S. Anthony Safi

Princeton University

University of Texas at Austin, B.A.

University of Texas, J.D. with high honors

- Chancellors

- Texas Law Review, Research editor

- Order of the Coif

Board Certified, Civil Appellate Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Recipient of the "Kelly Frels Lifetime Achievement Award” from the School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. The only El Pasoan ever to have received this recognition.

Named a Texas Super Lawyer® by Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Law & Politics and Texas Monthly, 2003-2022.

Listed in the Top 50 Super Lawyers® in the Central and West Texas Region, regardless of practice area, by Thomson Reuters, as published in Texas Law & Politics and Texas Monthly, 2010, 2013.

Listed in the Best Lawyers in America,® by Woodward White, Inc., 2009-22.

Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™: AV Preeminent® (signifying "the highest level of professional excellence).

Recognized as "Outstanding Senior Lawyer" by El Paso Young Lawyers' Association, 2014.

Member, State Bar of Texas, El Paso Bar Association.

Member, Council of School Attorneys, Texas Association of School Boards ("TASB")

Member, School Law Section, State Bar of Texas; Newsletter Editorial Review Board, 2000-04; Member, Executive Council, 2006 - ; Treasurer, 2009-10; Vice-Chair, 2010-11; Chair-Elect, 2011-12; Chair, 2012-13; Immediate Past Chair, 2013-14.

Chair of the Planning Committee and Presiding Officer, University of Texas School of Law, 28th and 29th Annual School Law Conferences, 2013-14.

Member, Executive Committee, TASB Council of School Attorneys, 1998-2003; Second Vice Chair, 2000-01; First Vice Chair, 2001-02; Chair, 2002-03

Member, TASB Legal Assistance Fund Board of Trustees, 2001-03

Member, Governing Council, State Bar of Texas Antitrust & Business Litigation Section, 1990 - 1996.

Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation.

Fellow, El Paso Bar Foundation.

Member, Texas Association of Defense Counsel.

Selected Qualified Immunity Issues, 2022 COSA School Law Seminar, San Diego, California, April 2, 2022

The Crossroads: Section 504, the ADA, and Chapter 21, University of Texas School of Law 34^th Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, February 28, 2019.

What Happens in Vegas? – or, Whither Immorality? University of Texas School of Law 33^rd Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, February 22, 2018.

The State of the Second Amendment, Texas Tech University School of Law Spring Continuing Legal Education Conference, El Paso, Texas, March 18, 2016.

Procurement and Purchasing: Recent Developments in State and Federal Laws and Regulations, University of Texas School of Law 31st Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, February 26, 2016

20 Years After Leeper - Current Legal Issues in Home Schooling, University of Texas School of Law 30th Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, February 20, 2015.

Procurement and Purchasing: Loopholes and Brain-Teasers, University of Texas School of Law 25^th Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, February 19, 2010

Keeping Out of Trouble While Keeping Students Safe: Selected Liability and Immunity Issues, University of Texas School of Law 24^th Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, February 27, 2009.

Selected Liability and Immunity Issues in the School Safety Context, Texas Association of School Boards Legal Issues in School Safety Conference, Austin, Texas, January 25, 2009.

What is Legal Advice and How Privileged Is It?, Texas Council of School Attorneys Education Law Conference, Dallas, Texas, September 30, 2007.

Recent Developments Under the Open Meetings and Public Information Acts, University of Texas School of Law 21^st Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, March 3, 2006.

More than an Apple for the Teacher: Congress and Texas Legislature Limit Educators’ Liability, Texas Lawyer (Vol. 20, No. 33, p. 20, October 18, 2004).

The Changing Landscape of the Attorney-Client Relationship: What is the Impact of the Attorney General’s Open Records Decisions Nos. 676 and 677?, 17^th Annual State Bar of Texas School Law Section Retreat, Galveston, Texas, July 19, 2003, reprinted in the Winter 2004 edition (Vol. 6, No. 1) of the State Bar of Texas School Law Section Newsletter.

Worker’s Compensation Retaliatory Discharge and Related Issues, El Paso Bar Association 5^th Annual Civil Trial Seminar, El Paso, Texas, February 2, 2001.

Disciplinary Action/Regular Education Students – Selected Topics, Professional Development Network School Law in Texas Seminar, El Paso, Texas, January 26, 2001.

More Workers’ Compensation Issues – Leave Coordination and Retaliation Charges, TASB CSA Education Law Conference, Houston, Texas, September 24, 2000.

What Every School Lawyer Needs to Know About the Fair Labor Standards Act, State Bar of Texas School Law Section Seminar, San Antonio, Texas, July 14, 2000.

Procurement of Professional Services for Construction Projects by Texas Public Entities, Lorman Education Services Seminar on Construction Contracting with Public Entities in Texas, El Paso, Texas, April 27, 2000.

The Fair Labor Standards Act – Do You Understand It?, TASB Council of School Attorneys Education Law Update, Austin, Texas, January 24, 2000.

Update on the Open Meetings and Public Information Laws, TASB Council of School Attorneys, Education Law Seminar, Houston, Texas, October 8, 1999.

Home Instruction: Public Schools v. The Fundamentalists, National School Boards Association, Council of School Attorneys, 1987 School Law in Review.

Representative Appellate Cases:

Guillen-Chavez v. ReadyOne Indus., Inc., 588 S.W.3d 281 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2019, pet. filed) (arbitration appeal);

Encore Enters., Inc. v. Borderplex Realty Trust, 583 S.W.3d 713 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2019, no pet.) (successful appellate defense of anti-suit injunction);

El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist. v. McIntyre, 584 S.W.3d 185 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2018, no pet.) (successful appeal based on mootness and governmental immunity to injunctive and declaratory relief);

Encore Enterprises, Inc. v. Borderplex Realty Trust, 581 S.W.3d 347 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2018, no pet.) (affirmance of order denying arbitration in failed complex business transaction);

Painter v. Amerimex Drilling I, Ltd., 561 S.W.3d 125 (Tex. 2018) (employer vicarious liability for employee tort);

ReadyOne Indus., Inc. v. Lopez, 551 S.W.3d 305 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2018, pet. denied), cert. denied, 139 S. Ct. 1304 (2019) (reversing lower court denial of motion to compel arbitration);

Housing Auth. of the City of El Paso v. Beltran Electr. Contractors, Inc., 550 S.W.3d 707 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2018, pet. denied) (affirmance of order striking expert witness);

City of Dallas v. Sabine River Auth. of Tex., No. 03-15-00371-CV, 2017 WL 2536882 (Tex. App. – Austin 2017, no pet.) (declaratory judgment case regarding wholesale water rates);

Ordonez v. Abraham, 545 S.W.3d 655 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2017, no pet.) (fiduciary dispute regarding wrongful death settlement);

Whitney v. El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist., 545 S.W.3d 150 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2017, no pet.) (successful defense of Whistleblower Act case);

Clear Creek Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Cotton Commercial USA, Inc., 529 S.W.3d 569 (Tex. App. – Houston [14^th Dist.] 2017, pet. denied) (amicus curiae brief on behalf of school district);

Duarte v. Mayamax Rehab. Servs., 527 S.W.3d 249 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2016, pet. denied) (petition for review);

El Paso Cty. v. Sunlight Enter. Co., 504 S.W.3d 922 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2016, no pet.) (amicus brief on behalf of prevailing appellant in construction contract case);

Serrano v. City Bank, 535 S.W.3d 889, 511 S.W.3d 832 (Tex. App. – El Paso Aug. 25 & Oct. 27, 2016, no pet.) (successful defense of vexatious litigant appeal);

McIntyre v. El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist., 499 S.W.3d 820 (Tex. 2016) (appeal of denials of motions for summary judgment in declaratory judgment and Section 1983 case);

City of Dallas v. Abney, No. 09-16-00038-CV, 2016 WL 3197591 (mem. op.) (Tex. App. - Beaumont 2016, no pet.) (venue appeal);

Blair v. Atlantic Industrial, Inc., 482 S.W.3d 57 (Tex. 2016) (per curiam) (response to petition for review in respondeat superior tort case);

Taylor v. Margo, 508 S.W.3d 12 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2015, pet. denied), cert. denied, 137 S. Ct. 391 (2016) (successful defense of election-related case);

In re ReadyOne Industries, Inc., 463 S.W.3d 623 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2015) (petition for writ of mandamus);

Little Pencil, L.L.C. v. Lubbock Independent School District, 616 Fed. Appx. 180, 2015 WL 5601316 (5^th Cir. 2015) (per curiam) (amicus brief on behalf of prevailing party in Section 1983 First and Fourteenth Amendment case);

Fred Loya Ins. Agency v. Cohen, 446 S.W.3d 913 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2014, pet. denied) (petitions for review in contract/fiduciary case);

Texas Comptroller of Pub. Accounts v. Attorney Gen. of Texas, 354 S.W.3d 336 (Tex. 2010) (submission of amicus brief in landmark privacy case establishing confidentiality of dates of birth of state employees);

El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Alspini., 315 S.W.3d 144, 258 Ed. Law Rep. 900 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2010, no pet.) (successful defense of school district and two District employees in employment discrimination claim);

Crook v. El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist., 277 Fed. Appx. 477, 103 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 757, 235 Ed. Law Rep. 96 (5^th Cir.), cert. denied, 555 U.S. 956 (2008) (successful defense of School District of its refusal to employ a teaching applicant based on his criminal history information);

United States of America, ex. rel. Joseph Fried v. West Indep. Sch. Dist., 527 F.3d 439 (5^th Cir. 2008) (amicus brief on behalf of prevailing party in False Claims Act case);

Perez v. Araiza, 275 Fed. Appx. 385, 2008 WL 1859699 (5^th Cir. 2008) (successful defense of school board and school district employees in claim by former employee under Texas Public Information Act);

Whitehawk v. United Indep. Sch. Dist., No. 03-04-0062-CV, 2006 WL 664184 (Tex. App. - Austin Mar. 17, 2006, no pet.) (amicus brief for prevailing party in employee benefits case);

Balli v. El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist., 225 S.W.3d 260 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2006, pet. dism’d) (jurisdictional defense in employment discrimination case);

Nunez v. Simms, 341 F.3d 385 (5^th Cir. 2003) (successful defense of school district administrator in employment termination claim by a former teacher; landmark decision regarding no requirement to provide a due process hearing prior to terminating a teacher whose permit has expired; cited by the TASB Policy Service in its Board Policy DF (Legal));

Ector County TSTA/NEA v. Alanis, No. 03-02-00056-CV, 2002 WL 31386061 (Tex. App. - Austin Oct. 24, 2002, pet. denied) (amicus brief for prevailing party in employee benefits case);

Rey v. El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist., 211 F.3d 126 (5^th Cir. 2000) (successful defense of school district against claims of age, national origin and sex discrimination by high-ranking school administrator);

A. Alvarado v. El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist., 111 F.3d 893 (5^th Cir.), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 868 (1997) (successful defense of school district in Section 1983 claim by terminated employee);

Texas Educ. Agency v. Leeper, 893 S.W.2d 432 (Tex. 1994) (landmark decision providing judicial interpretation of home schooling as an exemption to compulsory public school attendance);

Brotherhood’s Relief & Comp. Fund v. Cawthorn, 815 S.W.2d 254 (Tex. App. – El Paso 1991, writ denied) (reversal of trial court judgment in bad faith case);

City of El Paso v. El Paso Cty. Cmty. Coll. Dist., 729 S.W.2d 296 (Tex. 1986) (tax increment financing, led to legislation benefitting school districts);

Park v. El Paso Bd. of Realtors, 764 F.2d 1053 (5^th Cir. 1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 1102 (1986) (successful appeal in antitrust conspiracy case);

In re Safety International, Inc., 775 F.2d 660 (5^th Cir. 1985) (corporate fiduciary litigation);

B.F. Saul Real Estate Inv. Trust v. McGovern, 683 S.W.2d 531 (Tex. App. – El Paso 1984, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (liquidated damages/penalty case);

Southern Union Exploration Co. v. Wynn Exploration Co., 95 N.M. 594, 624 P.2d 536 (1981), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 893 (1983) (oil and gas litigation);

Moore v. Dodge, 603 S.W.2d 236 (Tex. Civ. App. – El Paso 1980, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (successful defense on appeal of judgment enforcing purchase clause in ranch lease);

D. Alvarado v. El Paso Indep. Sch. Dist., 593 F.2d 577 (5^th Cir. 1979) (defense of school district in school desegregation case);

Moore v. Dodge, 557 S.W.2d 594 (Tex. Civ. App. – El Paso 1977, no writ) (successful defense of venue appeal in land title case).