Honors and Awards:

• AV Rating (5.0), Matindale

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Houston Bar Association; Defense Research Institute; Texas Association of Defense Counsel; Maritime Law Association; - Proctor Member;  Propeller Club - Port Of Houston

Pro bono/Community Service:

• United Way; Avondale House; Autism Society of America; Autism Now  

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

• Speaker at public and private seminars presented by client and professional groups on various issues related to admiralty and maritime law, products liability, toxic torts, general civil litigation, personal injury and death claims, claims under federal workers' compensation laws, personal injury and property damage arising from onshore and offshore oil and gas operations, and maritime liens. Private Insurance Industry and Continuing Education Institute Seminars in 2005-2012 on: Admiralty and Maritime issues, Additional Insurance and Indemnity, Toxic Torts, Product Liability, Longshore, Outer Continental Shelf and Defense Base Act federal benefits and Insurance Bad Faith. Jurisdictional Lines: State, Federal and Compensation Remedies Available to US Workkers, Presented at Council on Litigation Management Annual Meeting, San Diego, California 2012.Jones Act and Maritime Personal Injury, Sponsored at Sterling Education, Houston, Texas 2011. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Private industry seminar at Lloyd's Library, City of London, England 2011. Additional Insured and Indemnity Claims in Texas and Energy LItigation, 2011 private industry seminar, Kansas City, Kansas. Federal Benefits Available to Texas Workers, sponsored by Sterling Education, Houston, Texas, 2009, 2011. Third Party Claims for Injury or Death, sponsored by Sterling Education, Houston, Texas, 2009, Maritime Personal Injury Seminar, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas, January 2009,2011. Remedies for Longshore/OCSLA Workers, presented at Annual Maritime Personal Injury in Texas Seminar, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas, 2005-2009,  Third-Party Maritime Claims (LHWCA, OCSLA, DBA, Maritime) Presented at Annual Maritime Personal Injury in Texas Seminar, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas, 2005-2009, 2011. Remedies Available to Texas Employees Arising Out of the Employment Relationship (W/C, LHWCA/OCSLA, DBA), sponsored by National Business Institute, Houston, Texas, 2006. Critical Steps You Must Take After an Accident, sponsored by National Business Institute, Houston, Texas, 2006. Coverage Disputes and Reservation of Rights, presented at Trucking Liability Seminar, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas, September 2005. HB4:  Texas Tort Reform, presented at Trucking Liability Seminar, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas, September 2005. Wrongful Death Claims, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas, 2005. Overview of Remedies Available to Texas Employees (LHWCA OCSLA, DBA, Maritime), sponsored by Lorman Education Services, Houston, Texas, April 2005. Navigating the Bermuda Triangle: Staying in Compliance with the Overlapping Provisions of FMLA, ADA, and Texas Workers' Compensation Laws, sponsored by Council on Education in Management, Dallas, Texas, 2005. Trying the Wrongful Death Case In Texas: Strategies in Preparation and Valuation, Texas Trial Preparation Seminar, July 2004, sponsored by National Business Institute, Houston, Texas. Wrongful Death Claims, sponsored by National Business Institute, Houston, Texas, 2003., Maritime And Insurance
• Insurance And Maritime

Verdicts and Settlements:

• Obtained plaintiff's voluntary dismissal of $1.7 million maritime personal injury lawsuit following plaintiff's deposition and two days prior to hearing of defense motion to compel discovery. Successful defense of insurer in oil and gas downhole loss claim involving damages exceeding $8 million. Successful arbitration on behalf of client on marine insurance and property damage claim involving offshore drilling rig. Obtained consent dismissal of client and related companies in lawsuit involving catastrophic injuries suffered in oil rig accident. Successful recovery on claim for indemnity on amounts awarded against client in arbitration. Obtained award of $990,000 in attorneys fees and expenses incurred by client in defending claims brought by Plaintiff corporation and its insurers. Obtained $5.8 million dollar settlement of maritime lien claims on behalf of subcontractor against vessel owner after obtaining summary judgment on entitlement to  maritime lien. Successful defense and settlement of wrongful death and burn injury claims totalling over $35 million against refinery contractor for less than 1% of demand. Defense counsel for equipment manufacturer in Texas silica tort claims in claims involving over 4,000 individual plaintiffs. Also coordinated defense of silica claims against the manufacturer throughout the United States.  Judgment of no liability and award attorneys' fees and costs in favor of shipyard client against offshore drilling vessel owner's claim of $45 million in drilling rig property damage and lost profits arising from shipyard fire. Dismissal of multi-million dollar wrongful death claim arising from pipeline explosion. Personal jurisdiction dismissal of foreign product manufacturer in multi-million wrongful death lawsuit upheld on appeal to Texas Supreme Court.  Successful arbitration of offshore drilling rig property damage claims against client.  Multi-million dollar recovery on claims for indemnity and wrongful denial of insurance coverage on behalf of client and its subrogated underwriters receiving full indemnification, attorneys' fees and damages.

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• 2012 Texas' Top Rated Lawyers

Educational Background:

• Abilene Christian University (BBA), 1981
• University of Southampton Maritime Law Institute; Southampton, England (Visiting Scholarship Student), 1983
• Pepeprdine University (JD), 1984
• Tulane University School of Law (LLM in Admirlaty and Maritime Law), 1986