Attorney Profiles

Biography

Natalie Duncan’s road to becoming a plaintiffs’ lawyer literally began on the road – on a cross country trip with other interns of the citizen watchdog group Public Citizen to the organization’s national conference in Washington, D.C. “We were towing a car with a collapsed roof to deliver to the National Transportation Safety Board, draped with a large banner that read, ‘Nader’s Raiders Roll On,’” she recalls with a smile. But it was the commitment of the lawyers she worked with through Public Citizen and the inspiring speeches by legendary civil rights and consumer advocates at the conference that motivated her to devote her career to representing plaintiffs. “I decided that practicing law would give me the opportunity to go into public service and would satisfy my need to serve individuals on a more personal level while engaging in work that was intellectually challenging and stimulating,” she says.

Natalie is an attorney with Baron & Budd’s settlement department, working to resolve an array of cases on behalf of victims of toxic torts and products liability. She also works to resolve asbestos victims’ claims for compensation from bankruptcy trust funds. Natalie finds her work very fulfilling: “On an individual level, I enjoy receiving phone calls from grateful clients. On a global level, I enjoy knowing that I have played a small part in preserving the civil justice system and in deterring companies from actions that could harm individuals.”

In addition to her work on behalf of Baron & Budd’s clients, Natalie devotes considerable time to pro bono and charitable work. She received the 2005 Outstanding Clinic Attorney Volunteer award from the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program through the Dallas Bar Association for her pro bono assistance to needy Dallas County residents. She is a regular attorney volunteer at the Garland, Texas Legal Aid Clinic. She also represented, pro bono, the family of a victim of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in seeking compensation from the September 11th Victims’ Compensation Fund, through the non-profit organization Trial Lawyers Care. She is also the co-chair of both the Dallas Bar Association’s Community Involvement Committee and the Dallas Association of Young Lawyer’s Barristers for Babies Committee.