People Who Make a Difference: Yolanda Garcia

Yolanda Garcia is a partner in the Complex Commercial Litigation group based in the firm’s Dallas office. She joined Sidley in 2013, bringing with her extensive experience with complex and mega-litigation.

Yolanda maintains a very diverse practice. Beyond her traditional complex commercial practice, she also works in securities and derivatives ligation, arbitrations, class actions, bankruptcy litigation and other types of multi-district dispute litigation. She serves clients from a variety of industries, including energy, retail, financial services and airlines. Before joining Sidley, Yolanda served as the lead litigator on the 2010 Texas Rangers’ bankruptcy.

Yolanda successfully litigated and won one of the very first motion to dismiss proceedings in the state of Texas, which recently adopted the procedure. According to Yolanda, the new motion to dismiss practice could have a large impact for Sidley clients. Yolanda has already chalked up an early victory in this new space, making Sidley particularly well-positioned to guide clients as they determine as they determine how to proceed with their Texas matters.

Over the years, Yolanda has been the lead on many complex litigation matters and has developed a critical understanding of how to manage mega-litigation across the firm and with co-counsel, allowing her to take advantage of every opportunity to enhance a client’s cause. 

Outside of work, Yolanda, a mother of four, is active with civic organizations in the Dallas area, primarily those focused on educational attainment by children from underserved communities. Several times a year, she takes part in school career days where she leads short trial trainings and speaks to students of all ages about the practice of law. Yolanda says that she has dedicated herself to serving kids from communities similar to the kind she grew up in, “where almost nobody had parents who went to college and where many people, like myself, had parents who didn’t finish high school. For these students, the road to college can seem pretty overwhelming.”

Yolanda’s work has been noticed far beyond Sidley. In 2013, she was named a “Super Lawyer” by Texas Super Lawyers, and as a “Texas Rising Star” every year from 2006-2012. The Dallas Business Journal named Yolanda to its 2009 “40 under 40” list.

Yolanda serves on the firm’s Ethics Committee and is the co-chair of the Dallas Diversity Committee. She has seen first-hand in her work how diversity can facilitate more effective teams. More than just putting together client teams of experienced lawyers “Sidley also capitalizes on the differences within the firm—be that in practice, background, or other types of diversity to field the winning team the client needs.”

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