Profile
R. Gary Stephens is the founder and partner of Stephens & Stephens, a Texas law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of personal injury victims in Houston, Austin, Dallas and statewide. Mr. Stephens has been trying lawsuits since 1975 and has secured many seven-figure verdicts on behalf of previous clients. His practice today includes cases involving products liability law, wrongful death, premises liability, insurance bad faith, admiralty and Jones Act claims, trucking and automobile wrecks, industrial and construction site accidents, aviation accidents, catastrophic injuries (paraplegia, quadriplegia, burns, brain damage, etc.), pharmacology (defective drugs), and environmental and toxic torts.
Mr. Stephens is certified as a specialist in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and as a Diplomate by the National College of Trial Advocacy. He is a leader of the trial bar locally, and nationally, with professional affiliations that include the College of the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association (former vice chairman of the Products Liability Committee), the American Association for Justice (sustaining member), the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and the Texas Trial Lawyers Association (director emeritus). Mr. Stephens has also devoted his time and valuable experience to helping train the next generation of lawyers, as both an author and a professor.
About Gary Stephens
Law School: South Texas College Of Law
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Admitted: 1975, Texas
Professional Webpage: www.stephenslegal.com/attorneys/
Honors and Awards:
- *Board Certified In Personal Injury Trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization *Certified as a Diplomate by the National College of Trial Advocacy *Named, Texas Super Lawyer in Texas Monthly Magazine, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010; * Texas Trial Lawyers Association Director Emeritus 1985-2007
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Admitted to practice: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. District Court for the D. C. Circuit
- Board Certified in Personal Injury Law; Diplomate National College of Trial Advocacy, 1995
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Member of the Administration of Justice Committee, Houston Bar Association, 2008- 2009
- Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Past Director , Houston Trial Lawyers Association, 1982 - 1992
- Fort Bend County Bar Association
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Past Chairman for Political Communications Committee
- American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Sustaining Lawyer, President’s Club, (Leaders Forum 2003 - 2008), (National Finance Council, Justice List Committee 2007 - 2008), (National College of Trial Advocacy Civil and Criminal 1978)
- exas Trial Lawyers Association, (Director 1985 - present), (Past Chairman Fundraising Committee), (Past Chairman for Political Communications Committee), (Director Emeritus 1985 - 2007)
- Public Justice Foundation 2007-Present
- Civil Justice Foundation
- Roscoe Pound Foundation, Supporting Fellow
- Attorneys Information Exchange Group
- American College of Barristers, Senior Counsel
- Senior Counsel, The College of Master Advocates and Barristers
- Texas State Bar College
- State Bar of Texas
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Vice-Chairman for the Products Liability, General Liability and Consumer Law Committee 1979 - 1984
- Finance Committee for First Baptist Houston (1993 - 1995, 1998 - 2000)
- Chairman on the Board of Hobby Community Bank, 1987 - 1989
- Houston Chapter, Christian Legal Society
Scholarly Lectures and Writings:
- College of the State Bar of Texas 1998 - 2002
- Adjunct Professor of Tort and Products Liability Law 1980 - 1982
- Faculty of the Texas College of Trial Advocacy and the Federal Civil Practice Institute
- Author of "Products Liability, A Survey of Judicial Adoption", American Bar Association, 1982
- Author of "Locating the Punitive Damages Witness", AAJ, 1995
Verdicts and Settlements:
- Mr. Stephens has numerous 7 figure verdicts and settlements in cases including a Federal Tort Claims Act case for the murder of a wife and daughter and birth defects caused by the shooting by an active duty Soldier; A head and shoulder injury caused by part of the load from a truck falling, crossing the freeway, and entering through the windshield of an oncoming vehicle; Quadriplegia because of the design of a rear shoulder/lap belt; Quadriplegia because of the absence of a rear middle shoulder belt; Explorer rollover cases involving driver death; Death of driver and passenger when swerving to miss roadway obstruction; Child head injury from second-event rollover and expulsion of occupant; Refinery negligence resulting in inhalation death of worker; Pawn shop negligence in sale of firearm and resulting deaths.
Educational Background:
- University of Houston, B.A., 1972
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Social/Professional Services