
Daniela Peinado Welsh
AssociateAbout
Daniela is a trial and appellate lawyer who is dedicated to serving her clients. She represents families and businesses in complex commercial and fiduciary litigation ranging from $20K to $20M at issue. She is licensed to practice in Texas, California, and D.C.
Daniela’s objective of helping clients includes attention to being cost-effective. She thinks strategically before recommending a new phase of litigation. But when appropriate, she has demonstrated success at every phase – from injunctions, demands, pleadings, liens, motions, hearings, depositions, discovery, mediation, settlements, trials, to class action and multidistrict litigation. She has tried cases in federal court, state court, and arbitration. Has later enforced or preserved her judgments through post-judgment, bankruptcy, and appellate litigation. And has proactively studied evolving issues affecting her clients like data security and the new Texas Business Court.
Before joining the full-service litigation team at GDHM, Daniela had several formative experiences. She worked for Fortune 5 companies at a global, white-shoe law firm. She learned how to think like a judge during federal clerkships (apprenticeships). And she attended Notre Dame Law School, where she was one of 10 students invited to join both Law Review and Moot Court. She also served as Co-President of the Hispanic Law Students Association.
Daniela credits her success and resolve to being a woman of faith and descendant of Bolivian immigrants. She and her husband met about 15 years ago on a fateful bus ride from Barcelona to Madrid. They are the parents of two spunky girls.
Professional Qualifications
She has the following credentials:
- Education:
- Notre Dame Law School (2018 Juris Doctor, with honors): Law Review; Moot Court; Dean’s Award, Legal Writing I & II; Co-President, Hispanic Law Students Association; Assistant Rector, Lyons Hall
- University of San Diego Law School (2014 Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Certificate, with honors): Ranked First in Class
- University of California at Santa Barbara (2013 Bachelor of Arts): Attended Full-Immersion Program at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona; Alpha Phi Sorority
- Experience:
- Federal Judicial Clerk, Hon. Lee Yeakel (2020–2022)
- Litigation Associate, Morrison & Foerster LLP (2018–2020); Summer Associate (Summer 2016 & 2017)
- Federal Judicial Clerk, Hon. Anthony Patti (Fall 2018)
- Litigation Law Clerk, Suppa Trucchi & Henein LLP (2014–2015)
- State Judicial Extern, Hon. Brian Hill (Summer 2012)
- Admissions:
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Representative Matters
Daniela’s experience as first- or second-chair has involved these highlights:
- Obtained successful jury verdict in $20M specific-performance lawsuit
- Chaired federal jury trial and federal bench trial for cases covered by local news
- Enforced contract for AI SaaS technology company through to arbitration award
- Obtained traditional summary judgment protecting seller of 135-acre ranch
- Won pre-judgment garnishment to make defrauded business owners whole
- Recovered $1M+ property for executor of estate by rescinding deeds
- Renewed and collected on judgment using post-judgment receivership
- Negotiated favorable settlement leveraging local emergency procedures
- Drafted trial and appeal briefs for government officials in Section 1983 litigation
- Briefed and argued pro bono case at U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- Secured First-Amendment victory for historic Baptist church at no cost to client, rejecting County’s suggestion that no building meant no church for tax exemption purposes
- Protected local daycare from breach-of-contract claims and protected local doctor’s office from non-compete and non-solicitation claims with quick and cheap demand letter practice
- Advised consumer product company through excess and exposure often associated with nonparty practice, such as by controlling discovery costs and securing mutual release
- Managed plaintiff- and defense-side litigation in multiparty construction defect cases, including by collaborating with owners, developers, engineers, consultants, and contractors
- Exercised proficiency in multi-forum and multi-district litigation for local homeowners
- Routinely served as Texas counsel and outside general counsel in state and federal courts
Publications and Presentations
She values staying ahead of legal developments. She has written or spoken on:
- “AI as a Tertiary Source” (forthcoming 2025)
- “What Lawyers Should Know about AI,” Texas Bar CLE (2025)
- “Fifteenth Court of Appeals Update,” Austin Lawyer (2025)
- “The Ins and Outs of Following the Disclosure Rules,” Texas Bar CLE (2024)
- “The New Business Court for Trials and Appeals,” Land & Mineral Owner Seminar (2024)
- “Texas Business Court Local Rules,” Strictly Business Blog (2024)
- “Business Courts Are Here,” Austin Bar Association (2023)
- “Are Business Courts Coming to Texas?”, Austin Bar Association (2023)
- “The Anatomy of a Federal Pleading,” Texas State Bar (2023)
- “Paths to the Bench,” The Cafecito Network (2023)
- “New Leadership in Western District of Texas,” GDHM Blog (2022)
- “Federal Judges Collaborate on Zoom, Ask Attorneys Do the Same,” ABTL Report (2020)
- “How FDA is Monitoring the COVID-19 Product Market,” Life Sciences Blog (2020)
- “FDA, FTC Send Warning Letters to Companies Marketing Products to Treat Coronavirus; State Attorneys General Follow Suit,” Class Dismissed Blog (2020)
- “The Future of Multidistrict Litigation,” 51 Conn. L. Rev. 769 (2019) (co-authored with Professor Jay Tidmarsh)
- “Contrasting Andean Attitudes toward Foreign Direct Investment,” 1 Glob. Soc’y J. 9 (2013)
Community Affiliations
Daniela is committed to her firm and her community, participating in the groups below:
- American Inns of Court
- Austin Bar Association, Civil Litigation Board
- Austin Young Lawyers, Leadership Academy & Board
- Cafecito Network
- LeadershipSBOT
- Federal Bar Association
- Mother Attorney Mentoring Association
- Mueller Neighborhood Association
- New Philanthropist
- Providence Church
- State Bar of Texas, Minimum Continuing Legal Education Committee
- Texas Young Lawyers Association
- Travis County Women Lawyers Association
- Volunteer Legal Services
Honors and Awards
- Austin Monthly Top Attorney (2025)
- Super Lawyers Rising Star (Thomson Reuters, 2024–2025)
- Texas Bar Foundation Fellow (2024)
- Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services (California State Bar, 2020)