Kearney is the only criminal defense attorney in all of Dallas-Fort Worth to receive the honor, and one (1) of only five (5) in the State of Texas to be named “Lawyer of the Year” within the category. Recipients are determined through a comprehensive peer-review survey, and “Lawyer of the Year” is the most esteemed annual award presented by The Best Lawyers in America®. This marks the second time Kearney has been named Lawyer of the Year, the other being in 2010.
With over 40 years of experience in both federal and state court, Kearney is a sought-after criminal defense lawyer, specializing in the representation of prominent and high-profile clients who find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Doctors, lawyers, judges, business executives, and professional athletes are among his many clients. Notable high-profile cases include:
- The 1994 Branch Davidian trial where Kearney represented 1 of the 11 cult members found not guilty of murder
- The 2005 post-Katrina civil rights trial where Kearney represented New Orleans police Lt. Dwayne Scheuermann, who was found not guilty after being accused of burning the body of a 31-year-old black man in a car after he was shot and killed by a different NOLA PD officer
- The 2022 trial of former Boeing exec Mark Forkner, a former chief technical pilot for Boeing and the only person to be charged in connection with crashes of the Boeing 737 Max jets in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019 that killed 346 people. Mark Forkner was found not guilty.
Board-certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Kearney has built a stellar reputation within the legal community and has earned many awards and honors, including being inducted into the Texas Criminal Defense Hall of Fame in 2015 by the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. Kearney is also consistently listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who in American Law, Texas Super Lawyers, and the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, and is a past recipient of the Presidential Award from the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.
Kearney received a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Texas Christian University (TCU) and a Juris Doctorate from Baylor Law School.
ABOUT KEARNEY LAW FIRM
Fort Worth, Texas-based Kearney Law Firm represents individuals and corporations in both state and federal trials and appeals. The firm handles a wide range of criminal cases, including white-collar fraud in federal court and major criminal prosecutions in state court. Kearney Law Firm employs a comprehensive support team, including investigators, jury consultants, and expert consultants, to enhance client representation. In federal cases, the firm utilizes former agents from the IRS criminal division, FBI, U.S. Marshals, ATF, and DEA. For more information, visit
www.KearneyLawFirm.com.
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