Bell Nunnally Partners Katie Beaird, Saba F. Syed and Brent A. Turman have been named to D Magazine’s 2024 “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” list.
“Saba and Brent have landed on this list of outstanding attorneys for the past four years, and we are thrilled that they are joined by Katie this year,” said Christopher Trowbridge, Bell Nunnally managing partner. “D Magazine is one of North Texas’ marquee news outlets and the attorneys featured truly showcase our region’s incredible legal talent. We congratulate all selected.”
Attorneys under 40 who have practiced law for at least five years – primarily in the DFW area – are eligible for the “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” list. D Magazine asked metroplex attorneys to submit nominations for up to two lawyers outside their firms and one within for consideration based on this prompt, “Which young Dallas lawyer, of those whose work you’ve witnessed firsthand, would you rank among the current best?” Candidates were then vetted by a panel of area attorneys in conjunction with the publication’s editors.
Beaird assists employers in all aspects of labor and employment and related workplace litigation – including state and federal agency investigations and inquiries, workplace policies and handbooks and employee agreements. She works with business and human resources managers and in-house legal departments to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Beaird also counsels both employers and employees with respect to employment agreements and contracts, such as executive compensation, severance, noncompete and non-solicitation. She has experience representing employers in governmental investigations and audits, defending against claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation before the Texas Workforce Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and in both state and federal courts. As part of her role assisting clients with workplace compliance, Beaird reviews and updates workplace trainings and often presents legal updates to management and human resource professionals. She is a graduate of Baylor Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2014) and Texas A&M University (B.A., summa cum laude, 2011).
Syed is a skilled litigator who routinely represents companies and high-net-worth individuals in complex commercial litigation involving renewable energy construction litigation, contract disputes, securities, business torts and partnership disputes. She has worked across a range of industries from energy and manufacturing to real estate and finance. Syed also works with clients in the live events and hospitality industries, providing industry-specific legal counsel. Syed was recently named on the Dallas Business Journal “40 Under 40” List for 2023, the Super Lawyers “Up-and-Coming 100: Texas Rising Stars” List and “Up-and-Coming 50 Women: Texas Rising Stars” List for 2023, and she was also awarded the Dallas Bar Association’s “Outstanding Minority Attorney Award” in 2019. This is Syed’s fourth selection to the “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” list. She is a graduate of Baylor University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2013) and the University of Texas at Austin (B.A., magna cum laude, 2009).
Turman advocates for clients, ranging from startups to Fortune 50 companies, in a wide variety of disputes including complex arbitration and litigation related to partnership disputes; business torts; real estate transactions; defamation and business disparagement; and claims of patent, copyright and trademark infringement. Leveraging his background in film and television production, Brent knows how to communicate compelling arguments that tell his clients’ stories to the jury with clarity and persuasion. A popular speaker, he frequently gives trial skills presentations across the country, teaching other attorneys about the strategies and tools he has used in the courtroom. Named to the “Texas Rising Stars” in the category of “Business Litigation” by Thomson Reuter’s Super Lawyers® six times, this is Turman’s fourth selection to the “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” list. He earned both his law and undergraduate degrees from Southern Methodist University (J.D., cum laude, 2012; B.B.A. and B.A., cum laude, 2007).