Professionals

Steven H. Stodghill

Partner

Overview
Experience
Credentials
Insights & News

Steve is an Eagle Scout with a Silver Palm, the highest rank in Scouting, and graduated with high honors, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Texas at Austin in 1983. Steve’s vast experience and success in complex litigation solidify him as one of the most accomplished commercial litigators in the country. He has successfully represented numerous high-profile clients across a wide array of complex commercial litigation areas, including prominent billionaires, Fortune 100 corporations, professional athletes, over 20 high-profile celebrities, and world-renowned actors. Since 2019, he has served as Public Safety Commissioner for the State of Texas, an appointment by Governor Greg Abbott, and has a Secret Level Clearance from Homeland Security.

Steve served as the Dallas office hiring partner for five years and as head of office business development. He serves on the firm's worldwide partner compensation committee. Steve's practice emphasizes all aspects of complex litigation. Before joining Winston, he was a Founding Partner at Lynn, Stodghill, Melsheimer & Tillotson (which the Texas Monthly described in a 1998 article “Top Guns” as the “Navy Seals” of litigation), working with the firm from 1993 to 2000. Steve also served as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Ralph M. Hall in 1985, as an associate with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld from 1987 to 1993, and as a Partner at Fish & Richardson from 2000 to 2017.

He served as Team Counsel for the Dallas Mavericks from 2000 to 2002. In addition to being chief litigation counsel to Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks for over 20 years, Steve has previously represented the interests of over 20 billionaires and other high-net-worth individuals, including Reeder Family interests, Todd Wagner, Tom Dundon, Tom Hicks, Lamar Hunt, Trammell Crow, Phil Romano, Richard Rogers, Tim Headington, Gerald Ford, John Rochon, the Wilks Brothers, and multiple members of the Al Rajhi family. He has also represented Alex Rodriguez (former 14-time MLB All-Star and 3-time MVP), Jeff Frye (Texas Rangers' shortstop), Carrie Prejean (former Miss California and first runner-up Miss USA), and her husband, Kyle Boller (quarterback Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders), actor Judge Reinhold, David Yarrow (world's top photographer), Vince Young (quarterback, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles), Michael Brockers (defensive end, St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions), Jonathan Scott (former offensive tackle, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers), and the John Wayne family. Steve has also represented multiple Real Housewives of Dallas, nationally syndicated radio host Glenn Beck, Jeremy Lock (seven-time Military Photojournalist of the Year), two former Playmates of the Year, and Miss Teen Texas. He has represented numerous prominent companies, including ExxonMobil, Yahoo!, Bank One, Zurich Financial, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Alcatel, Guaranty Federal Bank, Trammell Crow, Texaco, Xerox, Sabre, Eljer Industries, Qwest, Hunt Asset Management, Callaway Golf, Dean Foods, Fossil, broadcast.com, Richmont, U.S. Risk, Generation Partners, Prophet Equity, Comerica Bank, PlainsCapital Bank, AdvoCare, Worldwide Express, Cook Children's Hospital, and Driscoll Children’s Hospital in significant litigation matters.

Steve has traveled to 93 countries on all 7 continents.

TEXAS PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION

In September 2019, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Steve to the Texas Public Safety Commission.

The Commission oversees the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS), the agency responsible for statewide planning and policy formation regarding the enforcement of criminal, traffic, and safety laws; crime prevention; and law and public safety education. With an annual budget of $1.2 billion, TxDPS employs 11,000 across 13 divisions including the Texas Rangers, Texas Highway Patrol, Driver License, Regulatory Licensing, and Intelligence and Counterterrorism. In addition, the Commission interfaces with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Department of Defense, and similar federal agencies, while advising the Governor in responding to state emergencies such as natural disasters, mass shootings, insurrections, invasions, and acts of terrorism.

Steve is the latest notable attorney to be appointed to the Commission. Recent members have included former Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson, Judge Ada Brown of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Judge Jason Pulliam of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, and former Texas Secretaries of State John Steen and Carlos Cascos.

Steve has a Secret clearance with the Department of Homeland Security.

Recent Experience

Breckenridge Geophysical Sale to Dawson Geophysical Company

Steve was profiled in the Texas Super Lawyers 2003 magazine published by Texas Monthly in an article entitled “The Dark Knight: Holy Transactions and Litigation! Steve Stodghill comes to the rescue for all his famous clients.” As Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and Steve’s long-time client, stated in that article: “Steve’s mind is always working on your case, and I like that … I’m not an expert in litigation, but Steve has one quality I really like: He wins.”

In 2016, BTI Litigation Outlook 2017 named his firm one of the “Most Feared Firms in Litigation,” ranking the firm in the top 15 firms nationally and rating Steve’s litigation group as either a “Standout” or “Honor Roll” for complex commercial litigation, class actions, product liability litigation, securities, and finance litigation and complex employment litigation.

Named to the Dallas 500 by DCEO as one of the “most powerful business leaders in Dallas/Ft. Worth,” 2023
Named a Texas “Local Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation, 2017–2025
Named a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly (top 5% of the lawyers in the state) for each of the 20 years in which the publication has been in existence
Recognized by Texas Monthly as a Top Attorney in Texas, 2014–2019
Recognized by The Wall Street Journal as a Best Lawyer in Texas, 2019
Recognized in Legal 500 US for General Commercial Disputes, 2018
Named a Best Lawyer in Texas by the Houston Chronicle and Dallas Morning News, 2018
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation and Entertainment Law-Motion Pictures and Television, 2018–2025, and for Appellate Practice, 2021–2025
Recognized in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Litigators in America” for Complex Commercial Litigation, 2023–2025
Received a first-tier law firm ranking by U.S. News & World Report, 2014
Named one of the top 500 lawyers in the nation by Lawdragon.com, 2006–2007 (and in the top 3,000 lawyers in the nation for 2008–2011)
Recognized among the country’s top business litigators in Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, 2008, 2010
Named to the litigation section in Super Lawyers Business Edition, 2011–2012
Named one of the top 15 business defense attorneys in North Texas by the Dallas Business Journal, 2009
Listed as a “Top Rated Lawyer in Commercial Litigation” in Corporate Counsel and The American Lawyer, 2012
Described as “one of the absolute best case strategists and masterful business developers” by Attorney at Law, 2017
The 2007 Dallas Observer “Best of Dallas” issue described Steve as a “pit bull of a lawyer.”
For the last 25 years, Steve has had an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for ethics and ability.

Steve’s previous representation of Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks has drawn numerous media accolades:

The Dallas Observer called the motion: “The Greatest Legal Brief in the History of Jurisprudence.”
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said the motion: “ . . . extended the Mavericks victory parade another week.”
The American Lawyer described Steve as “. . . a longtime Cuban confidant . . . ” and said Cuban is “. . . no stranger to high-powered defense lawyers.”
The San Antonio Express-News described the motion as “. . . the ultimate legal defense.”
The Wall Street Journal described Cuban’s argument as “The Dallas Mavericks are world champions, so go pound sand.”
Entertainment website ology.com said: “Even Mark Cuban’s legal team is the best in the world.”
GackSports.com said “Mark Cuban’s Legal Document RULES!”
CBSSports.com: “Mark Cuban files classic legal brief . . .probably the greatest legal brief in the history of legal briefs.”
A high-profile legal website labeled Cuban’s legal team as “. . . the best lawyers around.”

Steve was previously profiled in a cover story in Texas Lawyer: “When it’s a serious issue, and [Mark] Cuban figures an opponent is after his deep pockets, the billionaire entrepreneur says he asks Stodghill to take care of the problem. ‘When there is even a hint of a threat, I put Stodg on them to “Stodg them,” meaning pull out all the stops and let them know they are dealing with Steve Stodghill and they don’t have a chance,’” Cuban says.

FILM ACTING AND PRODUCING CAREER

Steve has an extensive film acting and producing career, which can be seen at IMDB.com. In 2007, Steve played the role of Luke Wilson’s lawyer in The Wendell Baker Story (co-starring Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Eva Mendes, and Harry Dean Stanton), a performance which Robert Wilonsky of The Dallas Observer described as “the best thing in the movie.” In 2008, Steve appeared in the film Karma Police. In 2010, Steve was featured in the documentary Dinner. In 2015, Steve was featured in the film Occupy, Texas. In 2016, Steve appeared in the documentary The Starck Club. In 2019, Steve was featured in the film Undying and the film Satanic Panic.

In 2018, Steve started a film production company named Last Rodeo Studios https://www.lastrodeostudios.com/. Last Rodeo Studios produced its first two feature films last year, Scare Me (a horror comedy) and Save Yourselves! (a Sci Fi comedy). Out of 14,000 submissions to The Sundance Film Festival last Fall, both were accepted and had their world premieres in January. Both films were accepted to The Dallas International Film Festival, Save Yourselves! was also accepted to SXSW and Rooftop Films, and Scare Me made its international bow at the Lisbon International Horror Film Feast. Both films sold for wide distribution internationally after their debut at Sundance. In 2023, Last Rodeo Productions premiered its third feature film, Somewhere Quiet, (a suspense thriller) at the Tribeca Film Festival, one of 106 accepted films out of over 12,000 submissions.

In 2021, Steve was awarded the prestigious Silver Telly Award for his co-production of BIG NIGHT (At the Museum), a film which highlighted the legacy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The American Alliance of Museums awarded BIG NIGHT a 2021 Bronze MUSE Award, acknowledging “outstanding achievement” in the engagement of audiences with useful and innovative programs and services and went on to receive over four million views while raising over one million dollars for The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. BIG NIGHT (At the Museum) earned three additional Telly Awards in the Concert, Non-For Profit and Fundraising, and Museums and Galleries categories.

APPEARANCES IN LITERATURE

Steve recently appeared as a University of Chicago Law School student in John Grisham’s The Exchange (Doubleday 2023).

Steve has appeared in print as a character in several thrillers by Harry Hunsicker, the former executive vice president of the Mystery Writers of America: Shadow Boys (Thomas & Mercer, Dec. 2014); The Grid (Thomas & Mercer, August 2015); The Devil’s Country (Thomas & Mercer, March 2017); Texas Sicario (2019); and The Life and Death of Rose Doucette (Oceanview Publishing, October 2024).

Steve recently made an appearance as “Trent Stodge,” the villain of the story, in a thriller written by Brian Cuban: The Ambulance Chaser (Amazon 2021).

CULTURAL REFERENCES

The Stodg Burger is a widely known, mammoth hamburger named for Steve. It has been on the menu at The Porch since the restaurant was opened in 2007 by local restaurateur Tristan Simon. Topped with a fried egg, bacon, and foie gras butter, the Stodg Burger helped The Porch claim the title as one of the Top 10 burger joints in the country as determined by reviewers on Foursquare; has been named a top 5 burger in the State of Texas by Texas Monthly; and in 2007, was named by The Dallas Observer as “Best Excuse for a Heart Attack.”

The Stodg-a-rita at Trece Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Lounge is the most expensive margarita in the city of Dallas. It is shaken, with Herradura Seleccion Suprema tequila, fresh lime juice, organic agave nectar and a dash of Red Bull.

Steve is the featured interview in a December 2020 podcast of Last Letters in which he is described as “a Texas litigator who has represented Mark Cuban, celebrities, billionaires and multiple fortune 100 companies, Steve is truly a renaissance man who embodies the Batman ethos.” Steve is interviewed by Jeremy Lock, a Bronze Star Medal recipient, who is the sole military photographer to be recognized seven times as the best in the business (Military Photographer of the Year 2002, 2005–2006, 2008, 2010–2012).

Memberships

Dallas Bar Association; American Bar Association; Research Fellow, Southwestern Legal Foundation; Charter Member, Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court; Texas Bar Foundation

Philanthropic Activities

Steve has received six major awards for his career philanthropic efforts on behalf of charitable organizations in Dallas:

The 2024 Angel Award presented annually by the Farrah Fawcett Foundation for his work with cancer-related initiatives, including Cattle Baron's Ball.
The 2021 Silver Telly Award for his co-production of BIG NIGHT (At the Museum), a film which highlighted the legacy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 2018 Larry Schoenbrun Jurisprudence Award presented annually by the Anti-Defamation League to a member of the legal community for outstanding leadership, exemplary contributions to the community, and a commitment to the ideals of the ADL.
The 2018 Obelisk Award presented annually by the Business Council for the Arts to companies and individuals whose contributions and achievements in the arts have made a profound impact in North Texas.
The 2017 Stodghill Award presented annually by the Dallas Film Society and Dallas International Film Festival to individuals based on their long-term efforts in support of film in North Texas.
The 2012 Milton Levy Award presented annually by Special Care and Career Services/LaunchAbility for lifetime service to children and young adults with cognitive disabilities.

AFI/Dallas International Film Festival/Dallas Film Society

Chairman, 2019–2020
Advisory Board Member, 2006–2015
Executive Board, 2008–2009, 2012–2015
Inaugural Chair of Festival, 2009
Recipient, The Stodghill Award for lifetime contribution to support of film in Dallas, 2016
Host, Stodghill Classic Movie Night:
- 2007 North by Northwest
- 2008 The Searchers
- 2009 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
- 2010 Touch of Evil
- 2011 Giant
- 2012 Singing in the Rain
- 2013 Sweet Smell of Success
- 2014 In the Heat of the Night
- 2015 The Hustler
- 2016 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- 2017 The Philadelphia Story
- 2018 Harvey
- 2019 Goldfinger
- 2021 The Band Wagon
- 2022 Rope
- 2023 Shane

American Cancer Society

NorthPark Center 2018 Luxury Ambassador for The Cattle Baron's Ball

American Film Institute

National Advisory Council, 2011–2024
Chair, 2016–2020
Vice Chair, 2012–2016

American Journey Experience

Advisory Board, 2022–2024

Anti-Defamation League

Recipient, Larry Schoenbrun Jurisprudence Award, 2018

Business Council for The Arts

Host, The Obelisk Awards, 2016
Recipient, Juror's Award, 2018

Cancer Blows

Chair, Gala 2016–2017

Cattle Baron’s Ball

Cattle Baron's Advisory Committee 2021 and 2022
Advisory Board, 2020

Circle 10 Council, Boy Scouts of America

Executive Committee Board, 2014–2017

Constituting America

Chair, Constituting America Dinner Honoring Texas Governor Rick Perry, 2011

Country Music Hall of Fame

Chair, All for the Hall Gala with Trisha Yearwood and Brooks & Dunn, 2021
Host, All for the Hall Dallas Exclusive Launch Celebration with Tenille Townes, 2023
Honorary Chair, All for the Hall Gala, 2024

Dallas Classic Film Festival

Co-Founder, 2022
Chairman of the Board, 2022–2024

Dallas Contemporary

Founding Member

Dallas Historical Society

Chair, Texas Independence Day Celebration 2022

Dallas Holocaust Museum

Host, Hope for Humanity Dinner, 2018

Dallas Opera

Board Member, 2012–2015
Chair, First Night Dinner, 2015
Host, Kick-off Party, 2012

Dallas Summer Musicals

Board Member, 2010–2016
Executive Committee, 2012–2016
Host, Priscilla Queen of the Desert Cast Party, 2013
Host, Nice Work If You Can Get It Cast Party, 2014
Host, 42nd Street Cast Party, 2016

Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Chair, Gala, 2013
Host, Gala Kick-off Party, 2013

Delta Tau Delta (UT Austin)

North Texas Honorary Chair, Housing Campaign
Architecture Committee, 2018–2023
Vice President, 1981
Pledge Class President, 1980

DIFFA

Honorary Chair, 2015
Style Council, 2014
Host, Burgers, and Burgundy Fundraiser, 2012

Farrah Fawcett Foundation

Recipient, Farrah Fawcett Angel Award, 2024
Host, Tex Mex Fiesta!, 2023

John Wayne Cancer Foundation

Chair, John Wayne Film Festival, 2014
Honorary Chair, John Wayne Film Festival, 2015

Leadership Foundation

Recipient, Business Leadership Award, 2012

Mission Olé

Host Fundraiser

North Texas Food Bank

Honorary Chair, Harvest, 2015

Parish Episcopal School

Capital Campaign, External Relations Committee, 2019–2021

Ronald McDonald House

Host, Kick-off Party, 2016

Semper Fi & America’s Fund

Host, Inspiring Evening with Our Nation’s Heroes, 2023

Southern Methodist University

Member, President’s Associates, 2017
Fiftieth Anniversary Ambassador, Meadows Museum
Founding Chair, John Alexander Membership Society, Meadows Museum
Executive Board, Meadows School of the Arts, 2017–2026
Board Member, SMU Tate Lecture Series, 2008–2013
Chair, Strategic Planning Committee, SMU Tate Lecture Series, 2010–2011
Nomination Committee, SMU Tate Lecture Series, 2012–2013

SPCA

Honorary Chair, Fur Ball, 2016

Special Care and Career Services/LaunchAbility

Inaugural Chair of Special Evening Event, 2003
Board Member, 2006–2011
Honorary Chair of Special Evening Event, 2007
Inaugural Chair of Community Advisory Board, 2011–2012
Recipient, Milton Levy Award for Lifetime Service, 2012
Foundation Trustee, 2012
Host, Special Evening Kick-off Party, 2013
Host, Special Evening Kick-off Party, 2015

Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEEDS)

Chair, NBA All Star Game VIP Party, 2010

Texas Book Festival

Board of Directors, 2024

Texas Public Policy Foundation

Host, Dallas Liberty Leadership Council Reception Honoring LTC Allen B. West, 2018

Texas Rangers Foundation

Host, Dallas 2023 Gala Honoring the Bicentennial of The Texas Rangers

Turtle Creek Recovery Center

Founder, A Night at the Turtle Creek Karaoke Lounge, 2010
Honorary Chair, A Night at the Turtle Creek Karaoke Lounge, 2012

University of Texas

Advisory Board, School of Liberal Arts, 2014–2023
Advisory Council, Harry Ransom Center, 2015–2024
- Host of Reception for Director of Harry Ransom Center, Stephen Enniss, to promote Spring Gala, 2016
Lifetime Member, The Littlefield Society
Chancellor’s Council, 2016–2024
- Executive Committee, Chancellor’s Council, 2017–2024
Board of Directors, The Texas Exes, 2022–2025

University of Texas School of Law