In the heart of Highland Park reside Jeffrey and Yasmin Simon, two individuals whose lives intertwined through litigation, love, and a shared commitment to their Park Cities haven. Yasmin is a fist generation American, and her family emigrated to the United States from England. With her brother being born in England, Yasmin is the only born American in the family. _ey initially lived in New York, but when she was
three years old, they moved to the small town of Quincy, Illinois, about 20 minutes away from Hannibal, Missouri. She later attended college in Nashville at Vanderbilt and law school at Boston College before ultimately ending up in Chicago. Yasmin’s former law partner used to try cases in Texas, several of which were against Jeffrey. The two first met during a conference and saw each other again year after year at
the same event. Yasmin shared, “Many moons later, we were both divorced and began dating long distance before I eventually moved to Texas. I like to say I got here as fast as I could.” Jeffrey, a Dallas resident for three decades, traces his roots to Fort Worth and the halls of the University of Texas School of Law. He moved to Dallas in 1993 to take his first attorney job at the firm of Baron and Budd. In 2006, Jeffrey opened his own law firm, Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC, which has thrived and worked to improve consumer safety and public health for the last 17 years. Yasmin and Jeffrey have three children. _e oldest is 22 and just graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. the middle is 19 and a sophomore at Georgetown, while the youngest is 14 and an eighth grader at Hockaday. “Our daughter
is a wise soul, a 14-year-old going on 30,” Jeffrey muses. The Simon family is complete with two rescue dogs. “When we met, Jeffrey had two rescued black labs, Guinness and Scout,” explained Yasmin. “they lived to be 12 and 14, passing away just weeks apart. We waited a couple weeks before going to Operation Kindness to see what they had. We went there just to pet some dogs, but there was this yellow lab named Jacob.” Jacob, affectionately known as Jake, came home with them that day. They were informed that Jake had been adopted out and returned, and they later found out why. “He ate almost the entire kitchen, the chairs, the floorboards, and he ate shoes,” said Jeffrey and Yasmin. “Thankfully he is now a very relaxed gentleman!” Jake became a part of the family during COVID, and when Yasmin and Jeffrey returned to office work, they knew that Jake needed a friend. They took Jake with them to an adoption event where they found a seemingly docile, friendly hound who looks like a Beagle. Jake was sold on her, and Gracie became the newest member of the Simon family. “She also became the boss of everyone,” said Yasmin. “She gleefully spends her days stalking squirrels and birds in the backyard. She’s a hunting dog who is just plying her trade in the middle of Highland Park!” The Simons’ professional lives reflect a dedication to justice and advocacy. “I represent small companies, Fortune 500 companies, energy companies (of various sizes), and other types of manufacturers in product liability and environmental actions,” stated Yasmin. “But it is my pro bono work that feeds my soul. I’ve worked on behalf of migrants in asylum cases, including people arriving at our southern
border, as well as for people fleeing Africa and Afghanistan. When we pulled the troops out of Afghanistan, it le_ a lot of our interpreters and people who assisted the military in a bind. Many of them applied for asylum, and along with my colleagues, I’ve worked on their behalf. I also work in election protection, ensuring all people, regardless of political affiliation, have access to the polls.” Fueled by her
love for the Park Cities community, Yasmin has embarked on a new journey, as she is running to represent Texas House District 108. Meanwhile, Jeffrey, a career plaintiff ’s lawyer, represents people in communities that sue what they allege to be big polluters or big wrongdoers. “Sometimes those are Yasmin’s clients though not in the same litigation,” Jeffrey explained. “We’ve never been opposite each other, but our firms are sometimes opposite each other.” Jeffrey is also the chair of the Plaintiff ’s Steering Committee in opioid litigation in Texas, channeling billions to Texas for combating the opioid crisis. He is also a published author, and his recent book, “Last Rights, The Fight to Save the Seventh Amendment,” demonstrates his fierce commitment to protecting every American’s right to trial by jury.
When they aren’t busy working, the family loves to travel, with Key West and Snowmass Village in the Aspen Valley being among their favorite destinations. the whole family plays golf, tennis, and enjoys snow skiing. Though they love to travel, they equally love life in the Park Cities. “We love the parks, businesses, and the unique charm of Snider Plaza and Highland Park Village,” they shared. “The ability
to walk to our favorite locations like Abbott Park and Court Two by the creek summarizes the essence of what makes the Park Cities a truly special place to live.”