Biography
Lander B. Baiamonte is an attorney in the San Antonio office of Cokinos | Young. Prior to joining the firm, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, representing federal agencies and employees. During her six and a half years as an AUSA, Lander successfully handled a wide variety of cases from initial complaint to trial and appeal. Her experience includes defending against negligence, employment, administrative, immigration, and FOIA claims; prosecuting affirmative civil rights and civil penalty claims; handling criminal prosecutions; and protecting federal government interests in bankruptcy proceedings. Lander has first and second chair trial experience and has taken cases to verdict in state and federal courts on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. Before her federal service, Lander practiced at a plaintiff’s personal injury firm and served as a municipal prosecutor for the City of Corpus Christi.
Lander earned her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School, where she was a Senior Staff Editor for the Journal of Legislation, served three terms as her class representative to the Student Bar Association, and was recognized as a Top Ten Litigator. While in law school, she served as a Legal Fellow to U.S. Representative Filemon Vela on Capitol Hill, analyzing and drafting legislation affecting small businesses nationwide. After graduation, she clerked for the Honorable Nelva Gonzales Ramos of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. In 2021, she was elected a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the legal profession and her commitment to the community.
Education
- Notre Dame Law School – J.D., 2015
- University of Texas at Austin – B.S. Communication Studies and B.A. English, both with Honors, 2012
Recognitions & Distinctions
- Texas Bar Foundation Fellow
- Leadership Corpus Christi, Class 53
- American Heart Association Woman of Impact, 2023
Judicial Experience
- Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Nelva Gonzales Ramos, S.D.T.X. (2015–2016)
- Judicial Intern to the Honorable Nelva Gonzales Ramos, S.D.T.X. (2014)
Representative Experience
- Negotiated favorable settlement terms in numerous lawsuits involving personal injury and related claims
- Litigated as second chair on a wrongful death suit, resulting in a $32.1 million jury verdict
- Obtained Fifth Circuit affirmance of a favorable defensive ruling in an employment discrimination suit
- Litigated as first chair in a negligence suit wherein the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff below what the client had offered at mediation
- Represented various creditor clients’ interests in bankruptcy proceedings
Speaking Engagements & Presentations
- Visiting Professor, Notre Dame Law School, Intensive Trial Advocacy- Fall 2021; Spring 2020
Memberships & Affiliations
- Texas Bar Association
- Texas Women Lawyers
- Texas Exes
- Texas Young Lawyers Association
Admissions
- State Bar of Texas
- United States District Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Community Involvement
- Junior League of Corpus Christi, Board of Directors
- Coastal Bend Women Lawyers Association, Board of Directors
- American Heart Association, Circle of Red