Nearly a year after two Tarrant County school districts sought to block the release of certain legal billing records, the matter remains unresolved amid ongoing litigation. The Keller and Grapevine-Colleyville school districts have been engaged in lawsuits aimed at preventing the disclosure of unredacted invoices related to work performed by attorney Tim Davis and his firms.
Last year, local media and residents filed public information requests for copies of unredacted invoices detailing legal services provided by Davis, who previously served as counsel to both districts’ school boards. The requests included invoices from Davis’s current firm, Jackson Walker, as well as his former firm, Cantey Hanger. Davis ended his relationship with the Keller district in March 2025, and Jackson Walker withdrew as counsel for Grapevine-Colleyville in May 2025. Despite these departures, Jackson Walker continues to represent Keller's board in ongoing litigation related to a proposed district split that was ultimately abandoned earlier this year.
Following the public information requests, Jackson Walker attorney Ali Williams requested an opinion from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office, arguing that the attorney-client privilege and other legal exceptions justified withholding the invoices. However, the attorney general’s office ruled in August 2025 that the fee details contained in the invoices were not protected by privilege and ordered the districts to release the unredacted records.
In response, Davis filed lawsuits in September 2025 on behalf of both Keller and Grapevine-Colleyville challenging the attorney general’s directive. The cases have dragged on without resolution, with no public updates on their status. Efforts to obtain comment from Keller board president John Birt, Grapevine-Colleyville board president Dalia Begin, district superintendents, and spokespersons were unsuccessful. Likewise, requests for information from the attorney general’s office went unanswered.
The contested invoice disclosures arose amidst scrutiny over the districts’ legal expenditures. Reports broadcast in 2025 indicated that Keller paid Jackson Walker more than $500,000 for legal services between 2022 and 2025, including approximately $170,000 during a six-month period when the Keller school board pursued a plan to divide the district. Davis was seen as a central figure in that initiative, which the board ultimately called off in March 2025.
Beyond his work with the school districts, Tim Davis recently assumed the role of chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party, succeeding Bo French, who stepped down to campaign for Texas Railroad Commissioner. Additionally, Davis continues to serve as counsel for the Texas State Board of Education.
As the litigation over the release of the legal invoices continues, it underscores ongoing tensions between transparency advocates and school boards seeking to protect certain confidential legal communications.