Career  Experience: Over twenty-five (25) years litigation and trial experience in complex civil and commercial litigation matters.  Practice involves primarily arbitration, litigation and appeal of personal injury, construction and commercial litigation matters, with an emphasis in construction and business disputes. Extensive experience and representation in claims, arbitration and litigation involving professional malpractice claims, including accountants, architects, attorneys, engineers, healthcare professionals, insurance agents, land surveyors and real estate agents. Representation of business owners, investors and shareholders in business organization, business dissolution, and other business disputes.  Representation involving environmental compliance, toxic tort and related environmental matters; defense of EEOC and employment litigation matters on behalf of employers; litigation of claims involving the Deceptive Trade Practices – Consumer Protection Act and the Texas Insurance Code.

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Representative Matters:

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Representation of a geotechnical engineering firm in a counter-claim for professional negligence seeking over $25,000,000 in damages.  Case was tried to verdict resulting in a take nothing judgment in favor of the client on the counter-claim.

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Representation of a regional civil engineering firm in a case filed by a governmental entity involving a county project.  Case involved numerous other Defendants and the governmental entity sought in excess $6,000,000 in damages.  Resolution of the case included a substantially favorable settlement for the client.

 

Representation of professional engineer in a multi-party construction defect case involving allegations of professional negligence and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act related to the design and construction of a large commercial structure.  Obtained a favorable resolution for the client.

 

Representation of regional commercial real estate property owner in Arbitration of lease dispute alleging premises and plumbing deficiencies in leased property. Representation included recovery of lost rental income, attorney’s fees and other damages for client on a counter-claim.

 

Representation of abatement contractor Defendant in a multi-party toxic tort case with allegations of negligence, negligence per se, products liability and civil conspiracy with damages which included death due to asbestos exposure. Representation included client being dismissed from the litigation prior to trial against other Defendants following the filing of a Motion for Summary Judgment.

 

Representation of insurance agent alleged to have committed professional negligence and deceptive trade practices associated with failure to procure proper insurance coverage for client whose employee suffered personal injury while on the job.  Obtained a favorable resolution for the client.

 

Representation of accounting professional accused of fraud, professional negligence, civil conspiracy and breach of fiduciary duty stemming from a dispute over a business sale transaction.  Obtained a favorable resolution for the client.

 

Representation of a regional car dealership group in several wrongful termination claims alleging harassment, retaliation and other wrongful employment practices.  All resulted in dismissals by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions with no findings against the client.

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Education:  Preparatory education, Texas A&M University (B.B.A. in Accounting, 1988); Legal education, South Texas College of Law (J.D., 1994)

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​Admissions: Texas Bar in 1994; U. S. District Courts for the Southern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas. 

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Memberships: State Bar of Texas; Houston Bar Association.

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Reported Decisions: Alexander v. Woodlands Land Dev. Co.  L.P., 325 F. Supp. 3d 786 (S.D. Tex. 2018); Cooper v. Trent, 551 S.W.3d 325 (Tex. App. -- Houston (14th Dist.] 2018, pet. denied);  USOR Site PRP Group v. A & M Contractors, Inc., 275 F. Supp. 808 (S.D. Tex. 2017); In re Dow, 481 S.W.3d 215 (Tex. 2015); JNY, LP v. Raba-Kistner Consultants, Inc., 311 S.W3d 584 (Tex. App. - -  El Paso 2010, no pet.); LJA Engineering and Surveying, Inc. v. Richfield Investment Corp, 211 S.W.3d 443 (Tex. App. -- Beaumont 2006, no pet.); JNY, LP v. Raba-Kistner Consultants, Inc., 311 S.W3d 584 (Tex. App. - -  El Paso 2006, no pet.).

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Prior Positions:

• Of Counsel – Taylor, Taylor & Russell

• Member – Glast, Phillips & Murray, P.C.

• Senior Attorney – The Gustafson Firm

• Attorney – Chalker, Bair, P.C.

• Accountant – Panhandle Eastern Corporation (now owned by Energy Transfer Partners)

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