Elizabeth’s Background

AREAS OF PRACTICE

• Commercial Litigation
• General Litigation 
• Probate, Trust, and Estate Litigation and Guardianship Proceedings
• Appellate Representation
• Hospitality Law
• Employment Law
• General Counsel representation for Businesses
• Mediation of Civil Disputes

Elizabeth has secured favorable settlements, verdicts, and judgments in many state and federal courts and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a variety of cases involving commercial disputes, franchise agreements, hospitality law, deceptive trade practices, fraud, negligence, enforcement of contracts, constitutional law, civil rights, Title VII, employment discrimination, and employment relationships.  Elizabeth has also handled appeals involving the aforementioned areas as well as criminal matters.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Hospitality Industry

• Won non-jury trial for franchisee of known entity in issues involving trade secrets, copyrights, lease interests and trademarks, and recovered reasonable attorneys’ fees.  
• Obtained all damages for seller of franchise in trial involving breach of sales contract, financing agreements, and fraud, and recovered all attorneys’ fees expended. 
• Consultation and Representation of restaurants, bars, hotels, and other hospitality industry clients in various operational matters as well as representation in tort and employment related matters.
• Involvement in Governmental Affairs Committee of Greater Dallas Restaurant Association.

Fraud/Commercial Disputes/Deceptive Trade Practices/Negligence/Contract Disputes

• Successfully represented and defended fiber-optic telecommunications company and its various divisions and affiliated organizations in numerous lawsuits involving contract disputes, negligence claims, fraud claims, and DTPA claims arising out of all aspects of the construction of fiber-optic telecommunications cable systems and pipe systems.
• Successfully represented nationwide home improvement warehouse in defending and prosecuting claims involving disputes with vendors and disputes of vendor agreements.
• Successfully obtained verdict awarding all damages and all attorneys’ fees in breach of contract action for seller of business.
• Successfully represented health care entity providing organ transplants in multiple matters involving failure of insurance companies to pay benefits.

TitleVII/Employment Discrimination

• Successfully defended technologies employer against discrimination claims from employee resulting in dismissal of all claims against employer.
• Defended local governmental employer in claims involving discrimination and wrongful termination.
• Successfully defended forensics lab in discrimination and wrongful termination matter.

Negligence

• Successfully represented nationwide home improvement warehouse in defending claims of negligence from injured employees and customers. Successfully obtained dismissal of most cases prior to trial.
• Successfully represented nationwide mall owner and management company in defending claims of negligence from companies renting space in malls, employees of malls, and customers.

Employment Relationships/Embezzlement

• Successfully represented company in suit against employee who had embezzled funds, and obtained judgment requiring employee to repay all funds embezzled.
• Successfully represented company in effort to avoid bankruptcy after discovering the embezzlement of millions of dollars by an employee of the company, and successfully assisted in rehabilitating company’s relationship with lending institution after damage caused by embezzlement.

Constitutional Law/Civil Rights

• Won several non-jury trials for local governmental entity involving inmate claims of abuse, physical injury, denial of civil rights, denial of religious freedom, and denial of medical care.
• Won several jury trials for local governmental entity involving inmate claims of physical injury, abuse, denial of civil rights, denial of religious freedom, and denial of medical care.
• Successfully represented local governmental entity in voting rights and voter fraud cases.
• Successfully resolved many matters involving claims against Dallas County and Dallas County employees saving the County millions of dollars.
• Successfully obtained dismissals of claims against members of judiciary brought by members of public.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES / MEMBERSHIPS / AFFILIATIONS

• Member of National, Texas, and Greater Dallas Restaurant Associations
• Member of Global Alliance of Hospitality Attorneys and hospitalitylawyer.com
• Cambridge Who’s Who – VIP.
• Licensed to practice in all trial and appellate courts in Texas; U.S. District Courts (Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas); U.S. Court of Appeals (5th Circuit).
• State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Association, Member State Bar College.
• Former prosecutor in Dallas County District Attorney’s Office (1996-2000) and intern at U.S. Attorney’s Office in Waco, Texas (1994).

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

• 1992 – Bachelor of Journalism in Public Relations, University of Texas at Austin, College of Communications
• 1994 – Notre Dame University School of Law, London Campus: studies during summer abroad in Russian and Eastern European Economics, Politics, and Laws; International Criminal Tribunals; International Law; and International Domestic Relations Issues
• 1995 – Juris Doctor, Baylor University School of Law