Michael Burnett
Michael Burnett is a partner at the firm who is an experienced trial lawyer practicing in the area of family law and complex litigation. He is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and he is licensed to practice law in both state and federal court.
Michael has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the most preeminent divorce attorneys in Texas. He is listed in the national publication of Best Lawyers in America for his work in the practice area of Family Law and has been recognized several times as a "Super Lawyer" by Texas Monthly Magazine. He has also received the highest AV-Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.
Michael received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1991 and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1994. He began his career as a law clerk to Judge Royal Furgeson, United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. After his clerkship, he joined Minton, Burton, Foster & Collins, where he worked for sixteen years with trial lawyer Roy Minton handling cases across the state of Texas. In 2011, he joined Armbrust & Brown to head its family law practice. His divorce practice emphasizes significant property and custody cases, often involving large and complicated marital estates. His commercial litigation practice covers areas such as breach of contract, fraud and misrepresentation, real estate disputes, and professional liability.
- Representative Experience
Michael has served as lead counsel in a number of large and complex cases throughout the state. His clients have included a former Texas Speaker and Lieutenant Governor, UT Austin's head baseball coach, one of the country's largest law firms, Austin's largest title company, the founder and chairman of one of the most successful private equity firms in the country, and scores of other high-profile individuals and businesses.
Many of Michael's divorce clients are successful business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, public officials, doctors, lawyers, and their spouses. His background in complex commercial litigation gives him an advantage over other family lawyers when dealing with marital estates involving property valuation, tracing and characterization issues.
In addition to his trial practice, Michael has successfully represented clients in appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Texas courts of appeals. His reported cases include:
- Coburn v. Moreland, 433 S.W.3d 809 (Tex. App.—Austin 2014);
- Fish v. Texas Legislative Service, 2012 WL 254613 (Tex. App.—Austin 2012);
- 2800 La Frontera v. City of Round Rock, 2010 WL 143418 (Tex. App.—Austin 2010);
- Byram v. Scott, 2009 WL 1896076 (Tex. App.—Austin 2009);
- Ex parte Reese, 23 S.W.3d 54 (Tex. App.—Austin 2000); and
- Saenz v. Southern Union Gas Co., 999 S.W.2d 490 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1999)
- Professional/Community Involvement
- Texas Bar Association
- Texas Bar Foundation (Fellow)
- Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists
- Austin Family Law Advocates
- Austin Bar Association
- Austin Bar Foundation
- Former Member, Standing Committee on Professionalism, State Bar of Texas
- Former Member, The Arc of the Capital Area, Ambassador's Council
- Former Board Member, Easter's Seals of Central Texas
- The Admirals Club of Austin
- St. David's Episcopal Church