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 34th Annual School Law Conference, Austin, Texas, February 28, 2019.
• What Happens in Vegas? – or, Whither Immorality? University of Texas School of Law 33rd 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 25th 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 24th 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 21st 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?, 17th 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 5th 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 [14th 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 in governmental litigation).