Cliff P. Riley Member

Mr. Riley is a deeply experienced litigator who has been trusted to litigate high-stakes cases in state and federal courts throughout Texas, with an emphasis on business disputes, real estate litigation, and appellate matters.

Mr. Riley has successfully served as lead counsel in trial court litigation and has been the lead drafter on winning briefs before the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Courts of Appeals. In addition, Mr. Riley has wide-ranging experience in white collar criminal defense. Many of Mr. Riley’s cases have been covered by major media. 

Some examples of Mr. Riley’s work include:

• Securing a $40 million payment for and the dismissal of a lawsuit brought against the real estate developer of the Toyota Music Factory located in Irving, Texas.
• Defeating a lawsuit brought against a major real estate developer by a homeowners’ association that sought to halt the construction of a 253-unit multifamily development.
• Representing a federally indicted executive in the Forest Park Medical Center trial—one of the largest and most publicized criminal trials in the history of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
• Prevailing before the Texas Supreme Court in securing a litigation victory for a major real estate developer.
• Successfully obtaining temporary restraining orders on an emergency basis in numerous cases.
• Serving a prestigious secondment with JPMorgan Chase to assist in-house counsel with the management of a significant amount of litigation cases throughout numerous states.
• Obtaining favorable outcomes in numerous trade secret misappropriation cases, ranging from clients in finance to the the oil and gas industry.

Beyond these significant cases, Mr. Riley has also litigated numerous lawsuits involving: limited liability company membership and partnership disputes; arbitration proceedings; breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duties; patent and trademark disputes; and non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure agreements. Mr. Riley has also represented high-net worth individuals in a unique array of professional and personal matters.

Prior to joining Dykema, Mr. Riley served as a law clerk for the Honorable William F. Kuntz, II in the Eastern District of New York. As a federal law clerk in New York City, Mr. Riley gained a trove of experience in high-dollar litigation and high-profile criminal matters.  While at Pepperdine School of Law, Mr. Riley served as the Managing Editor of the Pepperdine Law Review, represented the law school on the competition Moot Court Team, and earned Dean’s List honors and “CALI” awards for the highest grade earned in numerous courses.