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Kiri Deonarine
Senior Associate
Dallas
901 Main Street
Suite 4000
Dallas TX 75202
TEL: (214) 749-4280
FAX: (214) 760-8994
{ mail } kdeonarine@zellelaw.com
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Practice Areas
Bar and Court Admissions
Education

Kiri D. Deonarine

Kiri is a senior associate attorney in Zelle’s Dallas office and represents many of the world’s largest insurers in complex first-party property insurance disputes across the country. She advises insurers on a broad range of matters relating to property damage arising out of weather-related events, builder’s risk issues, business interruption, and bad faith claims. 

Kiri assists clients in resolving matters by analyzing difficult coverage issues, navigating the litigation process in both federal and state courts, and facilitating alternative dispute resolution. Additionally, she serves on the firm's eDiscovery team.

Before practicing law, Kiri was known as an accomplished opera and classical music concert singer. She performed all over the United States and abroad, including at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, and Houston Grand Opera.

Kiri enjoys combining her expertise in performance and creativity with her knowledge of the law to best serve her clients in and out of the courtroom.

Representative Matters

Assisted in defending a global commercial property insurer in an over $15 million COVID-19 jury trial in Texas state court, which resulted in a $0 jury verdict for the insurer.

Won full summary judgment and succeeded in excluding an expert in Texas federal court for property insurer on first-party property damage and bad faith claims relating to alleged wind and/or hail damage to a building’s roof and exterior.

Currently defending a market of property insurers in an arbitration regarding a multi-million-dollar builder’s risk project.

Currently represents multiple property insurers in commercial hail/wind claims and energy claims involving bad faith allegations in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Colorado.

Articles & Presentations

“Insureds’ Failure to Comply with Their Duties Under a Policy Could Bar Claims” The Zelle Lonestar Lowdown, September 11, 2024, author

“Noncompliance Could Mean No Appraisal,” The Zelle Lonestar Lowdown, May 14, 2024, author

“Do Not Underestimate the OLLE,” The Zelle Lonestar Lowdown, January 9, 2024, co-author

“542A Petition Notice is No Notice: Attorneys’ Fees Precluded,” The Zelle Lonestar Lowdown, November 14, 2023

Professional Affiliations

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