Ben is a partner at Scanes Yelverton Talbert, LLP. Prior to joining the firm, Ben practiced personal injury and business litigation at mid- and small-sized firms in Austin and Dallas, respectively. These first few years of practice gave Ben early exposure to the courtroom and many opportunities to fight for his clients in a wide variety of lawsuits, from class actions and commercial disputes to catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths. Prior to his admittance to the bar, Ben attended Baylor Law School where he was a member of the Baylor Law Review and chosen to represent Baylor at four consecutive inter-school mock trial and moot court advocacy competitions.
Ben is an aggressive litigator who truly enjoys finding creative solutions for his clients to achieve the best possible results for them. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, being outdoors, and recording on a number of musical instruments.
Practice Areas
- Personal Injury Litigation
- Business/Commercial Litigation
- Insurance/Bad Faith Litigation
- Employment Litigation
- Breach of Contract
- Consumer Protection/Deceptive Trade Practices
- Shareholder Disputes
Education
Baylor Law School (J.D., 2012)
Honors: Baylor Law Review, AAJ Mock Trial Regional Champion, Baylor Top Gun Competition Finalist.
The University of Texas at Dallas (B.A., 2009)
Honors: Graduated with magna cum laude and CV Honors, Eugene McDermott Scholar, Archer Center Fellow and a Fellow at the Center for Texas Politics.
Bar Admissions
State Bar of Texas, 2012
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 2014
U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, 2016
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 2017
Professional Activities and Memberships
American Association for Justice, 2012 – 2014
American Bar Association, 2012 – 2014
Baylor Law School Alumni Association, Lifetime Member
Capital Area Trial Lawyers Association, 2012 – 2014
Dallas Young Lawyers Association, 2013 – 2015
Texas Trial Lawyers Association, 2012 – Present
Texas Young Lawyers Association, 2012 – Present
McLennan County Young Lawyers Association, 2015 – Present
Honors and Awards
Baylor Law Review Write-on Competition Winner
Top 10 Speaker, Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Team, 2011
National Civil Trial Competition Team, 2011
American Association for Justice Mock Trial Team, 2011, 2012
Order of the Barrister
Bob and Karen Wortham Fall Practice Court Mock Trial Award
Harrison David Steakley P.C. Advocacy Award
Texas SuperLawyers® Magazine Rising Star, 2019 (a Thompson Reuters designation)
Community Involvement
Counsel of Record Representing the largest battered women’s shelter in North Texas, 2013-2015
Adjunct Professor and regular mock trial competition coach for teams at Baylor Law School
Representative Experience
Filed and litigated dozens of claims for clients with a wide variety of injuries or deaths suffered in traffic collisions, including 18-wheeler wrecks, complex multi-vehicle collisions, clients injured by drunk drivers, pedestrian-automobile wrecks, and cyclist-automobile collisions.
Represented dozens of individuals in numerous claims against their home, auto, and health insurance companies after the companies refused to pay or greatly undervalued their claims.
Represented both companies and individuals in numerous lease disputes based on claims for breach of contract, fraud, and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Represented multiple professionals in non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, as well as disputes over intellectual property theft.
Represented numerous businesses, both large and small, in contractual disputes, unpaid commissions, and shareholder derivative litigation.
Represented several individuals in consumer protection claims asserted against deceptive salesmen and irresponsible manufacturers.
Helped represent the family of a mother killed in an auto accident in a products suit against a major auto manufacturer.
Helped represent a class of individuals in an oil and gas lease dispute with a major oil and gas distributor.
Helped represent over two hundred individuals who made claims against a major sports organization after their tickets were downgraded or not honored at a major sporting event.
Prosecuted and defended over a dozen appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Texas Supreme Court, and various Texas appellate courts.
Publications
Efficient Docket Management in Federal Court – Advocacy Magazine, 2014.
Hurdling Voir Dire Issues – 2012 Texas Judicial Conference Presentation to over 200 state trial judges.
Handling Your First Jury Trial: An Interactive Lesson on Direct and Cross Examination – 2012 CLE Presentation.
The Importance and Strategic Use of the Jury Charge – 2010 CLE Presentation.
