AUSTIN –Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced the departure of Murtaza Sutarwalla as deputy attorney general for legal counsel. Sutarwalla will return to private practice in Houston. He will also serve as outside counsel for the Ken Paxton for Texas Campaign, a press release states.
In his role as deputy attorney general for legal counsel, Sutarwalla was the chief legal counsel to Attorney General Paxton and his staff and supervised seven legal divisions including key divisions like the Public Finance Division, Opinions Division, and the General Counsel Division. During his tenure, which began in February 2021, Sutarwalla worked closely on the Agency’s response to various disasters, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Southern border crisis, Winter Storm Uri, and, most recently, the tragic school shootings in Uvalde. Sutarwalla also helped to restart the Agency’s Honors Fellowship program and focused on revitalizing attorney development and recruitment. Sutarwalla also led many complex litigation initiatives during his tenure, the press release states.
“I am thankful to Attorney General Ken Paxton for entrusting me with such important work on behalf of the State of Texas,” said Sutarwalla. “I am honored to have served under him and with my amazing colleagues. Attorney General Paxton is a truly visionary leader and I’ll miss working for him every day.”
Sutarwalla came to the Office of the Attorney General with more than 14 years of experience in the private sector, most recently with the law firm of Edwards Sutarwalla PLLC, to which he will return after leaving the Agency.
“Throughout Murtaza’s tenure, he has shown dedication in serving the State of Texas and helping me to make my Agency the preeminent state ‘law firm’ in the nation,” said Paxton. “My deputies and I are sad to see him leave, but I wish him and his family all the best in his return to private practice.”
Sutarwalla received his law degree from the University of Chicago and undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He started his career with Latham & Watkins and Clifford Chance, and has practiced in Austin, Houston, Washington DC, and in the Middle East.