Born in Fort Worth. Raised in the construction industry. Served as Fee Attorney for various title insurance companies until spouse retired. Always maintained private practice; transaction work approximately 30%; Litigation approximately 70%. Hundreds of cases representing developers, contractors, brokers, design professionals, appraisers, property managers, property owners’ associations, doctors, other lawyers, judges, and many others.
As an adolescent, I grew up in turbulent times during the Vietnam War. I did not live in the best neighborhoods. Fortunately, I was lucky to learn how to box and studied martial arts which taught me how to control my emotions and focus on my opponent, valuable principles in being a fighter, and important skills for any advocate. I never liked bullies!
From high school through college, I worked on a variety of construction projects as a building superintendent. That led to being a licensed realtor during my last year in college, sharing office space with several attorneys. I did consulting work for attorneys while selling real estate, and met judges and other lawyers, all of whom encouraged me to go to law school. My philosophy has always been finding the truth, helping people to do the right thing, and if they don’t, then making them do the right thing.
My approach to practicing law is: follow our canon of ethics, always do your homework in searching for facts, and advocate for a position if it has merit. Be courteous to clients, witnesses, and everyone, especially when in the courtroom. Tell your clients if the posture of the case or transaction is likely favorable or unfavorable to them, and tell them why. Explain to clients what they might or might not anticipate, while being realistic that you do not have a crystal ball. Think outside of the box to find solutions that will save time and money.
