Overview

I practice insurance law from a different perspective – yours. As a leading practitioner addressing complex insurance coverage issues and related litigation for over thirty-five years, my goal is to help you solve your insurance related problems and to bring about the most cost efficient and favorable result. Essentially, I’ve been trying to work myself out a job, one matter at a time. And in doing so, I’ve been shaping Texas insurance jurisprudence involving insurance coverage issues, extra-contractual and first-party litigation. My efforts have earned recognition from my clients and peers which include an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, inclusion in the 2008–2023 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® in the specialty of Insurance Law and repeated recognition as a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine. I have also enjoyed teaching insurance law as an Adjunct Professor of Property and Casualty Insurance Law at the University of Houston Law Center – my alma mater.

Honors & Awards

Named by his peers; Best Lawyers in America® list in the field of Insurance Law in 2008-2023

Named Leading Lawyers for business by Chambers USA, 2011 - 2023

Named to the Texas Super Lawyers list by Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters business, as featured in Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyers magazines (2007-2023)

Named by peers; Best Lawyers in Texas by The Wall Street Journal, 2016, 2022

Professional Affiliations

Professional

State Bar of Texas

Defense Research Institute

Houston Claim Association

Houston Bar Association

News & Insights

Articles and Seminars

Storm Claims Insurance Update”; State Bar of Texas 17th Annual Course: Advanced Insurance Law; June 4, 2020.

Hurricane Harvey Property Claims; U of H Law Center: The People’s Law School; September 30, 2017

13th Annual Advanced Workers’ Compensation Course; August 11–12, 2016

Advanced Insurance Law Course; June 9–10, 2016

"Ethical Consideration: Stowers and Soriano"; Prosecuting and Defending Truck and Auto Collision Cases; November, 12, 2015

"What the Aging Attorney Needs to Know About Professional Liability"; Lawyer Competency in the 21st Century; November 21, 2014

"18th Annual Texas Insurance Law Symposium"; South Texas College of Law; February 13, 2014

“Insurance Issues for Lawyers”; Houston Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Committee; Houston, Texas; February 8, 2013.

Ethics Jeopardy”; TexasBarCLE Eighth Annual Fiduciary Litigation Course; San Antonio, Texas; December 5, 2013.

“Insurance: A Policy is Worth a Thousand Words”; State Bar of Texas 11th Annual Advanced In-House Counsel Course; Dallas, Texas; August 2, 2012.

What Every Lawyer Needs to Know About Insurance Coverage”; HBA What the General Practitioner Needs to Know CLE; Houston, Texas; October 28, 2011.

The Lone Star State vs. The Sunshine State: Dueling Bad-Faith Perspectives”; 12th Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference; Houston, Texas; January 25 – 26, 2011.

“Independent Adjusters: Problems & Solutions”; 15th Annual Texas Insurance Law Symposium; Houston, Texas; January 20, 2011.

Consumer Law Basics – Know the Law! (Insurance)” The University of Houston Law Center - Center for Consumer Law; Houston, Texas; October 23, 2009.

Insurance Law Post-Hurricane Ike Roundtable”; Texas Lawyer Roundtable Series; Houston, Texas; April 2, 2009.

Homeowner’s Policies Liability and Property Coverages: Update on Key Provisions and Case Law”; University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Insurance and Tort Claims; April 10, 2008 (Dallas), April 17, 2008 (Houston), and May 29, 2008 (Austin)

Homeowner’s Litigation & Policy Update”; South Texas College of Law 12th Annual Texas Insurance Law Symposium; Houston, Texas; January 24, 2008

Homeowner’s Policies Liability and Property Coverages: Update on Key Provisions”; University of Houston Advanced Insurance and Tort Claims; June 21, 2007 (Houston) and Thursday, June 28, 2007 (Dallas)

Basic Insurance”; University of Houston People’s Law School; Houston, Texas; April 7, 2007

Homeowner’s Policies Liability and Property Coverages: Update on Key Provisions”; University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Insurance and Tort Claims; March 22, 2007 (Dallas), March 29, 2007 (Houston) and April 12, 2007 (Austin)

Hot Insurance Topics Impacting Texas Consumers”; State Bar of Texas Consumer and Commercial Law Course; Dallas, Texas; October 13, 2006

“The Necessary Mechanics for Handling Automobile Claims”; State Bar of Texas Insurance Law Section Annual Meeting and CLE; Austin, Texas; June 15, 2006.

“Ethics Jeopardy”; South Texas College of Law Texas Insurance Law Symposium; Houston, Texas; January 27, 2006.

“Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Discovery in Insurance Cases”; State Bar of Texas Advanced Consumer Law Course; Houston, Texas; November 4, 2005.

“Hot Topics in Property, Liability and Automobile Insurance”; State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting Insurance Law Section CLE Program; Dallas, Texas; June 23, 2005

“Discovery – Underwriting and Beyond the Claim File; What is There, How You Get It and How and What to Use”; The Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas Second Annual Advanced Insurance Law Course; Dallas, Texas; March 31, 2005

“What’s New in Personal Lines”; State Bar of Texas Annual Insurance Law Section Meeting & CLE; San Antonio, Texas; June 24, 2004

“From Tilley to Gandy – Working in Shades of Gray”; The Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas; Dallas, Texas; June 10-11, 2004

“Hot Topics in Texas Insurance Law”; State Bar of Texas Insurance Law Telephone Seminar Series; May 5, 2004

“Who is Really Controlling the Defense? The Dilemma of the Litigation and Billing Guidelines and Other Control Devices”; State Bar of Texas First Annual Advanced Insurance Law Course

“Property Insurance: Annotated Homeowner’s Policy”; Ultimate Insurance Seminar 2000

“Commercial General Liability Policies and Other Insureds: Watch Your Language”; Government Contracts in Texas Seminar; November, 2000

“Surf’s Up! Insurance Resources on the Web” Texas Insurance Law Symposium: Coverage and Litigation; South Texas College of Law; November, 2000

Credentials

Education

University of Houston Law Center, J.D., 1992

University of Houston, B.B.A., 1986 - Summa Cum Laude

A.A. White Dispute Resolution Center – 40 hour Basic Mediation Training, May 2005

Admissions

  • Texas Courts
  • United States District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
  • United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Employment

  • Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom, L.L.P., (Founding Partner), January 2000 – present
  • Assistant Counsel for State Farm, Corporate Law Department, January 1995 – January 2000
  • State Farm Insurance Companies:
  • • BI Claim Superintendent, Auto Company, January 1993 – December 1995
  • • Division Claim Attorney, January 1992 – January 1993
  • • Claim Specialist, Sr. Claim Rep., Claim Rep., Claim Rep. Trainee, January 1987 – January 1992
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