Areas of Practice:

• Admiralty and Maritime Law
• Appellate Practice
• Automobile Litigation
• Business and Commercial Litigation
• Environmental and Toxic Tort Litigation
• Governmental and Administrative Law
• Labor, Employment and Civil Rights Law
• Law Enforcement Liability
• Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act Litigation
• Municipal Law
• Personal Injury, Products Liability and Premises Liability Defense

Education:

University of Texas

• Austin, Texas, B.B.A., 1988
  • Dean’s List
  • Darrell Royal Scholarship
  • Athletic Trainer (Football, 1984-1988; Tennis, 1987-1988)

Texas Tech University School of Law

• Lubbock, Texas, J.D., 1994
  • Chairman, Texas Tech Board of Barristers
  • Dean’s Scholarship
  • Order of the Barristers
  • Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity

Admitted to Practice:

• State Bar of Texas, 1994
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, 1995
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 1995
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 1995
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, 1995
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1995

Professional Associations:

• State Bar of Texas
  • Local Bar Services Committee, 2001-2003
  • Director, District 3, 2022-present
    • Performance Measures & Strategic Planning
    • Appeals – Grant Review
• College of the State Bar of Texas, 1996-1997
• Texas Bar Foundation (Fellow; 2000-present)
• Texas Young Lawyers Association
  • Board of Directors, 1998-2001
  • President’s Award of Merit, 2000 and 2001
• Long Range Planning and Redistricting Committee, 2000-2001
  • Technology Committee, 2001-2002
  • Co-Chair or Vice Chair of the following committees:
    • Member Services, 2000-2001
    • National Trial, 1999-2001
    • State Moot Court, 1998-2001
    • Voter Education, 1999-2000
    • Aspiring Youth Program, 1998-1999
    • Bar Journal, 1998-1999
• Joseph M. Pritchard Inn
• Jefferson County Bar Association
  • Representative, 2002-2003
  • Secretary, 2001-2002
  • Liaison, Texas Lawyer Assistance Program
  • Lawyer Referral Service Committee
• Jefferson County Bar Association Foundation
  • Director, 2001-2003
• Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association
  • Board of Directors, 1996-2003
  • President, 2002-2003
  • President-Elect, 2001-2002
  • Vice President, 2000-2001
  • Treasurer, 1997-1998
  • TYLA Liaison, 1998-2001
  • Committee Involvement
    • Judge, Evelyn M. Lord Teen Court, 1994-2005
    • Chairman, New Lawyer Orientation, 1997-1998
    • Volunteer Speaker, Crossing the Line, 1999-2003
    • Volunteer Speaker, “Now You’re 18,” 1996-2004
    • Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, 2001
    • Volunteer Judge, H.S. Mock Trial Competition, 1994-2005
• Volunteer Mediator, Jefferson County Settlement Week
• Nominated for Outstanding Young Lawyer of Jefferson County
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel, 1997-2000
• Defense Research Institute, 1997-1999
• Michelle Mehaffy American Inn of Court
  • Membership Chairman, 2000-2006
• Propeller Club of the United States, Port of Sabine
  • Director, 1996-1998
• Texas City Attorney Association
  • City of Sour Lake, City Attorney

Civic Involvement:

• Graduate of Leadership Beaumont, 1998
• Diocese of Beaumont
  • Finance Council, 2014-present
  • Christ Central Youth Camp, Board of Directors, 2022-present
• Hardin-Jefferson ISD School Board
  • Member, 2015-2022
  • Vice President, 2022-present
• China Elementary, Sunshine Greeter, 2017-2022
• Little League Baseball/Softball, Coach, 2007-2016
• Girls Fastpitch Softball, Coach, 2016-present
• St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church
  • Lector
  • Eucharistic Minister
  • Confirmation Teacher

Professional Honors:

• St. Thomas More Award, 2019
• Listed, Best Lawyers in America©, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, 2019 – Present
• Listed, Texas Super Lawyers, 2021-present