About John
Overview
John is a dedicated legal professional known for his commitment to effective communication and strategic business guidance. He is renowned for his expertise in delivering cutting-edge legal advice and exploring various avenues for dispute resolution.
Experience
He believes in clear communications and providing strong business counsel, as well as cutting-edge legal advice, in exploring all resolution options. A skillful litigator and negotiator, John’s practice areas include commercial litigation, general civil litigation including personal injury, casualty and insurance defense, premises liability, products liability, professional malpractice defense and construction defects.
John has received an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating—the highest peer review rating—by Martindale-Hubbell. He is board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Representative Matters
- Obtained defense verdict in jury trial in Federal Court in Houston on pharmacy malpractice lawsuit against pharmacist and pharmacy. Jury was asked to award over $1.5 million in damages.
- Obtained summary judgment on premise owner’s behalf involving a claim of inadequate security as the result of a fatal shooting occurring at the premise owner’s parking lot. Plaintiffs pled for a recovery in excess of $16,000,000.
- Received a jury verdict favoring a Houston-area business owner named as a defendant in a breach of contract suit alleging more than $300,000 in damages.
- Obtained summary judgment on lawsuit alleging premise liability issues against national retailer within six months of lawsuit being filed.
- Obtained plaintiff’s voluntary dismissal of lawsuit seeking over $1 million in damages from a commercial valve manufacturing defendant after discovering defendant had been misidentified by witnesses to the accident made the subject of the lawsuit.
- Obtained plaintiff’s voluntary dismissal of lawsuit seeking in excess of $500,000 in damages from insurance company and adjuster after obtaining evidence of fraud by the insured.
- Obtained affirmation from 5th Circuit Court of Appeals of summary judgment received for nationwide retailer on a premise liability claim.
- Defended trucking company in fatality collision involving two tractor/trailers. Jury found no negligence on defendant’s behalf. The jury was asked to award over $1.5 million in damages.
- Received a defense verdict in an arbitration against an employer as a result of an alleged workplace injury. Claimant asked for an award of more than $500,000.
- Successfully tried to verdict Harris County (Houston) bellwether trial involving a homeowner’s claim of bad faith against an insurer and third party adjuster following Hurricane Ike.
Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section
- Mexican American Bar Association of Houston
- Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
- National Association of Retail and Restaurant Defense Association
- Trucking Industry Defense Association
- Active parishioner at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church
Education
- South Texas College of Law (J.D.)
- Texas A&M University (B.S.)
Professional Honors
- American Board of Trial Advocates.
- Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (2004-Present).
- AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5.0 Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell (2005-Present).
- Named in Texas Super Lawyers and Texas Monthly Magazines as one of the top civil defense litigators in Texas (2011-Present).
Court/Bar Admissions
- State Courts of Texas.
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas.
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit.
Presentations and Webinars
- Advanced Personal Injury Law: Recent Developments in Premise Liability Law (2017)
- The Broadening Use of Prescription Marijuana in Claims (2017)
- Defending Reptile Attacks (2016)
- Surviving the Storm: Claim Responsiveness and an Insurer’s own E&O Exposure (2015 and 2016)
- Uber: Uncommon Carrier Becomes Common (2015)
- Reservation of Rights and the Insured’s Right to Personal Counsel (2015)
- Fraudulent Claims: Identification, Investigation and Litigation (2013)