Soledad Valenciano

As a South Texas native who grew up in Maverick County, Soledad Valenciano understands the importance of individual property rights.

Eminent Domain: Ms. Valenciano represents convenience stores, national retail stores, developers, business, farm and ranch owners in eminent domain, condemnation proceedings. Soledad has represented clients in road expansion, high-voltage transmission line, pipeline, water line, railroad and public transit condemnation cases across Central and South Texas. She has negotiated numerous transmission line easements, pipeline easements, water line easements, administrative law settlements and possession and use agreements with various condemning authorities.

PUC Proceedings: Ms. Valenciano represents affected landowners before the Texas Public Utility Commission in select CCN routing cases.

Mediation:  Ms. Valenciano is a certified Texas mediator. She mediates civil cases across South and Central Texas.

Education

• Southern Methodist University – Dedman School of Law, J.D., 2006
• Texas State University, M.Ed. – Special Education, magna cum laude, 2000
• Texas A&M University, B.B.A., magna cum laude, 1992

Admitted to Practice

• Texas, 2006
• United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas

Work Experience

• Co-Owner, Spivey Valenciano, PLLC, May 2012 to present
• Associate, Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated, 2006-2012
• Special Education Case Manager and Classroom Teacher, 1994-2003

Professional Recognition

• Texas Super Lawyers – 2014, 2015, 2016 Texas Rising Star, a Thompson Reuters Service
• Texas Super Lawyers – 2022, 2023, 2024
• A. Scene Magazine - Top Lawyers in Eminent Domain 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• A. Scene Magazine – Outstanding Women in Law, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• Top Women Attorneys in Texas 2023, as selected by Texas Monthly
• S.A. Scene Magazine - Top Lawyers in Eminent Domain 2018, 2019, 2020 (5-15 years category)
• Judicial Intern, The Texas Supreme Court, The Honorable Wallace B. Jefferson, Summer 2005

Professional and Community Activities

• San Antonio Bar Association – Real Estate Section, Chair (August 2024 – Present)
• San Antonio Bar Association – Real Estate Section Board Member (Secretary 2021-2022 ; Treasurer 2022-2023; Vice Chair 2023-2024)
• Federal Bar Association – San Antonio Chapter Past President
• Federal Bar Association - San Antonio Chapter Board Member and Officer (Secretary 2015-2016; Treasurer 2016-2017; Vice President 2017 – 2018; President Elect 2018-2019; President 2019-2020)
• Bexar County Women's Bar Association - LEAD Academy Public Relations Chair (October 2020 - Present)
• South Texas Property Rights Association, Member
• Volunteer Mediator – Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center (2016-2018)
• North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Lab 2012
• San Antonio Bar Association, 2006 – Present
• San Antonio Bar Foundation, Member
• William S. Sessions American Inn of Court, Member
• San Antonio Young Lawyers Association, Director, 2007-2009
• Blattman Elementary School, First Vice President, 2007-2008

Publications/Speaking Events

• Co-Author, Federal Court Update, San Antonio Lawyer Magazine (Bi-Monthly Publication; March 2011 to Present)
• “Eminent Domain: Key Cases to Know” paper and presentation for the State Bar of Texas 25th Annual Summer School: Sun, Sand, and CLE for the General Practitioner (July 2023 Galveston).
• “Deep in the Heart of Texas: How Three Immigration Attorneys in Texas Are Making a Difference” as published in the “At Side Bar” column of Federal Lawyer Magazine with Jeffrie B. Lewis (Bi-Monthly Publication; November/December 2022).
• “Recognizing the Ever-Growing Presence of Women Owning Property” as published in the Legal Mojo Column of WALS Now, a publication by the Women and the Law Section of the State Bar of Texas (June 2022)
• “Nor is Condemnation a Trivial Affair" as published in the At Side Bar Column of the Federal Lawyer Magazine (Bi-Monthly Publication; Volume 68/Issue 4, 2021)
• “Where Property Owners Hit a Wall: A Push to Relax the Unity of Title Factor in Eminent Domain Actions" as published in the At Side Bar Column of the Federal Lawyer Magazine (Bi-Monthly Publication; May/June 2020 Issue)
• Co-Editor, San Antonio Federal Bar Association’s Newsletter (2017 to Present)
• Proof Editor, The Federal Lawyer Magazine (Bi-Monthly Publication; August 2019 to Present)
• Guest Speaker, San Antonio Chapter of the Federal Bar Association and the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas, District 5, at 2014 Fox Tech Law and Research Magnet Program Mentoring Lunch (April 2014)
• “Antitrust and Consumer Protection,” SMU Law Review, Volume 65 No. 2, A. Michael Ferrill, Leslie Sara Hyman and Soledad Valenciano (March 2012)
• “Ethics and Conflicts of Interest,” Regular Presenter, Federal Bar Association Federal Court Practice Seminar, San Antonio Texas (February 2009 to Present)
• Ethics Presentation to Del Rio Division Association of Federal Attorneys (January 2012)
• “Towers, Trenches and TxDot: Strategies from the Landowner’s Perspective” (with Jim Spivey to San Antonio Real Estate Discussion Group, January 2012)
• “Antitrust and Consumer Protection,” SMU Law Review, Volume 64 No. 1, A. Michael Ferrill, Leslie Sara Hyman and Soledad Valenciano (October 2011)
• “Recent Developments in Eminent Domain Proceedings” (with Jim Spivey at 10th Annual Gas and Power Institute, Houston, Texas, September 2011)
• “Coming Soon to a Town Near You: Eminent Domain, the CREZ Project, the Shale Oil and Gas Boom and Other Takings” (with Jim Spivey to San Antonio Bar Association Natural Resources Section, September 2011)
• “Recent Developments in Eminent Domain Proceedings: Shale Oil, CREZ, Senate Bill 18 and a Proposed Taking by the U.S. Army” (September 2011)
• “Antitrust and Consumer Protection,” SMU Law Review, Volume 63 No. 2, A. Michael Ferrill, Leslie Sara Hyman and Soledad Valenciano (March 2010)
• “Anatomy of a Civil Trial XII,”  Panel Discussion, Bexar County Local Rules (April 2008)

Languages

Soledad is fluent in Spanish.

Interests

Soledad loves her dog Zeus, barre yoga, reading, trying to keep her plants alive, Texas A&M events, and (most of all) spending time with her three children.