On July 11, 2025, a Travis County District Court judge entered final judgment in favor of long-time Scott Douglass & McConnico clients after SDM attorneys prevailed at a jury trial in Austin in May.

SDM’s client, Nelsen Partners, is a well-known architecture firm based in a historical building on Congress Avenue just steps from the Texas State Capitol.  In March 2023, a fire erupted in the neighboring building, causing substantial damages to the tenant, Nelsen Partners, and the building of the property owner, 905, Ltd. On behalf of Nelsen Partners and 905, Ltd., SDM filed suit against the neighbor, H. Dalton Wallace and Wallace’s company 909 Congress, Ltd. (collectively, “Wallace”) for trespass, negligence, and other claims because Wallace failed to maintain, secure, and develop his adjoining property over decades, allowing trespassers to enter his abandoned building at will. The claims also involved Wallace’s failure to maintain the historic party wall that provided support to the two buildings since they were constructed in the late 1800s. A trespasser, who had been living in Wallace’s building for months, recklessly started the fire while trying to cook a bag of nachos.

After a four-day trial, the jury provided a comprehensive victory for SDM’s client on nearly all claims at issue in the lawsuit, awarding SDM’s clients multi-million dollars in damages.

On July 11, 2025, the Court entered final judgment, finding that Wallace was liable for close to $4 million in damages, awarded SDM all of its requested attorney’s fees, and awarded full declaratory judgment relief for Nelsen Partners and 905, Ltd.  The final judgment can be found here.

Santosh Aravind and John Ellis led the trial team for SDM, which also involved Jane Webre, Hanna McGinnis, and Casey Dobson.