HOUSTON – Bracewell LLP appellate litigator Walter A. Simons has been named a finalist for Young Lawyer of the Year – Litigation at the 2024 American Lawyer Industry Awards, which recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions made by individuals and law firms across various practice areas and specialties. The winners will be announced at an awards gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York on November 13.
Simons, who was promoted to partner in January 2024, focuses his practice on preparing appellate briefs in traditional appeals, interlocutory appeals and mandamus proceedings. He has obtained significant victories in personal injury and commercial litigation arenas and frequently provides appellate representation in significant, standard-setting matters. Simons is recognized for achieving several recent victories that have helped shape legal precedents, including last August when he secured a significant victory in a sex-trafficking lawsuit against business software provider Salesforce. In that case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit rejected Salesforce’s argument that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shielded the company from liability for claims stemming from its relationship with the shuttered sex-trafficking website Backpage, and the court resolved several important issues of statutory interpretation regarding civil sex-trafficking claims under federal law.
In addition to his practice, Simons is an active member of the legal community. Simons has served on several different committees for the Houston Bar Association, and he serves on the Nominating Committee for the Texas Bar Foundation to identify deserving attorneys to be recognized as fellows of the Foundation.
