The National Trial Lawyers brings together some of the nation's most accomplished trial attorneys, and their work continues to make headlines. From securing multimillion-dollar verdicts and taking on cases that challenge established legal boundaries to earning lifetime achievement honors and induction into prestigious legal halls of fame, our members are making their mark on the profession.
Every victory has a story, and these accomplishments deserve to be shared. This edition of Member Wins highlights four National Trial Lawyers member achievements spanning social media litigation, catastrophic trucking cases, medical malpractice, and criminal defense.
Mark Lanier Leads Trial Team in $6 Million Social Media Addiction Verdict
Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm in Houston, Texas, was lead trial counsel in a Los Angeles case against Meta and Google's YouTube. On March 25, 2026, the jury found that the platforms' design contributed to the mental health harm suffered by a young woman who began using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9.
Jurors awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages. They assigned 70% of the responsibility to Meta and 30% to YouTube. It was one of the first social media addiction claims to reach a jury. In June, the trial judge denied the companies' requests for a new trial, and Meta has since appealed.
Brent Goudarzi's Record in Trucking Litigation
Brent Goudarzi, founding partner of Goudarzi & Young, L.L.P. in Gilmer, Texas, focuses on catastrophic commercial trucking cases. His firm secured a $730 million jury verdict in 2021 in Titus County, Texas, after a fatal collision with an 18-wheeler.
The firm also reports a $260 million verdict from another fatal trucking crash and a $140 million settlement for a driver left quadriplegic after an 18-wheeler collision in Upshur County.
The National Trial Lawyers named Goudarzi its 2022 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyer of the Year.
J. Russell Hixson Helps Secure $19.8 Million Verdict Against Mayo Clinic
J. Russell Hixson, founding partner and president of Hixson & Brown, P.C. in West Des Moines, Iowa, was part of the trial team that won a $19.8 million medical malpractice verdict against Mayo Clinic and one of its former surgeons in November 2025.
The client, an Iowa woman, had a series of surgeries to treat ulcerative colitis. Her lawyers argued that the surgeon left 5 to 7 centimeters of diseased rectum in place, which led to more corrective surgeries and lasting complications.
An Olmsted County jury in Rochester, Minnesota, awarded $4.6 million for past harm and $15.2 million for future harm.
Dan Monnat Receives Two Lifetime Achievement Awards
Dan Monnat, co-founder of Monnat & Spurrier in Wichita, Kansas, was recognized twice in 2025 for nearly 50 years of criminal defense work.
In March, the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award. Monnat has been a member of the organization since it was founded in 1989 and served as its president from 1992 to 1995. In May, the Wichita Bar Association presented him with its 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award.
The attorneys featured here are just a few of the accomplished professionals who make up The National Trial Lawyers. Across the country, our members secure major verdicts, tackle complex cases, set legal precedents, and earn recognition as some of the profession's most respected attorneys.
Their accomplishments are what make The National Trial Lawyers a community of the best of the best. And we want to make sure those achievements get the recognition they deserve.
Your next big win could be our next Member Wins feature.
Whether you've secured a significant verdict or settlement, received a prestigious award, earned a place in a legal hall of fame, or reached another important career milestone, we want to hear about it.
Share your recent accomplishments with The National Trial Lawyers for consideration in a future Member Wins feature.
Case results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes in future cases.
