• Writing and communication skills honed during forty years of law practice specializing in complex civil litigation involving diverse subject matters in a variety of milieus
  • Litigation of complex disputes in healthcare liability, business, real estate, construction, personal injury, and constitutional violations
  • Elected and served as a Member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 97
  • Organized and supervised volume litigation section at major Fort Worth law firm, including mentoring and training younger lawyers in the use and power of words
  • Extensive writing and public speaking experience both inside and outside the legal profession

Legal Specialization

  • Personal Injury Trial Law -- Texas Board of Legal Specialization
  • Civil Trial Advocate -- National Board of Trial Advocacy

Writing Memberships

  • Professional Writers' Alliance
  • AWAI
  • Various ghostwriting networks
  • International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance

A Few Honors:

  • Elected Texas State Representative – District 97
    • December 18, 2007 – January 12, 2009
    • Land & Resource Management Committee
    • Pensions & Investments Committee
  • Martindale-Hubbell - “AV” Preeminent Rating
    • Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
  • Who’s Who in American Law
  • National Registry of Who’s Who
  • American Board of Trial Advocates
    • President - Fort Worth Chapter – 2002
    • National Board of Directors - 2003
  • Fort Worth Magazine – Top Attorneys – Multiple Years
  • Texas Monthly – Super Lawyers – Multiple years

Academics:

  • Juris Doctor - Texas Tech University School of Law – 1979
    • Bureau of National Affairs, U.S. Law Week award for scholastic achievement
  • Bachelor of Arts – Government – the University of Texas at Austin – 1975

Personal:

  • Married, two adult sons, four grandchildren (so far)

Activities

  • Writing
  • Rehabilitating distressed real properties
  • Reading
  • Photography
  • Live Theater
  • Hiking, Qi Gong, Yoga

___________________

Selected Legal Publications & Presentations:

  • "Deposition Tips for the Testifying Treater or Yes, They Can Make You Testify (Now, let's make it as painless as possible)" - Tarrant County Physician, January 1988.
  • "Direct Examination of Witnesses" seminar presentation & paper - Trial Advocacy in Texas May 1990.
  • "Loss of a Chance" Tarrant County Civil Trial Lawyers seminar & paper, April 1991.
  • "Some Thoughts About Opening Statements" Texas Association of Defense Counsel - Young Lawyers Seminar, presentation & paper, December 1991.
  • "Open Letter to Members of the Tarrant County Medical Society" - Tarrant County Physician - June 1992.
  • "Emerging Theories of Liability in Professional Malpractice Cases" - Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association, presentation, September 1992.
  • "Climbing the HMO Bad Faith Tree" - Texas Bad Faith Bulletin - October 1992.
  • "Random Thoughts on Trial Preparation and Voir Dire" - Texas Association of Defense Counsel - Young Lawyers Seminar, presentation & paper, December 1992.
  • "When the Bell Tolls for the Whole World: The Expanding Jungle of Psychiatric Health Care Liability" Texas Health Law Reporter - July 1993.
  • Faculty Member - Texas Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy - Fort Worth, Texas, February 1994.
  • "Opening Statements" & "Direct Examination of Witnesses" papers & seminar presentation - Trial Advocacy in Texas - NBI, Inc., October 1995.
  • Direct Examination of Defendant's Neurologist - "Masters of Trial" program - American Board of Trial Advocates, Dallas, Texas, October 1996.
  • “Taking & Defending Effective Depositions in Texas” – Lohrman Educational Systems, September 1999
  • “Expert Witness Qualification: When and How to Challenge and How to Respond” – Panel Discussion – Tarrant County Bar Association Brown Bag Seminar – The Stuff Before and After Trial, January 2002
  • “Accountability for Health Care is Sorely Lacking” – Guest Column – Fort Worth Business Press – March 8, 2002
  • “‘Malpractice Reform’ shoves aside patients” – Op-Ed – Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Dallas Morning News – April & May 2002
  • "Justice isn’t an item on a medical balance sheet” – Op-Ed – Dallas Morning News – September 9, 2002
  • “Bleeding away our rights” – Op-Ed – Fort Worth Star-Telegram – October 13, 2002
  • “Defending trial lawyers: We’re not buying candidates” – Guest Column – Fort Worth Business Press – November 8, 2002
  • “Doctors and Lawyers” – Op-Ed – Fort Worth Star-Telegram – January 13, 2003
  • “Malpractice fight has eerily similar insanity to it” – Guest Column – Fort Worth Business Press – March 7-13, 2003
  • “Malpractice by the Legislature” – Op-Ed – Fort Worth Star-Telegram – June 9, 2003
  • “Fort Worth Court furthers fetus/baby arguments” – Guest Column – Fort Worth Business Press – November 7- 13, 2003
  • “Rule 202 Depositions of the Government – Cracks in the Shield or Spitting into the Wind?” State Bar of Texas – Suing and Defending Governmental Entities – July 2010
  • “Non-conforming Remainders – The City’s Perspective” Presentation – International Right of Way Association – North Texas Chapter 36, Spring Seminar – April 2013
  • “Eminent Domain for the General Practitioner” – Presentation – State Bar of Texas, Paralegal Division – District 3 meeting – June 2013

Books – Author

  • Cheaper to Kill than to Maim – A Patient’s Guide to Medical Malpractice in Texas – PSG Books; September 2002; ISBN 0-9659273-4-2 (Available here.)

Non-legal publications include: