319 W Chestnut St
Denison, TX 75020
Tel: (903) 345-3825
BLANTON LAW
A Civil Litigation and Construction Law Boutique You Can Trust
In the Field. In the Boardroom. In the Courtroom.
Blanton Law is a full-service dynamic law firm, specializing in the Construction and Design Industry, with additional practice areas in Complex Business Disputes, Commercial Litigation, Premises Liability Defense and Land Development Conflicts
OUR VISION
Throughout more than 26 years of law practice, Chris Blanton has developed diverse experience in a number of areas. He has been actively involved in general commercial litigation representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants. A focus of the practice has been construction litigation wherein Chris has represented contractors, design professionals, owners and subcontractors in the avoidance, prosecution and defense of construction claims. He has tried cases in both State and Federal courts within Texas and has successfully represented his clients before arbitrators and at mediation. He has appeared before the 5th Court of Appeals in Texas, and is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas as well as before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Chris has founded Blanton Law after more than 26 years as a trial lawyer primarily providing services for contractors, design professionals, owners and other participants in the construction industry. The philosophy of the Firm is to provide quality legal services at a fair price. The Firm has the depth and experience to handle almost any type of civil dispute with a focus on commercial and construction litigation. The Firm's vision is that responsiveness to client needs is of paramount importance. The Firm attempts, when appropriate, to follow the old Texas Ranger model "One Riot, One Ranger": Blanton Law staffs its cases to provide the depth of responsiveness necessary but endeavors to avoid the pyramid effect utilized by many of the competitors to the Firm. Prompt responsiveness, flexibility, and focus on the needs and desires of each individual client is the goal of this Firm.
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Blanton Law is not "another divorce firm" or "criminal law firm" - it seeks to serve a sophisticated clientele confronted by complex litigation matters. Instead, Blanton Law seeks to be a new kind of law firm - primed and ready to address the rapid growth in construction, technology, and development as the 'urban sprawl' moves north from the DFW-Metroplex. It's primary goal and vision is to provide exceptional service and results to our clients across North Texas both in and out of the courtroom. We speak your language and remain committed to helping our clients navigate the ever-expanding complexities of law and business. leases and what’s Coming Soon in Wixellaneous in Support. Feel free to tell us what you think and give us feedback in the Wix Forum.
PRACTICE
AREAS
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
It is rare for a commercial construction project to achieve substantial completion without encountering problems. Sometimes the problems are minor and can easily be resolved, but most of the times they are so severe that they result in termination and/or withholding of payment.
For more than 26 years, Chris Blanton has represented a full spectrum of the construction industry in every type of dispute across commercial, residential, industrial and public works projects throughout Texas. Chris' construction and design clients have included general contractors, subcontractors, owners and design professionals - from family businesses to national companies. Regardless of the size of the client's operations, Chris recognizes that issues often arise quickly and require swift, decisive, and effective action. Chris thrives in his clients' fast-paced environment, providing effective and economical advice to protect the client's best interests.
Blanton Law's practice areas include the following:
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Construction and design defects
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Change orders, extra work and time extensions
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Construction-related injuries
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Contract drafting and negotiation
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Performance and warranty claims
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Differing site conditions
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Project abandonment
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Contract termination and removal
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Design-build and performance criteria
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The independent contractor defense
If you have encountered a dispute on your commercial project or are anticipating one, please contact Chris at (903) 345-3825 so we can discuss your dispute and legal options for no charge.
COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS LITIGATION
Business disputes are inevitable. Fights over non-competes are common. Even the strongest business partnerships dissolve. Contracts are often broken and in such cases, it becomes a question of "who breached first." Furthermore, it is undeniable that fraud - whether by outward act or by "keeping silent when there would otherwise be a duty to speak" - does occur in this day and age.
When disputes cannot be resolved through informal negotiations, litigation is the next step. Although litigation generally has a negative connotation, it can actually be a great opportunity to gain leverage and push the matter toward resolution; whether by further informal negotations, mediation, or ultimately trial or arbitration.
Protect your business with Blanton Law's legal representation in complex disputes. Chris strives to offer proactive strategies to resolve conflicts, defend your rights, and support your business objectives in every litigation phase.
If you have encountered a commercial or business dispute or are anticipating one, please contact Chris at (903) 345-3825 so we can discuss your dispute and legal options for no charge.
PREMISES LIABILITY CLAIMS
NON-PAYMENT AND SURETY CLAIMS
Over more than two decades, Chris has routinely assisted general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, engineers, and architects - from family businesses to national companies - with filing and enforcing mechanic's liens on privately owned projects across the entire state of Texas.
Blanton Law's practice includes legal services related to the following:
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Mechanic's liens and payment bonds
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Lien foreclosure and removal
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Non-payment claims
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Texas Trust Fund Act
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Texas Prompt Pay Act
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"Pay When Paid" and "Pay if Paid" clauses
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Quantum meruit claims for "extra work"
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Change Order claims
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Project delays and liquidated damages
If you are considering filing a mechanic's lien on a residential or commercial project, please contact Chris for assistance.
RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION
Upon graduation from law school in 1996, Chris immediately joined the Construction Section of a Dallas-based firm - with a satellite office in Sherman - and his initial practice was devoted to the residential construction sector. At that time, the Texas Residential Construction Liability Act was relatively new, and that statute - which still governs residential construction disputes - remains as the mandatory process for the pursuit and defense of residential construction claims.
Over the years, Chris has represented local, regional and national homebuilders in a broad range of matters, including claims related to the following:
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Design defects
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Foundation claims
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Defective workmanship
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Delays
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Project accounting
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Change orders
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Express warranties
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Project abandonment
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Mold claims
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Failure to pay subcontractors
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Removal of invalid liens
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Stipulated sum and lump sum contracts
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Home warranty claims
If you have encountered a dispute on your residential project or are anticipating one, please contact Chris at (903) 345-3825 so we can discuss your dispute and legal options for no charge.
PERSONAL INJURY AND
PROPERTY DAMAGE
Chris has a long and successful record of investigating and defending against accidents resulting in personal injury or property damage. These accidents occur suddenly, without warning, and require swift action. Chris understands the importance of early strategic response and investigation of these accidents and is equipped to respond as soon as his clients make the call. After the initial investigation, Blanton Law helps its clients develop a well-planned strategy to respond quickly, limit exposure, resolve early if possible, and aggressively defend when necessary.
Owners, landlords, retailers, companies, the hospitality industry, hotels and corner stores are often sued in response to "slip and falls" and "trip and falls". The reality is that Texas law establishes significant hurdles a claimant must satisfy to prevail on such claims. Chris possesses robust and extensive experience defending family businesses, owners, landlords and national companies in response to claims alleging "unreasonably dangerous property conditions" in both state and federal courts across Texas. He understands "backwards" and "forwards" how claimants seldom can satisfy their evidentiary burdens and has had great success in having courts dismiss such claims without the need for and expense of trial. He has a proven track record of obtaining summary judgments in favor of his clients,
REAL ESTATE LITIGATION
TRUCKING AND TRANSPORTATION
Even with the best training and safety programs in place, accidents on the road are sometimes unavoidable and the results can be devastating for all parties involved. Trucking and transportation cases often involve a multitude of different issues, from negligence to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
Chris Blanton has successfully defended some of the largest transportation companies in the United States in trucking and transportation claims, and has the knowledge and skill to navigate the complex issues that can arise. Utilizing his extensive litigation experience, Chris strives to be available around the clock to help you quickly respond to accidents on the road or on the rails and limit your potential exposure.
Blanton Law's experience includes the representation of and prosecution and defense of real estate litigation disputes. In that regard, Chris has experience representing both buyers and sellers, depending on the particular allegations. His experience includes litigating non-disclosed defects, fraudulent transfers, title issues, adverse possession claims, and boundary disputes. He has further successfully represented owners in disputes with HOAs and in response to the attempted enforcement of restrictive covenants in land use.
If you think you have a potential real dispute affecting real estate, boundaries and/or title/ownership, give Chris a call at (903) 345-3825 so that we can discuss and explore your options.
OTHER UNIQUE MATTERS
While one of Chris' focuses has been serving the construction and design industry, his practice has been more diverse and has included a number of additional "niche" practice areas, some of which are identified below. Blanton Law is qualified and very capable to provide solutions and think "outside the box" regardless of your particular legal issue or question
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Plaintiff's catastrophic personal injury and/or wrongful death
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Overservice of alcohol and Dram Shop issues
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Negligent premises security
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Medical device and implants
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Business dissolutions
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Pollution/discharge cases
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Defective products
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Equine and farming law
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Pharmaceutical claims
Chris M. Blanton, Esq.
CHRIS BLANTON
PARTNER
Chris Blanton was born in Walnut Creek, California, in 1970. His family moved to Sherman, Texas in 1979 when his father - a career FBI agent - was transferred to lead the Sherman office. After arriving in Sherman, Chris' mother was a career elementary school teacher within the SISD until her retirement.
Chris attended and graduated from Sherman High School in 1989 and obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas in Austin in December 1992. He then attended and graduated with honors (cum laude) from the University of Houston Law Center in 1996. During law school, he received awards for achieving "the Highest 'A'" in his law school class of 120 students, in Torts, Torts II and Contracts II. He likewise contributed to the publication of a respected treatise on the admissibility of scientific evidence within the federal court system.
During law school, Chris clerked with Charla Aldous in the Sherman satellite office of Dallas-based Cooper Huddleston Aldous, and upon passing the bar exam, Chris took a full time position in the Construction Section of the Cooper/Aldous firm in Dallas. He assumed this role at a time when booming residential construction in North Texas intersected with the realization that many of the areas where homes were being built rested upon highly plastic and reactive subsurface soils, resulting in hundreds of foundation defect lawsuits.
Chris subsequently took the knowledge and experience he gained in his Cooper/Aldous Construction Role when joining the Construction Section at Gardere Wynne and Sewell, in Dallas, Texas. At that time, Gardere had more than 150 lawyers in multiple offices in Texas and Mexico. There, he had the opportunity to aggressively handle his own docket of a diverse mix of residential, commercial and industrial construction clients, while also handling product defect litigation and contract claims on behalf of a national passenger airline carrier. One of his chief clients was a Florida-based national homebuilder, for which Chris served as chief counsel responding to Texas residential mold claims and foundation defect lawsuits.
Chris subsequently left Gardere to broaden his construction industry background by joining one of Dallas' premiere professional liability firms, where he successfully represented regional and national architects and engineers in response to design defect claims. While in that capacity, Chris had the opportunity to represent a number of contractors and subcontractors to recover unpaid construction payments; one such client was an electrical subcontractor who was owed in excess of $300,000 in unpaid construction payments for a commercial project in Sherman. He - along with his trial team - subsequently obtained a jury verdict in excess of $1,300,000 on behalf of the subcontractor from a Grayson County district court jury.
During the course of his practice, Chris has spoken on numerous occasions on issues including liability issues related to stadium design, nuisance claims related to light poles in urban-located public parks and soccer fields, personal injury lawsuits related to UIL sporting activities, football helmet design, ADA-compliance in scholastic construction projects, and the laws applicable to geoscience design.
Chris has opened Blanton Law because he has observed first-hand the growth and expanse of construction in the area and he desires to be a part of that development. He has a sincere desire to see our community grow and prosper, with the addition of new business in the area, and that opportunity "dovetails" perfectly with his passion for construction, design and logical land development.
When not in the office, Chris enjoys spending time on the farm in Arkansas and fly fishing the Buffalo and White Rivers. He is the proud father of two daughters - both St. Mary's School graduates and Sherman High alumni - with his oldest finishing up medical school at UT Southwestern and his youngest "flying the friendly skies" with a national airlines. He is also an avid soccer fan, having played semi-professional soccer after graduating college, and a loyal supporter of the Texas Thoroughbred Association. In his spare time, he serves non-profits whose missions include feeding and housing the homeless, ensuring the "American Dream" for all people, regardless of race, creed, gender or nationality, and serving the needs of low-income homebound seniors.
CONTACT
BLANTON LAW
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