Don C. Griffin, Jr.

Partner

Condemnation & Eminent Domain

“I love helping a wide range of property owners. Everyone from mom-and-pop small business owners to the most sophisticated developers and companies deserve to obtain fair compensation from the State in condemnation cases.”

Don C. Griffin

Overview

For more than 25 years, trial lawyer Don Griffin has represented his clients in multimillion-dollar lawsuits in Texas state and federal courts. He is a trial lawyer with extensive courtroom experience and numerous jury trial verdicts. His practice focuses primarily on assisting property owners and developers subject to condemnation by government authorities.

Don has appeared before the Texas Supreme Court multiple times on behalf of his clients, most recently in February 2018 (W.A. “Andy” Meyers v. JDC/Firethorne, 548 S.W.3d 477 (Tex.2018)). Among his most high-profile verdicts was a February 2018 judgment against the State of Texas that resulted in an amount 1,837% above the State’s $1,300,000 compensation number after a three-week jury trial in Harris County — the largest reported jury verdict ever on behalf of a property owner in a Texas condemnation case. On May 28, 2020, the Houston First Court of Appeals issued a unanimous opinion affirming in all aspects the $28.8 million jury verdict obtained for his client CC Telge Road, L.P. See State v. CC Telge Road, L.P., No. 01-18-00416-CV, 2020 WL 2782370 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] May 28, 2020, n.p.h.).

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Experience

  • January 2024 – Settlement and net recovery to Travis County property owner of $4.79 million on original offer of $2,239,740.00 from State of Texas for taking a fee interest in 3.48 acres to expand FM 973 near new TESLA manufacturing facility

  • October 2023 – Settlement and net recovery to client of $9.1 million on original offer of $41,847.00 from a Harris County Municipal Utility District for taking of a 2.46 acre drainage easement from an operating sand mine property upon which storm water drainage improvements were constructed by the condemnor to support a 1,600-acre master-planned community in Northwest Harris County

  • February 2023 – Settlement and net recovery to client of $4.79 million on original offer of $694,985.00 from a Harris County Municipal Utility District for taking approximately 24.5 acres for a drainage easement upon which storm water drainage improvements were constructed by the condemnor to support a 1,600-acre master-planned community in Northwest Harris County

  • January 2020 – Settlement and net recovery to property owners of $2.1 million on original offer of $680,025.00 from Harris County Flood Control District for fee taking to support storm water channel improvements

  • September 2019 – Jury verdict 960% above State’s first offer of $415,000.00 with net recovery to client of $2.7 million. Jury trial verdict and judgment against the State of Texas for right-of-way acquisition from a 300,00+ square foot cold warehouse/freezer facility for TxDOT’s S.H. 288 Project. The State did not appeal

  • July 2018 – Settlement and net recovery to property owner of $2,105,000.00 for State’s taking of 900 square feet from 0.898 acre tract improved and operated as a Jared jewelry store for TxDOT’s F.M. 1960 Project

  • Jury verdict for $28.9 million, 2,223% above State’s offer of $1.3 million in a partial takings case for the Grand Parkway; the State took 40 acres out of a 613 acre tract being developed as a residential subdivision in Harris County, Texas, resulting in development changes yielding a lower value; this is believed to be the largest jury verdict for a property owner in a condemnation case ever in the State of Texas (The Texas Lawbook, February 7, 2018); the State appealed, and the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment for the property owner; subsequently, the Texas Supreme Court denied the State’s petition for review

  • February 2017 – Settlement and net recovery of $17.5 million to the property owner for Harris County acquisition of 50,000 square-foot expanded polystyrene manufacturing facility as part of Hardy Toll Road Expansion Project. Harris County’s appraisal and offer at the time of settlement was $5.4 million

  • May 2015 – Jury verdict in Denton County resulting in 1,800% increase above State’s pretrial offer. Denton County jury returned a verdict of $1.06 million for the property owner when the State’s offer before trial was $49,104.00 ($913,563.00 net recovery to client). This case was appealed by the State and the Texas Supreme Court issued an opinion in June 2018 affirming the jury verdict and final judgment. See Morale v. State of Texas, 557 S.W.3d 569 (Tex.2018).

  • September 2014 – Jury verdict resulting in 270% increase in compensation to client. Jury trial verdict equivalent to compensation sought by property owners at trial for the taking of a 42-acre tract for a detention pond in Harris County, resulting in a net recovery to clients of $8.85 million, when condemning authority’s first offer was $3.28 million. The verdict was affirmed by the Houston Fourteenth Court of Appeals and the County’s petition for review to the Texas Supreme Court was denied

Credentials

Education

  • Baylor Law School, J.D., 1990 (Baylor Law Review; Order of Barristers; various law school organizations)
  • University of Texas, B.B.A., Finance, 1986

Admissions

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

Recognitions

  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Lawyer of the Year,” (Houston): Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law, 2023; Litigation–Real Estate, 2023
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), (Houston): Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law, 2020–2027; Litigation–Real Estate, 2021–2027
  • Chambers USA, Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Texas), 2023–2026
  • Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2025
News & Achievements

Awards & Rankings

Chambers USA 2026 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 66 Practice Categories, 170 Individual Lawyer Rankings

Vinson & Elkins announced today that it achieved 20 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2026: Nationwide: Energy Transition; Energy: …

June 4, 2026

June 4, 2026 • 3-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Vinson & Elkins Earns 305 Rankings in The Best Lawyers in America 2026, Including Five “Lawyer of the Year” Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings, LLC) has named 125 Vinson & Elkins lawyers in its “Best Lawyers” category in the 2026 edition. Additionally, 76 Vinson & Elkins attorneys have been named in the “Ones to Watch” category, which recognizes lawyers with 5–10 years’ experience. Some individuals are listed in more than one practice area, giving the firm a total of 305 rankings.

August 21, 2025

August 21, 2025 • 3-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Chambers USA 2025 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 67 Practice Categories, 167 Individual Lawyer Rankings

Vinson & Elkins announced today that it achieved 18 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2025: Nationwide: Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation); Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional); Energy Transition; Offshore Energy; Projects: Oil & Gas; Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional New York: Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Highly Regarded Texas: Bankruptcy/Restructuring;  Capital Markets: Debt & Equity; Corporate/M&A: The Elite; Environment: Mainly Transactional; Litigation: Securities; Real Estate; Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use; Tax; Technology: Corporate & Commercial Texas: Austin & Surrounds: Corporate/M&A Texas: Dallas, Fort Worth & Surrounds: Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Of the firm’s 167 individual lawyer rankings, 16 were newly added in 2025. Some lawyers are ranked in more than one category.

June 5, 2025

June 5, 2025 • 3-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Chambers USA 2024 Recognizes Vinson & Elkins in 61 Practice Categories, 163 Individual Lawyer Rankings

Vinson & Elkins announced today that it achieved 19 Band 1 rankings in Chambers USA 2024: Nationwide: Energy: Oil & Gas (Regulatory & Litigation); Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional); Energy Transition; Offshore Energy; Projects: Oil & Gas; Projects: Power & Renewables: Transactional New York: Bankruptcy/Restructuring: Highly Regarded; Corporate M&A: Takeover Defense Texas: Austin & Surrounds: Corporate/M&A; Bankruptcy/Restructuring; Dallas, Fort Worth & Surrounds: Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation; Capital Markets: Debt & Equity; Corporate/M&A: The Elite; Environment: Mainly Transactional; Litigation: Securities; Real Estate; Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use; Tax; Technology: Corporate & Commercial Of the firm’s 163 individual lawyer rankings, 22 were newly added in 2024. Some lawyers are ranked in more than one category.

June 6, 2024

June 6, 2024 • 3-minute read

Awards & Rankings

Vinson & Elkins Earns 308 Rankings in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings, LLC) 2024, Including 6 “Lawyer of the Year” Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America has named 124 Vinson & Elkins lawyers in its “Best Lawyers” category in the 2024 edition. Additionally, 87 Vinson & Elkins attorneys have been named in the Ones to Watch category, which recognizes lawyers with 5-10 years’ experience. Some individuals are listed in more than one practice area, giving the firm a total of 308 rankings.

August 21, 2023

August 21, 2023 • 2-minute read

Vinson & Elkins Earns 308 Rankings in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings, LLC) 2024, Including 6 “Lawyer of the Year” Recognitions