Larry A. Flournoy, Jr.

Telephone:
Practice Areas
- Fiduciary Litigation
- Trust & Estate Litigation
Biography
In his twenty-five years of practice, Larry A. Flournoy Jr. has devoted over twenty years of his practice to trust, estate, and fiduciary litigation, with those issues being the sole focus of his practice since 1999. After a few years, and several trials for the civil defense bar, Larry shifted his practice to trust and estate litigation and, in the year 2000, joined the firm of Graham, Smith & Lindquist. While at Graham, Smith & Lindquist ("Graham Smith"), Larry worked closely with and learned from three prominent ACTEC fellows, Michael Graham, Edward V. Smith III, and Philip Lindquist. During his time at Graham Smith, Larry's primary focus was probate and trust litigation, probate administration, and assisting fiduciaries, usually executors and trustees, in the administration of estates and trusts, with a specific focus on avoiding the pitfalls that lead to prolonged litigation and potential liability. After several years at Graham Smith, Larry decided to start his own firm, but maintained a close mentorship with Michael Graham and Edward Smith.
In 2006, Larry founded Jordan Houser Flournoy LLP, and served as the primary litigation partner for the firm. For the past sixteen years, Larry has continued to grow his practice and work as a leading probate and trust litigator in North Texas. Within the estate and trust field, Larry's practice has been wide and varied, with cases ranging from high-profile family and estate disputes, to simple will contests, to trust disputes and fiduciary litigation. Larry has served as lead counsel in breach of fiduciary duty cases against trustees and executors, trust modifications, trust constructions, trust reformations, accountings, declaratory judgment actions, suits for judicial instruction, suits for fiduciary discharge, will contests, suits involving powers of attorney, heirship proceedings, guardianships, mediations, and arbitrations. Larry's cases have included bench trials and jury trials. He has tried cases in Texas statutory probate courts, district courts, and county courts. He has handled appellate cases in the Texas appellate courts, the Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Larry has drafted numerous settlement agreements relating to these disputes.
Larry has dedicated his practice to representing trustees, beneficiaries, executors, creditors, and any other parties whose interests are affected by an estate or trust. Larry has handled a wide variety of cases during his career. He has attacked every case with dedication and a commitment to making the right decisions for his clients, whether that be through resolution or at the doors of the courthouse. Ultimately, the guiding principal in Larry's practice is "happy clients," and he approaches all of his cases with this goal in mind.
As an attorney representing clients in trust and estate issues, Larry has a great deal of experience in the interpretation of wills and trusts, including creative drafting solutions aimed at avoiding future conflicts and litigation. In addition to his litigation practice, Larry has advised clients and drafting attorneys at the planning stages to find ways to armor the estate plan to enable them to better anticipate and avoid future litigation issues. While his primary focus is litigation, ultimately, Larry realizes that artful planning and drafting, coupled with good communication with a skilled planner, can help to avoid future litigation. Thus, a portion of Larry's practice has shifted to focus on working with clients to help them create estate plans that are designed to avoid problems that can arise in connection with their chosen plan.
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1996
Education
- Baylor University School of Law, Waco, Texas
- J.D. - 1995
- Baylor University
- B.A. - 1992
Professional Associations
- State Bar of Texas , Member, 1996 to Present
- Dallas Bar Association, Member, 2000 to Present
Published Works
- How the Rise of Commercial DNA Tests Can Affect Estate Planning, DBA Headnotes, 2021
- How to Avoid a Will Contest, DBA Headnotes, 2017
Honors
- Texas Super Lawyer
- Rising Star Among Texas Super Lawyers
- D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas (Probate & Trust)
Languages
- English
Past Positions
- Jordan Flournoy LLP, Partner , 2006 to 2021
- Graham, Smith & Lindquist, L.L.P., Partner, 2000 to 2006
- True & Sewell, Attorney, 1999 to 2000
- Orgain Bell & Tucker, LLP, Attorney, 1996 to 1999
Classes & Seminars
- Settlement Agreements: Tax Implications, Friendly settlements, Unfriendly Settlements, Texas Bar CLE, Annual Advanced Estate Planning & Probate Course , 06/01/2022
- Ethics issues in contested probate litigation, Klemchuk LLP, 04/01/2022
- A Field Guide to Removal of Fiduciaries in Trust, Estate, and Guardianship Litigation, Texas Bar CLE Annual Course Fiduciary Litigation Seminar, 12/01/2021
- A Litigator's Prospective on the Counselor's Role - Strategies to Promote Harmony and Avoid The Big Fight, Texas Bar CLE, 04/01/2021
- X Marks the Spot. . . or Does it - Probate Issues When Dealing with Signature Cards and Beneficiary Designations in Texas, Texas Bar CLE Annual Course Fiduciary Litigation Seminar, 12/01/2020
- Premarital Agreements and Effect on Probate Process, Dallas Bar Association Probate Section, 07/01/2020
- The Perfect Storm: Estate Planning and the Crossover With Divorce, Texas Bar CLE, Annual Fiduciary Litigation Course, 12/01/2018
- Texas Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, Texas Bar CLE, Annual Fiduciary Litigation Course, 12/01/2017
- How to Armor the Estate Plan with Artful Drafting, Texas Bar CLE, Annual Estate Planning and Probate Drafting Course , 10/01/2017
- The New Probate Pattern Jury Charges, Plano Bar Association, 11/01/2014
- Probate and Guardianship for Beginners, Dallas Bar Association, 12/01/2013