Jennifer S. Riggs

Riggs is a fearless advocate.  She is not afraid to "speak truth to power."  As a former Assistant Attorney General, Chief of the Open Government Section, and Chief of the Administrative Law Section of the Office of the Attorney General, she gained a healthy respect for the rule of law, and has the depth of experience to meet her clients' needs.  She understands that your professional license is essential not just to what you do but to who you are.  She also knows that litigation first is not always productive  -- legal problems often require negotiation and creative solutions.

Riggs has been Certified in Administrative Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1990.

Direct: (512) 457-9806 Fax: (512) 457-9066

Riggs has handled dozens of appeals, including the following noteworthy Administrative Law cases:
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Com’n v. Amusement and Music Operators of Texas, Inc., 997 S.W.2d 651 (Tex. App. – Austin 1999, orig. proceeding)
Successfully defended a temporary injunction obtained in the trial court to prevent the TABC from enforcing an unpublished "rule" on gambling devices. Still cited today as the seminal case on what is a "rule" that cannot be enforced without complying with the APA.

Lake Travis Independent School Dist. v. Lovelace, 243 S.W.3d 244 (Tex. App. – Austin, 2007)
Successfully defended parents sued for allegedly making harassing Public Information Act requests to the school district.

Abbott v. State Bar of Texas, 241 S.W.3d 604 (Tex. App. – Austin, 2007)
Successfully defended State Bar position that its members’ personal information was maintained “for the judiciary” and was not subject to disclosure under the Public Information Act.

Texas Dept. of State Health Services v. Holmes, 294 S.W.3d 328 (Tex. App. – Austin, 2009)
Successfully defended temporary injunction lifting state’s embargo on business owner’s laser hair removal device.

Rogers v. Texas Bd. of Architectural Examiners, 390 S.W.3d 377 (Tex. App. – Austin, 2011)
In professional "turf war" case, successfully protected engineers from Board of Architecture Examiners claim that Architecture Practice Act categorically preclude licensed engineers from preparing building plans and specifications. Case was part of larger effort to reach agreement between professions.

Greater Houston Partnership v. Paxton, 468 S.W.3d 51 (Tex. 2015)
Private nonprofit organization was not “supported in whole or in part by public funds,” and thus, was not “government body” within meaning of the TPIA.

Riggs has also handled commercial litigation to a jury verdict and defended the verdicts on appeal:
Coffel v. Stryker Corp., 284 F.3d 625 (5th Cir. 2002)
Successfully defended jury verdict obtained for client for fraud (punitive damages award was justified for employer’s fraudulent promise to award performance bonuses).

Southwest Texas HMO, Inc. v. Vista Health Plan, Inc., Not Reported in S.W.3d, 2010 WL 4260976 (Tex. App. – Austin, October 28, 2010)
Successfully defended jury verdict obtained for client (sufficient evidence supported the jury’s finding that HMO’s breach of an agreement caused providers to suffer damages).

Frequent author and speaker, including The Attorney General's Handbooks for Board Members, (First Ed. 1990), on the Texas Open Meetings Act, (First and 1989 Eds.), and on the Texas Open Records Act, (First Ed.)

Member, Austin Bar Association
Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas (Advisory Board)
Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation


University of Texas at Arlington (B.A. 1981)
University of Texas (J.D. 1984)