R. SCOTT WALKER

Scott is one of the founding partners of Walker & Doepfner, PLLC. He began his legal career in 1989 with a three-year tenure at a large, prominent Dallas law firm followed by several years in private practice. He and Phillip Doepfner formed the firm together in 1997. Scott advises clients in estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, charitable gift planning, fiduciary representation and general business matters. Scott has written numerous articles for various publications on estate planning topics and been a guest speaker at dozens of educational seminars for professionals and clients. Scott has received the Martindale AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 peer review rating.

Practice Areas

Estate Planning
Estate Administration
Trust Administration
Probate
Charitable Planning
General Business Matters

Education

University of Virginia School of Law, J.D., 1989
Southern Methodist University, B.B.A. Finance, cum laude, 1986

Community Involvement

Member of Watermark Community Church
Board member for The Tod Bush Leadership Center
Advisory Board member and volunteer for Advocates for Community Transformation
Member of Southern Methodist University Planned Giving Advisory Council



(214) 987-3921
scott@w-dlaw.com
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PHILLIP R. DOEPFNER

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Practice Areas and Experience Detail


Beginning as a sole associate with William F. Billings, Phil handled a wide array of legal matters over nine years literally ranging from Adoption to Zoning, inclusive of bankruptcy (one debtor filing; multiple creditor filings and suit objecting to discharge of debtor and dischargeability of debt), criminal defense at state and federal level, family law, personal injury litigation, estate planning: wills and trusts, probate and estate administration, trademark applications (USPTO and State of Texas), copyright filings, consumer protection actions, and commercial disputes and debt actions.

Business Law and Contracts Active in the formation of an estimated number of more than 300 new business entities (including Corporations, Limited Liability Companies, General Partnerships, Limited Partnerships, and Limited Liability Limited Partnerships).
Attorney in charge of an estimated number of more than 250 transfers of ownership (representing Sellers, Purchasers and Licensees).
Regularly draft, negotiate and litigate contracts in all areas of trade, including international, representing manufacturers, distributors, sourcing agents and sales representatives.

Employment Law
Draft, negotiate and litigate employment agreements. Regularly provide counsel to employers and employees upon termination of employment. Negotiate severance packages and releases of claims. Experience defending and prosecuting charges of employment discrimination, example: prosecuted unanimous jury verdict in pregnancy discrimination act case in the U.S District Court, Northern District of Texas, with full award, statutory doubling and attorney’s fees.

Real Property
Comprehensive real estate transaction experience. Commercial and residential sales, home equity lending, 1031 exchanges, foreclosures, construction, leases, tax court and tax-exempt status work.
Title Insurance Agency Fee Attorney at Texas Title, 1998—2000, and Stewart Title, 2000—2001. Document Production Attorney, 2001—2002.

Civil Litigation
Lead attorney of record in approximately 250 litigation matters and approximately 10 arbitration matters. Actively involved as lead attorney in more than 100 mediations.
Appears before County and District Courts in multiple counties throughout Texas, and U.S District Courts.

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214-692-1716
phil@w-dlaw.com
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PHILLIP R. DOEPFNER

Phil is one of the founding partners of Walker & Doepfner, PLLC. He began his legal career in 1988, handling a wide array of legal matters under the mentorship of a long-time general practitioner. Following several years of practice in all areas of civil litigation and transactional work, Phil formed his own private practice. He and Scott Walker formed the firm together in 1997. Phil’s practice focuses on corporate counsel and litigation in civil and business matters, including contract, employment and real property issues. Phil has written articles on business organizations, fiduciary duties, and employment matters, and has presented to local bar associations on Texas business law. He has received the Martindale AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 peer review rating.

Practice Areas

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Corporate Counsel
Business Organizations
Employment and General Business Matters
Succession Planning
Real Property
Commercial Litigation

Education

Texas Tech School of Law, J.D., 1988
Georgetown University, Institute of Comparative and Political Economic Systems, Graduate 1983
Southern Methodist University, Dual Degrees: B.S. Economics, 1985, and B.A. Political Science, 1985

Admissions & Affiliations

Texas, 1988
U.S. District Courts,

Northern District of Texas 1989
Eastern District of Texas 1991
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit 1992
State Bar of Texas
Business Law
Dallas Bar Association
Business Litigation Section
Corporate Counsel Section
St. Thomas More Society
Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Life Fellow, Dallas Bar Association

Community Involvement

Phil regularly gives back to the community serving on various nonprofit boards as well as parish and school councils. He has been recognized for his commitment to pro bono legal work by the State Bar of Texas’ “Care Campaign,” an initiative to increase Texas attorneys’ pro bono contributions to their local communities.



214-692-1716
phil@w-dlaw.com
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KARL T. BRYANT

Prior to graduating law school, Karl had an exclusive opportunity to clerk for the Honorable Nikki DeShazo, the Judge of the Dallas County Probate Court. During his clerkship, Karl gained invaluable experience in the probate court system as he reviewed hundreds of applications for probate, guardianship, and trust matters. Karl joined Walker & Doepfner in 2002 and has dedicated his practice to helping individuals and families plan their estates, deal with the difficult loss of a family member, or work on behalf of an incapacitated or special needs child. Karl has also represented multiple trust companies in Dallas with their trust and estate matters, as well as court-created trust administration. Karl is a certified attorney and guardian ad litem.

Practice Areas

Estate Planning
Probate and Estate Administration
Estate Litigation
Guardianship
Trust Administration
Trust Litigation
Fiduciary Litigation
Charitable Planning
Special Needs Planning

Education

University of Oklahoma, B.B.A. Marketing, 1997
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D., 2000

Organizations & Admissions

State Bar of Texas
Dallas Bar Association
Collin County Bar Association
Dallas Estate Planning Council
Estate Planning Council of North Texas

Community Involvement

Frisco Bible Church member
Hesed International – African Ministry volunteer
Advocates for Community Transformation volunteer



(214) 379-0671
karl@w-dlaw.com
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RICK HOWARD

Rick’s practice at Walker & Doepfner is focused on estate planning, estate administration, and probate litigation. In addition, he has an extensive background in defense litigation in state and federal courts throughout Texas. He is admitted to practice in the Northern, Eastern and Western United States District Courts of Texas. Rick began his professional career in 1987 working in financial planning and auditing on defense projects for Texas Instruments in Dallas, Texas until he entered law school in 1991. After completing his J.D. Degree in 1994 he worked for Smith & Underwood LLC and Gioffredi & Associates. In 1999 Rick started his own law firm, Howard & Associates, focused on defense litigation, family law, and small estate planning. In 2011 he joined the staff of Watermark Church in Dallas where he directed all of Watermark’s international ministry efforts until he returned to private practice with Walker & Doepfner.

Practice Areas

Estate Planning
Estate Administration
Trust Administration
Probate
Charitable Planning

Education

B.B.A in Accounting from Baylor University, 1987
Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University’s Paul Hebert School of Law, 1994

Community Involvement

Watermark Community Church member
African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministry Volunteer
Forerunner Mentoring Board President
Mission of Hope Haiti Volunteer & Legal Advisor
ELAM Ministry Volunteer
Lake Highlands High School Athletics Board of Directors



(214) 987-9500
rick@w-dlaw.com
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DEBRA S. CRAFTON

Debra “Debbie” S. Crafton is a civil litigator who takes a hands-on personal approach to each case and has a reputation for integrity and for truly caring about her clients. She is an experienced negotiator who effectively represents clients throughout Texas in high-stakes business litigation, securing favorable outcomes for her clients in trial, through summary judgment and pretrial disposition, and using the alternative dispute resolution process. Debbie also represents clients at the appellate level and has developed successful arguments and authored briefs on a wide range of legal issues. As a former corporate executive, Debbie understands the issues and obstacles that face her business clients daily. She uses her professional experience as a former executive, a trained mediator, and a skilled attorney, to protect the interests of her clients.

Practice Areas

Real Estate and Construction Litigation
Estate and Trust Litigation
Business and Commercial Litigation
Landlord/Tenant Litigation
Debt Collection

Education

Debbie received a Juris Doctorate degree from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law (now known as Texas A&M University School of Law) and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Memberships

Debbie is a Fellow in the Texas Bar College a society of lawyers whose members are dedicated to maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards and are committed to attending at least double the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) hours required by the State Bar of Texas. Debbie also maintains membership in several professional and community organizations including the Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas, National Order of the Barristers, and Texas A&M Association of Former Students.

Community Involvement

Coppell Bible Fellowship Member
CBF Mentoring Program – Board Member
CBF Connections Team



(214) 884-1317
debbie@w-dlaw.com
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GREGORY G. TURNER

Greg focuses his practice on traditional estate planning, including the tax planning aspects of trusts, estates and charitable gifts. He has a wide variety of business experience including management oversight, oil and gas operations, the formation and governance of entities, business and asset transfers, commercial contracts, buy sell agreements, employment agreements, leases, real estate, and a range of day to day general counsel and business related matters. With his CPA and legal tax background, he provides both legal and tax advice in the areas of business, corporate and personal tax matters.

After earning his Bachelor of Business Administration and Juris Doctor from Baylor University, Greg accepted a position at a large, prominent Dallas law firm as an associate, and later, as a partner. He then joined Sound Visions Corporation as its Chief Executive Officer. He continued to work in-house, serving as President for Sound Refining, Inc., Ventana Exploration, Inc., and Asphalt Supply Atlanta, before returning to private practice full-time.

Practice Areas

Estate Planning
Probate and Estate Administration
Trust Administration
Business Transactions, Agreements and Planning
Energy and Oil & Gas
Tax Planning and Counsel

Education

Baylor University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1984
Baylor University, B.B.A. Accounting, summa cum laude, 1981

Organizations & Admissions

State Bar of Texas
Dallas Bar Association
Watermark Community Church member



214-884-1310
greg@w-dlaw.com
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JEREMY M. LEE

Jeremy focuses his practice on estate planning, tax, probate, charitable planning, trust administration and general business matters. His expertise includes drafting sophisticated wills and trust agreements, obtaining federal and state tax exemptions for private foundations, and assisting clients with the transfer of wealth in a tax-efficient manner.

Background

After law school, Jeremy accepted a position with a large prominent Dallas law firm and practiced there for seven years in the estate planning and tax groups before joining Walker & Doepfner in 2011.

Practice Areas

Estate Planning
Estate Administration
Trust Administration
Probate
Charitable Planning
General Business Matters
Tax Planning and Counsel

Education

Baylor University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2004 Whitworth University, B.A. Philosophy, 2000

Organizations & Admissions

State Bar of Texas
Dallas Bar Association (Probate Trusts & Estates and Tax Section Member)
Watermark Community Church member



(214) 379-0672
jeremy@w-dlaw.com
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STEPHEN S. COY

Stephen S. Coy takes pride in delivering clients premiere service in the wills, trusts and estates practice in and out of the courtroom. Before joining the Walker & Doepfner estate planning group, Stephen represented individuals, small and large businesses, banks, non-profit organizations, and governmental entities in a broad range of commercial disputes. Since joining the Walker & Doepfner firm, Stephen works with clients in all phases of the trusts and estates world. Stephen represents clients in the preparation of their estate plans and to navigate the probate system when loved ones pass away. Stephen has delivered successful results to his clients in contested matters related to probate, trust, and estate litigation across the state of Texas.

Practice Areas

Estate Planning
Estate Administration
Trust Administration
Probate
Will Contests
Estate Litigation
Trust Litigation
Fiduciary Litigation
Commercial Litigation

Education

Baylor University, B.A. History, Baylor Interdisciplinary Core Honors Program, 2005
Texas Tech University School of Law, J.D, Regent’s Scholarship, 2009

Organizations & Admissions

State Bar of Texas
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Dallas Bar Association
Collin County Bar Association

Community Involvement

Watermark Community Church member
African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries volunteer
Advocates for Community Transformation volunteer



(214) 379-0663
stephen@w-dlaw.com
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L. RANDOLPH MANO

Before moving to Texas in 2016, Randy was a principal in a Little Rock, Arkansas law firm focused on estate planning, probate, business transactions, qualification of charitable organizations, trust administration and related dispute litigation. Prior to practicing law, Randy founded and served as managing partner of an Arkansas multi-office CPA firm, where his primary practice area was taxation. He continues to assist clients with tax planning, tax dispute resolution and negotiation of Offers in Compromise.
Randy is licensed to practice law in both the states of Texas and Arkansas.

Practice Areas

Estate Planning
Estate and Trust Administration
Probate
Tax Planning
Charitable Organizations

Education

Bachelor of Science in Accounting - University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 1973
Juris Doctor - University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law, 1996

Organizations and Admissions

Watermark Community Church Member
State Bar of Texas
Arkansas Bar Association
American Bar Association
United States Tax Court
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
State of Arkansas, Certified Public Accountant (#1575, Inactive)



(214) 987-9500
randy@w-dlaw.com
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Attorney Profiles

Learn more about the professionals at Walker & Doepfner. Click the “Read More” links under each team member to review the experience our business and estate planning attorneys have to offer.

 
 

R. Scott Walker

Attorney, Counselor & Co-founder
Read More


Phillip R. Doepfner

Attorney, Counselor & Co-founder
Read More


Karl T. Bryant

Attorney & Counselor
Read More


 
 

Gregory G. Turner

Attorney & Counselor
Read More


Jeremy M. Lee

Attorney & Counselor
Read More


Stephen S. Coy

Attorney & Counselor
Read More


Rick Howard

Attorney & Counselor
Read More


L. Randolph Mano

Attorney & Counselor
Read More


Debra S. Crafton

Attorney & Counselor
Read More


 
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Our Team

 
 

Maribell Ibanez

Paralegal


Haley Maiocchi

Paralegal


Jaya McReynolds

Paralegal


 
 

Emily Stark

Legal Assistant


Kelly Walker

Office Manager


 
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