Tonya has prosecuted and defended litigation for Fortune 500 companies, medium and small businesses, and non-profit entities in a wide range of commercial litigation matters.

Representative examples include:

General and Business Litigation:

• Obtained favorable verdict in jury trial on business disparagement and defamation lawsuit.
• Part of trial team that obtained $2.3 million dollar trial verdict/recovery in bankruptcy court for large energy construction contractor against landfill project and private equity group.
• Successfully tried contract dispute where existence and enforceability of contract were challenged, and there was spoliation issue.
• Successful defense of request for temporary injunction against local software company.
• Successful defense of out-of-state chemical company in federal court action, resulting in summary judgment in client's favor on claims for breach of duty of good faith and fair-dealing and breach of express and implied warranties.
• Successful prosecution and resolution of multi-million dollar insurance coverage dispute between energy company and its insurers.
• Successful defense of dot-com in federal court action involving allegations of trademark infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of the Computer Security Act and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
• Successful defense of a national bar association in litigation brought by major hotel chain seeking judgment on liquidated damages clause.
• Favorable resolution of million-dollar dispute for telecommunication company in state court action filed by beneficiary of factoring agreement.

Tort/Insurance Defense Litigation:

• Successful defense of state court actions alleging general negligence, negligent entrustment, premises liability, and products liability, and involving serious bodily injuries or significant property damage.
• Successful representation of clients at bench trial in matter before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
• Obtained favorable verdict in state district court trial involving adverse possession claim.

Contract Negotiation Experience:

• Draft and negotiate all types of contract provisions and agreements, including indemnity provisions, ADR provisions, employment agreements, non-compete/non-disclosure agreements, teaming agreements, procurement agreements, licensing agreements, and franchise agreements.
• Served as corporate counsel to several local companies and non-profit entities on all of their contract matters.
• Negotiated contracts valued at $500,000 to $2,500,000, involving goods and professional services.

Bar and Community Leadership

• Commissioner, City of Dallas Community Development Commission (2007-April 2009)
• Chair, Dallas Arts District Alliance Board (2009)
• Chair, Dallas Symphony Orchestra African American Festival Committee (2009)
• Director, Dallas Bar Association Board (2006-2007)
• Barrister, Patrick E. Higginbotham Chapter of American Inns of Court (2005, 2006 and 2007)
• Co-Chair, DAYL Lawyers Promoting Diversity Committee (2005 and 2006)
• Mentor, DAYL Mentor Match Program (2007 - present)
  

Honors and Awards

• DAYL 2010 Outstanding Mentor Award
• Outstanding Young Lawyer of Dallas Award from DAYL, 2006
• Designated as a Rising Star in the Texas Super Lawyer edition of Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazine, 2009, 2008, and 2006
• American Marshall Memorial Fellowship from the German Marshall Fund of the United States; awarded to leaders in politics, business, media, and the nonprofit sector who complete an extended tour in Europe designed to strengthen transatlantic relationships, 2005
• J.L. Turner Legal Association President's Award, 2007, 2004 and 2003
• Dallas Bar Association Award of Excellence, 2004
• Co-recipient, National Bar Association President's Award for successful representation of NBA in high-profile litigation, 2003
• Dallas Bar Association Outstanding Minority Bar Leader Award, 2002
  

• Tonya Parker Receives 2010 DAYL Outstanding Mentor Award (5/28/2010)
• Six Gruber Hurst Attorneys Named Among Texas' Top Young Lawyers (4/6/2010)
• 4 Outstanding GHJH Attorneys named Rising Stars by Texas Super Lawyers 2009 (4/7/2009)
• Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail names Tonya Parker as newest partner (1/5/2009)
• Tonya Parker featured in Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2008 (5/7/2008)
• 4 Stellar GHJH Attorneys named Rising Stars by Texas Super Lawyers 2008 (3/24/2008)

• Employment Torts Update, presented at UH Advanced Employment Law CLE Seminar, May 2009

• Inclusion:  The Older and Better Looking Sister of Diversity, ethics CLE presented to North Texas Paralegal Association, June 2008

• Texas Insurance Law Update and Proposed Legislation, presented to Liberty Mutual's Legal Services and Claims Dept., June 2007

• Sticks and Stones Can Break Your Bones But Words May Get You Sued: Business Defamation and Disparagement Claims, presented at Women That Soar Small Business Luncheon, August 2003

• Public Construction Contracts in Texas, presented at DFW Airport's Tenth Annual Small Contractors Development Workshop, February 2002 (with H. Ron White)

• What Your Employees Know Can Hurt You: Use A Confidentiality/Non-Disclosure Agreement to Protect Trade Secrets, Dallas Business Journal, June 15, 2001

• What Your Employees Know Can Hurt You!, www.law.com, Intellectual Property Law Practice Center, April 18, 2001

• The Franchise Enterprise: Investigate Before You Invest, Minority Opportunity News, September 2000

• All Rise!: Reflections on My First Jury Trial, The Dicta, July 2000

• Student-Athlete Sexual Violence Against Women: Defining the Limits of Institutional Responsibility, Washington & Lee Law Review, Vol. 55, No. 1, Winter 1998 (with Timothy Davis)