Grant A. Walsh

Mr. Walsh is one of the four co-founders of Culhane PLLC and also serves as the firm’s General Counsel. He focuses his practice in the areas of commercial litigation and dispute resolution related to business transactions, and he also advises clients on contracts, franchising relationships, real estate, and entertainment-related transactions. He is a qualified mediator and utilizes his skills to help parties achieve resolution of their disputes at the earliest possible opportunity. Mr. Walsh’s experience and business acumen have protected his clients’ interests at the negotiation table, in the boardroom and in the courthouse. In addition to his civilian law practice, Mr. Walsh is a commissioned officer in the Texas State Guard where he currently serves as a Major (O-4) in the JAG Corps.

Mr. Walsh has significant litigation and arbitration experience in numerous forums throughout the United States. He has represented clients ranging from large international companies to small “mom and pop” businesses and high net worth individuals. Regardless of whether the client is the plaintiff or defendant, Mr. Walsh believes in delivering effective, creative, and highly-responsive counsel at every stage of a lawsuit in order to achieve a swift, fair, and cost-effective resolution. He approaches every client with a focus on integrity, advocacy, and understanding.

During law school at Southern Methodist University, Mr. Walsh served on the Board of Editors for the SMU Law Review and as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Air Law & Commerce. He also spent a semester as a visiting student at Pepperdine School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution in Malibu, California. In 2003, Mr. Walsh was selected as a summer clerk in the chambers of the Hon. Ed Kinkeade of the U.S. Northern District of Texas.

After law school, Mr. Walsh practiced with a downtown-Dallas firm, before he joined an entertainment production company in Las Vegas as COO & General Counsel of global productions. During his tenure, Mr. Walsh was directly involved with the negotiation, procurement, and construction of a large commercial entertainment development at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino valued at more than $30 million. In addition to Las Vegas, Mr. Walsh has also been involved in live entertainment transactions for artists and shows performing in Atlantic City, Branson (MO), Los Angeles, Pigeon Forge (TN), and New York–as well as numerous television appearances.

Awards & Recognitions

• AV Preeminent® Rating (highest possible rating) in the Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory based on peer review by lawyers and judges
• Texas Rising Star (a Thomson Reuters service) as published in Super Lawyers & Texas Monthly magazines (2013-2017) 
• AVVO Rating: Superb

 Representative Experience

• Obtained full defense judgment following bench trial on behalf of a behavioral health hospital that was sued for breach of contract by a recruiting and placement firm
• Obtained full defense judgment on behalf of franchise client accused of breach of contract, tortious interference, civil conspiracy and unjust enrichment in 14-month litigation over territorial protections within franchise system
• Successfully represented Army Reservist and Subway franchisee in first case to hold that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) applies to termination of commercial leases, and one of the few cases holding that the SCRA provides a private remedy for civil litigants (cited by Congressional Committees as support for the passage of the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010 which, among other things, clarified a private right of action under the SCRA)
• Won full defense judgment on behalf of general contractor who was sued for negligence when a laborer was injured on job site
• Defended national food chain and prevailed in 12(b)(3) motion to transfer lawsuit from U.S. District Court of Hawaii to Northern District of Texas based on enforcement of forum selection clause in written agreements
• Achieved favorable settlement for franchisee in arbitration proceedings against national party supply chain
• Obtained approximately 40 judgments throughout Texas on behalf of national lender of secondary mortgage loans
• Successfully defended and settled claims brought by a business broker based on defense that broker was unlicensed and could not collect commissions under Colorado law
• Sought and received emergency sequestration orders to preserve clients’ property pending further legal proceedings
• Obtained Temporary Restraining Orders to preserve and protect clients’ interests in commercial contract disputes
• Represented national restaurant chain in four-day arbitration proceedings at the American Arbitration Association in Minneapolis
• Defended multiple clients against enforcement of non-compete agreements with their former employers, and also counseled numerous clients on enforcement of non-compete agreements to preserve and protect their business interests and proprietary information
• Negotiated national television special on behalf of Las Vegas headliner, and negotiated performance agreements for various entertainers and stage productions in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City and Atlantic City
• Prosecuted claims against guarantors of written agreements following default and breach of contract by the principal obligor
• Negotiated client’s sale of commercial property near downtown Fort Worth, Texas valued at $1.5M+
• Obtained favorable settlements on behalf of software development firm based on breach of contract claims
• Defended clients against trademark infringement claims brought under federal Lanham Act and achieved pre-trial settlement with agreed injunctive order
• Obtained favorable outcomes in multiple landlord-tenant disputes, including residential and commercial properties
• Prosecuted clients’ claims based on the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, fraud, and misrepresentations arising from consumer transactions
• Successfully negotiated and drafted a wide variety of commercial transactions, including commercial lease agreements, asset purchase agreements, and stock purchase agreements
• Counseled clients on due diligence process prior to the acquisition of existing businesses
• Advised real estate investors on the acquisition of various commercial and residential properties

 Selected Presentations & Publications

• “When Duty Calls: The Impact of Military Service on Litigation,” Texas Bar Journal (November 2010)
• “When Duty Calls: The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act,” presenter to the Dallas Bar Association (2011)
• “Stock Purchase v. Asset Purchase: What Business Brokers Need to Know,” presenter to the Texas Association of Business Brokers in Dallas, Texas
• “Developing Urban Housing for Gen-X Consumers,” panelist at the Urban Land Institute’s Spring Council Forum in San Antonio, Texas
• “Using Lease Purchase Agreements and Savings Guarantees to Improve Energy Efficiency in Commercial Properties,” presenter to the Texas Association of Realtors, Austin, Texas

Interesting Facts
While not practicing law, Grant is an avid SCUBA diver and snow skier—but those are both difficult interests to pursue in North Texas! Grant worked his way through college and law school as a professional magician and clown, and still performs shows from time to time for civic groups, churches, and children’s hospitals. The Texas Bar Journal recently profiled his magic hobby HERE.  He’s also been a certified Emergency Medical Technician since 2000 and worked for several EMS systems before his law career. Grant resides in Dallas with his wife and their three children.