Bell Nunnally Partner Saba Syed is named by the Dallas Business Journal among its “40 Under 40” in 2023. She was profiled in an online Q+A, recognized at an event hosted by the publication on July 20 at The Hall on Dragon, and will be featured in the July 28 print edition.
“Saba has been one of our star litigators since day one. She gives 110 percent to both her client work and her community involvements, and her curiosity, intelligence and empathy make her stand out in the field,” said Bell Nunnally Managing Partner Christopher Trowbridge. “Saba is a key member of our Bell Nunnally team, a difference-maker for our clients and a thought leader in the legal community. We congratulate her on this Dallas Business Journal recognition.”
In her Q+A, Syed was asked about the “biggest challenge” over the next 12 months:
The introduction of accessible artificial intelligence adds another layer of complication… AI platforms will make the legal market ask whether certain tasks are essential, whether there are more efficient ways to get the work done, and how competitors are more effectively using this resource. This happened recently when the pandemic forced the judiciary and litigators to adopt Zoom technology to conduct hearings, depositions, and trials, and as a byproduct, has made the law far more accessible to attorneys and the public. With equal parts of effort and caution, the legal market can embrace change and allow AI to improve legal practice.
Syed was selected after the review of several hundred nominations by the Business Journal’s senior newsroom staff. In this, the publication’s 17th annual list and event, she joins past Bell Nunnally 40 Under 40 honorees, including: Trowbridge (2012), R. Heath Cheek (2013), Alana K. Ackels (2019) and Ross A. Williams (2020).
A skilled litigator, Syed handles complex commercial matters involving securities, business torts, patent and trademark disputes, partnership disputes and real estate. She has represented companies in industries ranging from energy and manufacturing and high-net-worth individuals, including landlords and investors.
Among her many professional credits, Syed served on the litigation team handling a premises liability dispute that resulted in the dismissal of a $27 million claim against a former Texas Rangers baseball player; she negotiated a $3.5 million settlement in FINRA arbitration on behalf of a client investor defrauded in a Ponzi scheme; and she helped secure a take-nothing verdict in favor of a Texas-based manufacturer of award-winning downhole sand and gas separation products in a patent infringement lawsuit.
In addition to the Dallas Business Journal recognition, Syed has been named to D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” List (annually since 2021); The Best Lawyers in America® “Ones to Watch” List (annually since 2021); and she was selected by her attorney peers as a Thomson Reuters Texas Rising Star® (since 2020) and “Up-and-Coming 50 Women: Texas Rising Stars. The Dallas Bar Association recognized Syed as the 2019 “Outstanding Minority Attorney of the Year,” an honor bestowed for “outstanding commitment, participation and dedication to the DBA by a minority lawyer during the year.” She is also a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Fellow and a current Mentor, and she’s a Fellow of both the Texas Bar Foundation and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation.
Syed earned her J.D., cum laude, from Baylor Law School (2013) and her B.A., magna cum laude, from University of Texas at Austin (2009).