Former AUSA Joins Burns Charest in Dallas

Clay Mahaffey joins prominent litigation firm from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the NDTX

DALLAS, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Burns Charest LLP is pleased to announce that Clay Mahaffey, a 22-year veteran of the U.S. Attorney's office in the Northern District of Texas and the Department of Justice, has joined the Dallas-based litigation boutique. During his lengthy tenure as an AUSA he handled a wide range of cases involving the financial industry, complex torts, government contracting, and complex regulatory issues. Moving to Burns Charest in an Of Counsel role, he will support the firm's roster of existing business litigation, class actions, mass torts, and other matters, while expanding the firm's False Claims Act case docket.

During just the past 15 years Mr. Mahaffey has led more than 35 investigations, many of which were prosecuted with parallel criminal cases for the U.S. Attorney's office. The majority of those cases have involved whistleblower lawsuits and agency referrals involving procurement fraud allegations and fraud allegations involving financial institutions.

"In my time with the U.S. Attorney's Office I've worked with almost every major law firm in North Texas, and developed an understanding of their practice areas, style, values, and cultures," says Mr. Mahaffey. "When I decided to take my career in a new direction, I reached out to several firms I knew and respected, and Burns Charest was at the top of the list. As I learned more, I was even more impressed by the accomplishments of their lawyers, the firm's achievements in difficult and sophisticated practice areas, and their commitment to representing the interests of their clients. I felt this would be a perfect fit and a place where I could make an immediate contribution on cases that mattered."

"We are extremely pleased that Clay made this decision and look forward to tapping into his experience and skills to support our national docket of complex plaintiff-oriented cases," says the firm's Daniel Charest. "He has earned an outstanding reputation on both sides of the aisle in litigating high-profile and important tort claims, and we're very fortunate to have him as a member of our growing team."

Mr. Mahaffey earned his law degree with honors from the University of Wyoming College of Law, and later served as a judicial law clerk for Chief Judge William F. Downes in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming before joining the Department of Justice in 2001.

To learn more about Burns Charest LLP, visit www.burnscharest.com.     

Media Contact:
Barry Pound
800-559-4534
[email protected]    

SOURCE Burns Charest