DALLAS – Accomplished trial lawyer Mark Werbner, co-founder of the Dallas law firm Sayles Werbner, has been named as a finalist in the 2008 Texas Bar Journal Short Story Fiction Writing Contest.

Mr. Werbner is an avid writer, and his submission for this year’s contest was selected as one of only 15 finalists among articles sent in by attorneys from across Texas.

"Texas is home to some of the best lawyers in America and there are plenty of talented writers among them.  I'm proud that my story was selected among the finalists who entered the competition," Mr. Werbner says. "My true calling remains the courtroom, but I enjoy writing and I'm happy the judges liked my story."

The story submitted by Mr. Werbner, titled “The Test,” follows his steps through the pro bono appointment process in a criminal case set in Dallas years ago.  His representation of a tough-as-nails defendant takes an unexpected turn that caught the attention of the competition’s judges.

A panel of judges assembled by the Texas Bar Journal reviewed each submission before forwarding the names of the finalists to the publication for final judging.

Mr. Werbner is a veteran trial attorney who has handled some of the country’s most notable cases during his 30 years of practicing law.  He is one of the rare attorneys to be Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in both Civil Trial Law and Criminal Law.  His work in high-profile courtroom cases has been featured in publications like The New York Times, USA Today and on televisions broadcasts from Court TV and ABC News, among many others.

Sayles Werbner has an international reputation as a “go to” trial law firm in multifaceted business litigation, intellectual property, life-altering personal injury cases, product safety lawsuits and other areas of the law.