Dennis Gardner draws upon his training and experience as both an engineer and lawyer to serve his clients in private sector and governmental organizations. Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins in 1996, Dennis held management positions with a major aerospace contractor, the city of Houston Legal Department and, for sixteen years, Dennis was the second ranking executive at the Houston-region’s mass transit authority as that organization’s executive officer/general counsel. Dennis offers not only superior legal skills as recognized by his peers but, beyond merely advising his clients, he brings to his clients the perspective of a person who has spent the majority of his career with day-to-day responsibilities to accomplish his employer’s business objectives. He exemplifies a practical approach to problem resolution with regard for both outcome and cost. Dennis represents clients principally in the manufacturing, construction and transportation fields but, because of his lengthy and broad-based experience, he is also regularly engaged by clients in other industries and lines of business to deal with matters involving government regulations and compliance. Dennis handles both transactional matters and litigation matters at the trial and appellate level for his clients.
Dennis has extensive experience in preparation, administration and dispute resolution of contracts ranging from purchase orders to acquisition of high value, technically sophisticated equipment and facilities. His clients include both private businesses, including automobile and industrial equipment manufacturers, food producers and distributors, trucking and bus companies and public organizations including a number of public transportation providers throughout the country. Dennis is experienced in structuring of innovative, complex, multiparty agreements. He also has been active on behalf of his clients in the development and advocacy of legislation and regulations at the state and federal levels. Dennis has litigated labor, personnel, civil rights and commercial matters. Dennis represents both domestic and international business organizations in contractual and regulatory matters.
Education
Admittance to Practice
Professional Activities
- State Bar of Texas
- Houston Bar Association (Construction Law Section, Labor & Employment Law Section)
- American Bar Association (Public Contract Law Section, former regional chairman; Construction Law Forum, State and Local Government Law Section, former transportation articles editor)
- American Public Transportation Association (Legislative Committee; Legal Affairs Committee)
- Transportation Research Board Committee on Transit Law and Intermodalism
- Appointed to Transportation Research Board’s Transportation Cooperative Research Program Legal Issues Panel (former chair)
- Registered Professional Engineer – Texas (inactive)
