Education

University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2009, with honors; Articles editor, The Review of Litigation

University of Texas, B.A., 2005, Plan II Honors, summa cum laude

Admissions

State Bar of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas

Varant represents plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of commercial litigation matters, from contentious partnership disputes to claims involving complex modern technology. He has built a reputation as an assertive, efficient, and pragmatic trial lawyer, leveraging prior experience at an Am Law 200 firm as well as a regional firm with a heavy trial docket. A relentless advocate for his clients, Varant stands ready to prosecute claims and bring defenses up to and through trial.

Parties on both sides of the table call on Varant to protect their interests in organizational litigation matters. His experience includes obtaining a large settlement on behalf of a plaintiff limited partner in litigation involving one of the world’s largest commodities brokerages; successfully defending the directors and officers of one of Texas’ largest independent physicians associations against claims of breach of fiduciary duty brought by former shareholders; and obtaining favorable settlements on behalf of real estate fund managers sued by their limited partners for mismanagement, breach of fiduciary duty, and fraud.

Varant’s track record of exceptional results also extends to the tech sector. He routinely prosecutes and defends claims in connection with various forms of cutting-edge technology, ranging from smart infrastructure to new biomedical processes. Recently, after a weeklong arbitration processing, he obtained a full dismissal of all claims involving the billing technology of a global telecommunications company. Another notable victory entailed obtaining an early dismissal of claims of trade secret theft and unfair competition for a cloud computing AI startup. Both cases included a six-figure award of attorneys’ fees.

Notable Experience

Tech

  • First-chaired weeklong arbitration hearing in dispute over proprietary medical technology appropriated by competing startup. Obtained relief on all claims of liability for the plaintiff and a seven-figure award of all damages, including over half a million in attorneys’ fees.
  • After weeklong arbitration proceeding, obtained full dismissal of all claims against global telecommunications company, including half-million-dollar award of attorneys’ fees.
  • Obtained full dismissal, including six-figure award of attorneys’ fees, in trade secret dispute involving cloud computer AI startup.
  • First-chaired weeklong trial in federal court representing fiber network provider who had suffered damage to its optical facilities.
  • Represented medical advisory and analytics firm in multimillion-dollar product liability and negligence action. Obtained favorable settlement prior to discovery due to aggressive motion to dismiss filed shortly after the case’s inception.
  • Represented one of the nation’s top telecom billing aggregators in connection with multimillion-dollar breach of contract and RICO claims against third-party service providers.
  • First-chaired weeklong trial in federal court. The lawsuit involved claims brought on behalf of a telecommunications company whose underground fiber optic facilities had been destroyed by a construction company.
  • Obtained court-ordered relief for a large advertising company precluding a litigant from accessing terabytes’ worth of the advertiser’s sensitive and proprietary electronically stored information.

Partnership and Organizational Disputes

  • Obtained eight-figure settlement for claimant in partnership dispute involving multiple lawsuits and a parallel arbitration proceeding.
  • Successfully defended chief operating officer of a design-build firm. The plaintiff nonsuited all claims without the client having to pay a settlement.
  • Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of directors and officers of a leading physicians association who had been sued by limited partner with the client paying de minimis settlement.
  • Obtained favorable settlement on behalf of principal of an eight-figure real estate investment fund.

Energy

  • Second-chaired trial that resulted in a take-nothing verdict on behalf of one of the nation’s largest energy producers.
  • Successfully obtained summary judgment on affirmative claims for relief totaling $1.7 million in favor of one of the nation’s largest independent oil and gas producers. The dispute involved plugging and abandoning costs incurred in connection with two offshore platforms.
  • Represented oil and natural gas producer in connection with a multimillion-dollar dispute with another exploration and production company involving saltwater disposal wells.
  • Second chaired two-week-long trial in state court. The lawsuit involved claims of nuisance, trespass, and negligence against an oil and gas exploration and production company.

Construction and Manufacturing

  • Represented one of Latin America’s largest construction and infrastructure development companies in multimillion-dollar litigation involving numerous sureties.
  • Obtained dismissal of all tort claims against one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of iron piping in a product’s liability lawsuit.
  • First-chaired bench trial in state court. The lawsuit involved claims of trespass, nuisance, and negligence against a preeminent luxury and custom home builder.
  • Represented and obtained recovery for claimant in weeklong arbitration proceeding concerning commercial construction project.

Honors and Awards

  • 40 & Under List, Benchmark Litigation (2024)

Professional Affiliations

  • Houston Bar Association
  • Texas Young Lawyers Association
  • Texas Bar Foundation