfmoon Seminars - January 2009
- Evolving Concepts in Loss Prevention - USI - September 2009
- Evolving Concepts in Loss Prevention - Thinking Outside (and Inside) the Box - Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention 2008
- Construction Defect Litigation - Halfmoon Seminars June 2008
- Health, Safety and Welfare Issues for Texas Architects - Halfmoon Seminars - May 2007
- Democracy at Work: You've Been Sued - What Next? - Texas Society of Architects Annual Convention 2007
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About Scott Lyford
Honors
- Texas Super Lawyer, Construction Litigation, 2013-2020
- 2014 list of Texas’ Top Rated Lawyers
- 2015 list of Texas' Top Rated Lawyers
Office Information
Address
2200 Market StSte 300 Galveston, TX 77550
Phone
Fax
- 866-674-7808
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Publication
Representative Cases
- Callahan & Associates v. Orangefield Independent School District, 92 S.W.3d 841 (Tex. 2002)
- Black & Vernooy Architects v. Smith, 346 S.W.3d 877 (Tex. App.—Austin 2011, pet. denied)
- Payne v. City of Galveston, 772 S.W.2d 473 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1989, writ denied)
When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.
Write Your Review
Fields marked with an * are required
