Meet Darla Canon, an attorney team lead at Daniel Stark.
Darla was born and raised in Baytown, Texas, and spent weekends and summers running around Galveston Island and floating down the rivers in New Braunfels with her family. Darla was also a competitive swimmer and a fierce water polo player from a young age. Her love for the game inspired her to move to California to attend Occidental College, where she played for all four years and her team earned a National Championship.
In college, Darla discovered a love for writing and public speaking. She took on roles in student government and became the president of her sorority. While law school was not something Darla initially envisioned when she moved out west, by the end of college, it seemed like a natural fit.
At South Texas College of Law in Houston, Darla thrived. She says that law school just made sense – within her first few weeks she remembers thinking “I like this, I get this, I could be really into this.” She even became a member of the Law Review and participated in moot court competitions, winning the National Health Law Championship in 2004.
Upon graduating in 2005, Darla’s first job was with a medical malpractice defense firm in Los Angeles, Dummit Buchholz & Trapp, where she worked for over 15 years. Although she enjoyed the work, she eventually decided to move back to her home state of Texas with her family and shifted her focus to plaintiff litigation.
The transition wasn’t easy, especially in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Darla was determined to find a firm that aligned with her values and goals. She soon found Daniel Stark and became a part of the team in 2021. Her original thoughts were “Is this place real? You have to drink from the Kool-Aid here.” After joining though, she found that she actually loved the environment, joking, “Okay, the Kool-Aid is good, it’s real.”
Darla says the best parts of working for Daniel Stark are the people and the atmosphere. She believes that the people who work here are incredibly compassionate and really see the best in others, even in difficult situations. She also loves having the opportunity to get to know her clients. Through this, she feels like she has been able to make a difference and help people through some of the most difficult times of their lives. She says, “Our clients want to talk to someone who is going to listen and provide guidance. Even if we can’t accept the case, we will talk about options and try to make things better, and that is so rewarding.”
Outside of work, Darla’s focus is on her family. She and her husband are often cheering on their daughter through volleyball games and taekwondo practice. In their free time, they enjoy visiting the Comal River in New Braunfels, hanging out poolside, and reading. Being in Round Rock, they also take part in Austin music culture, catching live music whenever they can.
Professionally, she accredits her successes to her old boss, now best friend. She played a huge role in Darla’s career as an attorney. Darla says that her boss was her biggest cheerleader during their time working together. She showed her the ropes in litigation, taught her which fights to pick, and how to talk to others. Darla admired the way she always kept a positive attitude, even during really heavy cases.
Darla also praises her dad for supporting her. She says, “He’s the most positive and blindly supportive guy, and has always had my back.” He has shown her the value of family, life, and friendships.
Thank you for all you do, Darla. We appreciate the time you put into our clients and our attorneys!
