Education:
- University of Texas at Arlington, B.A., 1974
- University of Houston, J.D., summa cum laude, 1977
- Editor, Houston Law Review
- Jessup International Moot Court Team, Regional Champion
- University of Houston Law Foundation Academic Excellence Award, 1977, given to the student graduating first in the class
Work Experience:
- Mandell & Wright, associate from 1977 to 1980; handled a wide variety of general civil matters
- Susman Godfrey L.L.P., founding partner from 1980 to 2003; served as lead counsel on hundreds of matters
- Selected in 2003 by Chambers USA (Int’l Legal Directory) as one of the Leading Commercial Litigators in America (one of 17 chosen in Texas)
- Selected by the Legal Directory LawDragon as one of the 500 leading lawyers in America
- Judge 157th District Court, Harris County, Texas from April 2003 to present.
- Appointed in 2005 as state-wide Vioxx MDL judge by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
- Appointed in 2008 as MDL judge for Crane Collapse Litigation by Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
- One of the highest-rated Civil District Judges in Harris County in the Houston Bar Association 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 Judicial Polls (see attached)
- Rated by Lawdragon (Legal Directory) as one of the 500 Leading Judges in America
- Appointed to serve as Justice of the Texas Supreme Court in 2008 in In re Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
- Twice selected Trial Judge of the Year in 2009 and 2011 by TACTAS, the Texas Civil Trial & Appellate Specialists.
- Civil Administrative Judge for Harris County, 2014-15.
Certification:
- Board Certified, Civil Trial Specialist, Texas Board of Certification, 1988 to present
Professional:
- Member of Texas Bar Association (Litigation Sections; member of Governing Council of Antitrust Section, 1979-83; in charge of publications, 1978-83)
- Member of Houston Bar Association (Litigation Section)
- Member of Houston Bar Foundation
- Member District 4-E Grievance Committee, 1979-84
- Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Houston, 1979; taught Ethics and Professional Responsibility
- Member, TACTAS (Texas Association of Board Certified Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists)
- Member ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates)
Civic and Personal:
- Married to Mary Wilson, 48 years
- Three adult children
- Member and Elder of First Presbyterian Church of Houston; member and chairman of numerous committees; adult Sunday School teacher
- Member of Board of Trustees of The Star of Hope of Houston, Secretary of the Board, and Chairman of Development Committee, 1997 to 2004
- Board member (1994-96, and 2005-2006) and Chairman of the Board/President of LifeHouse of Houston (1996), a Christian maternity home
- Board member (2009-current) Main Street Ministries, an organization providing support for the homeless, indigent and formerly incarcerated
