Heather Peckham’s litigation experience includes contract and business tort disputes, Sherman Act and state antitrust claims, and common law trademark and Lanham Act claims. Her practice also extends to domestic and international arbitration and complex class actions. Heather is an Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP) and Certified Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

Before joining Akin, Heather served as a briefing attorney for Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson and Justice Alberto Gonzales of the Texas Supreme Court from 2000-2001. She was the Tulsa, Oklahoma area Clean Cities Coordinator (an air quality and clean fuels program) before attending law school.

Representative Work

Represented universities in putative class actions concerning the transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, obtaining favorable results and a ruling upholding the constitutionality of a Texas pandemic liability protection statute by the Texas Supreme Court.
Represented an international oil & gas pipeline company and its subsidiaries in various contract and construction matters, as well as in internal investigations.
Counseled a leading telecommunications company regarding premerger integration planning and antitrust compliance.
Represented a Canadian oil & gas exploration company before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in a challenge to a $25 million contract, fraud and tortious interference judgment for our client. The 5th Circuit affirmed the judgment.
Counseled a leading asset management and financial planning firm in a putative class action and Fair Labor Standards Act collective action, obtaining summary judgment for our client.
Represented an international oil & gas pipe and connection manufacturer in a challenge to a merger by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Education
J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, cum laude, 2000
M.S., Oklahoma State University, 1997
B.S., University of Tulsa, cum laude, 1995

Clerkships
Texas Supreme Court

Bar Admissions
Texas

Recognitions

Certifications

Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP), IAPP
Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy, MIT Sloan School of Management Executive Program
Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US), IAPP

Affiliations and Public Service

Member, State Bar of Texas
Member, 5th Circuit Bar Association
Member, Dallas Bar Association and its Appellate and Business Litigation sections
Member, Texas Supreme Court Historical Society
Member, Texas Pro Bono College