V. Blayre Peña

Blayre has practiced civil litigation and has handled civil appeals full-time for almost twenty years, covering all aspects of business and construction disputes. She is a legal strategist, with experience in messy litigation with multiple parties or in multiple forums and serves as General Counsel for a variety of Texas corporations and individuals.

Often, Blayre's aim is to keep her clients out of the courthouse by resolving disputes before they escalate. She is confident, capable, and skilled at seeking relief at the courthouse, from the first filing, through trial, and on appeal. In 2021, Blayre achieved Board Certification in Civil Appellate Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Although there are over 93,000 lawyers licensed to practice law in the State of Texas, there were only 400 lawyers in the State of Texas with this special designation at the time Blayre became certified. She is also the first lawyer with an office in Williamson County who is board certified in Civil Appeals, and is currently the only attorney in Williamson County with this designation.

Blayre represents both Plaintiffs and Defendants, which gives her a unique perspective in defending cases aggressively. She has also represented all subsets of parties in construction disputes, including general contractors, subcontractors, owners, and sureties. Blayre has first-chaired jury and non-jury trials and received favorable verdicts in her clients’ favor. She has handled cases all over the state of Texas including in Austin, Dallas, Georgetown, Houston, Lubbock, and McAllen, and has established a strong reputation as a zealous advocate with both judges and her peers.

Outside of the office, Blayre enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons. They love cooking, gardening, singing karaoke, and traveling.

Speaking Engagements

Blayre speaks at various continuing education events and community events. Blayre's recent public appearances include: 

Speaker at Things Lawyers Get Asked at Cocktail Parties; presented by the Professional Women of Williamson County (September 25, 2024).

Speaker at 19th Annual Ultimate Trial Notebook; presented by Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association (September 20, 2024);

• Panel - Closing Arguments: Mastering the Art of Persuasion; co-panelist Hon. Aurora Martinez Jones, Rudy Metayer, Hon. Lee Yeakel. 

Speaker at Civil Appellate Practice 101; presented by the State Bar of Texas (September 4, 2024);

• Panel - Preparing for the Specialization Exam - with Q&A; co-panelist - Melissa Lorber.

Speaker at Cuban Trip Download: the legal system, US/Cuban relations, and the culture; hosted by the Williamson County Inns of Court (April 18, 2024).

Speaker at 18th Annual Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar; presented by Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association (September 29, 2023);

• Panel - Dos and Don'ts in the Weeks Before Trial; co-panelist - Hon. Maria Cantu Hexel, Hon. Ryan Larson, and Matthew Mueller.

Speaker at Women of the Rock Awards Luncheon (June 1, 2023);

• Panel - Fireside Chat with Female CEOs and Corporate Executives. 

Moderator at Your Appellate Case and What Could Go Wrong; speakers - Cindy Bourland, Hon. Scott Field, and Margie Corbett; hosted by the Williamson County Inns of Court (April 20, 2023).

Moderator - 17th Annual Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar; presented by the Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association (February 3, 2023).

Moderator and speaker - 16th Annual Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar; presented by the Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association (November 13, 2020);

• Panel - Futurama: Trial Preparation for the New Age; co-panelists - Hon. Jan Soifer and Karen Burgess. 

Moderator and speaker - 15th Annual Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar; presented by the Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association (November 15, 2019);

• Panel - Demonstratives: Do's, Don'ts, and Design; co-panelists - Michael Golden and Drew Harris.

Moderator for 14th Annual Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar; presented by the Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association (October 19, 2018).

Speaker at Consequences of the Vanishing Jury Trial and How to Fix It; hosted by the Williamson County Inns of Court (October 18, 2018).

Speaker at Perseverance; hosted by Minority Women Pursuing Law, University of Texas (October 2, 2018).

Speaker at How to Maneuver the Texas Citizen's Participation Act; hosted by the Civil Litigation Section of the Austin Bar Association; co-panelists - James A. Hemphill and Laura Lee Prather (April 16, 2018).

Speaker at Diminished Capacity and How it Affects Your Representation; hosted by Williamson County Inns of Court (February 15, 2018).

Honors & Awards

2024 The Texas Center Professionalism Award, Austin Bar Association

2024 Texas Super Lawyers

2023 Women of the Rock Award

2015 Texas Rising Stars

Professional Memberships / Affiliations

In 2024, Blayre joined the Austin Community College Foundation Board. Blayre is active in the Austin Bar Association and the Civil Litigation Section, where she served as the Chair for the 2022-2023 bar year. Blayre is a member of the Williamson County Inns of Court, and the Williamson County Bar Association, for which she previously served as president. Blayre is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, which only invites the top 1/3 of 1% of Texas attorneys. Blayre previously served in government when she sat on the Board of the Meadows at Chandler Creek Municipal Utility District from 2008-2014. 

Civic

Blayre has represented indigent clients in litigation matters on a pro bono basis through Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas. She has volunteered at the Monday Night legal advice clinic hosted by VLS, and also volunteered for the Dell Children’s Hospital, Wills for Heroes, Now that You’re 18, Junior Judges, and Austin Habitat for Humanity. Her current passion is volunteering with her two sons at Mobile Loaves & Fishes.