Hon. Dan Hinde

Houston, TX

Judge Dan Hinde served as the Judge of the 269th District Court of Harris County, Texas for over 10 years.  Over that time, he tried 290 cases and resolved over 15,000 lawsuits.  He is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and is the Chair of the Pattern Jury Charge Oversight Committee of the State Bar of Texas, responsible for reviewing new editions of the Texas Pattern Jury Charges.

During his 10+ years on the bench, Judge Hinde tried several workplace-injury, non-subscriber, and employment cases, as well as numerous other personal-injury, wrongful-death, medical-malpractice, and catastrophic-injury cases.  He also tried numerous industrial- and residential-construction cases, trade-secret claims, noncompete suits, and internal business disputes—and much more.  He continues to serve frequently as a visiting judge in the trial courts of Texas.

After leaving the bench, Judge Hinde turned to mediating and arbitrating civil cases of virtually all types.  He has mediated or arbitrated several workplace-injury, non-subscriber, and employment cases, as well as personal- and catastrophic-injury suits, complex commercial matters, construction claims, internal business and partnership disputes, noncompete cases, and trade secret and copyright suits.  He is a member of several arbitration panels, including the AAA Employment, Commercial, Complex Commercial, Consumer, and Energy Arbitration Panels.
Judge Hinde performs both in-person and virtual (Zoom) arbitrations and mediations.

Dan and his wife, Rosanna, are members of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church.  Rosanna and Dan are the proud parents of David and Anne.

Education  + -

  • The University of Texas School of Law – Austin, Texas
    J.D.   1997
  • Texas A&M University – College Station, Texas
    B.S. Electrical Engineering   1994
  • Civil Trial Law ( Texas Board of Legal Specialization )
    Board Certified
  • Supreme Court of the United States
    Bar Admission
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
    Bar Admission
  • S.D. Tex.; E.D. Tex.; N.D. Tex.
    Bar Admission
  • State Bar of Texas
    Bar Admission

Experience  + -

  • Schiffer Hicks Johnson PLLC
    Partner   2019 - Present
  • 269th District Court, Harris County, Texas
    Judge   2008 - 2018
  • Steele Sturm, P.L.L.C.
    2008
  • Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P.
    1999 - 2008
  • Dallas County D.A.’s Office
    Assistant District Attorney   2003
  • U.S. District Judge Sim Lake, S.D. Tex.
    Law Clerk   1997 – 1999

Memberships & Affiliations  + -

  • American Law Institute
  • Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
  • College of the State Bar of Texas
  • Pro Bono College of the State Bar
    2003 - 2004
  • Texas Bar Fellows
  • Houston Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Aggie Bar Association
  • Texas Pattern Jury Charges—Oversight Committee, State Bar of Texas
    Member, Chair   2013 - Present, 2020 - Present
  • Texas Center for the Judiciary
    Director   2017 - 2018
  • Cybersecurity Subcommittee, State Judicial Committee on Info. Tech
    2019 - Present   Co-Chair
  • Pattern Jury Charge Oversight Subcommittee on Fiduciary Duty
    Chair   2016 - 2018
  • Jury Committee, Harris County Board of District Judges
    Chair   2017 - 2018
  • Technology Committee, Harris County Civil District Courts
    Chair   2013, 2015 - 2018
  • Rules Committee, Harris County Civil District Courts
    Chair   2013 - 2014
  • Pretrial Subcommittee, State Bar of Texas Court Rules Committee
    Chair   2012 - 2013
  • Houston Bar Association Federal Practice Section
    Chair   2009 - 2010
  • American Law Institute
    Member   2020 - Present
  • State Judicial Committee on Information Technology, State of Texas
    Member   2014 - Present
  • Texas Center for the Judiciary
    Board of Directors   2017 - 2018
  • Finance Committee, Texas Center for the Judiciary
    Member   2016 - 2017
  • Judicial Resources Committee, Texas Center for the Judiciary
    Member   2012 - 2013
  • Court Rules Committee, State Bar of Texas
    Member   2007 - 2013

Honors & Awards  + -

  • American Arbitration Association Roster of Arbitrators - Member
  • College for Judicial Studies—Civil Jurisprudence (Texas Center for the Judiciary)
  • Outstanding Legal Article Award for “What Law Applies?” (Houston Bar Foundation)
    2013

Speaking / Authoring / Seminars  + -

Publications

“What’d I Miss? An Update on the Texas Pattern Jury Charges,” 31st Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals, June 10, 2021
“Special Judges Could Relieve Local Civil Trial Backlog,” Houston Bus. Journal, Apr. 26, 2019
“The Jury Charge,” Civil Appellate Practice 101, Sept. 2017 (update of conference material)
“Motions for Continuance,” The Advocate, Fall 2015 “A Glossary of Common Trial Objections,” The Houston Lawyer, July/Aug. 2013
“What Law Applies?” The Houston Lawyer, July/Aug. 2012
“The Use of iPads by Judges,” In Chambers, Fall 2011
“Conflicts of Privilege,” Pretrial Practice and Discovery, Winter 2006
Note, “Consensual Sentencing in the Magistrate Court,” 75 Texas L. Rev. 1161 (1997)

Speaking & Presentations

“What’d I Miss? An Update on the Texas Pattern Jury Charges,” 31st Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals, June 2021

“Jury Charges:  Perspectives from the Bench and Bar,” HBA Appellate Section, July 2020
“The Courts’ Role at the Apex of State Power:  Public Health Restrictions in the Time of Pandemics,” Houston and Austin Chapters of the Federalist Society, April/May 2020
“Polishing Your Evidence: Technology in the Courtroom,” HBA Bench-Bar Conference, 2019
“Trying Your Maritime Case in State Court,” 26th Annual Admiralty and Maritime Law Conference, Sept. 2017
“Litigation on the Gulf Coast,” Panel Discussion, Marine and Energy Law Conference, Oct. 2017
“The Jury Charge,” State Bar of Texas Civil Appellate Practice 101 Seminar, Sept. 2017
“The Ins and Outs of Early Dismissal,” Texas Regional Judicial Conferences, 2017
“Effective Voir Dire,” several times over many years
 “Implementing, Enforcing, and Amending Discovery Orders,” 2016 Texas Reg’l Judicial Confs.
“Objection!” Litigation Section, Houston Bar Association, 2015
 “60 Apps in 60 Minutes,” 2015 HBA Bench-Bar Conference; 2012 Texas Judicial Conference “iJudging,” Texas Annual Judicial Conference, 2013; Texas Regional Judicial Conferences, 2012
“There’s an App for That,” Advanced Civil Trial Course, 2012
“Service in the Third Branch,” George H.W. Bush School of Public Service, Texas A&M University, 2010
“Interactive Briefs,” DRI Annual Meeting, Oct. 2008
“Using Treater Depositions to Win the Battle of the Experts,” DRI Drug & Medical Device Seminar, May 2007