DAWN R. MEADE, Senior Counsel

QUALIFICATIONS

Licensed by the State Bar of Texas, 1991

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

A-V Rated by Martindale Hubbell

EDUCATION

J.D. DEGREE:          South Texas College of Law, May 1990
National Order of the Barristers, 1990

 B.B.A. DEGREE:      University of Houston, College of Social Sciences,
Sociology, 1987

SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE

Dawn Meade is a seasoned litigator who prosecutes cases in state and federal courts throughout the country. She focuses her practice primarily on business and personal injury cases. Her business practice includes prosecuting trademark and copyright violations, fraud and fraudulent inducement, breach of contract, interference with business, consumer and securities law issues. In the personal injury arena, she prosecutes product liability, medical malpractice and serious injury claims. Dawn loves the law and the practice of law, considering herself fortunate to have spent her career representing those who need an advocate to stand between them and, in some cases, personal devastation. She believes that practicing law is an honor that imposes both a duty and a burden upon lawyers, both of which she gladly accepts.

Representative Cases:

The following cases, while not representative of any results that may be obtained in cases in the future, are some examples of Dawn Meade’s work:

Tortious Interference With Business. Dawn was one of a team of four lawyers representing a claims adjusting firm that filed suit against international insurance companies and insurance brokers, as well as an insurance adjusting firm, for delaying insurance claims. The primary complaint in the case was that the claims were delayed for the purpose of putting the plaintiff out of business. The case settled before trial for a cumulative total of $5,600,000.00. Of the settlement amount, the client paid $2,240,000.00 in attorney fees and $250,000.00 in litigation expenses, including fees for numerous expert witnesses.

Misappropriation of Proprietary Information, Tortious Interference With Business. After the above listed case, Dawn and two other members of the litigation team were hired, by one of the defense experts, to represent him in a lawsuit regarding his own adjusting firm and conflicts he had with his partners. The case involved claims of misappropriation and theft of proprietary company information, as well as tortious interference with prospective business. The case settled before trial for $750,000.00. Of the settlement amount, the client paid $300,000.00 in attorney fees and $20,000.00 in litigation expenses.

Tortious Interference With Business, Wrongful Termination. Dawn represented a financial advisor who was terminated from his job after he advised clients to sell a stock that he considered to be unsuitable for their portfolios. His employer’s records reflected that he was terminated because high-level employees of the issuer company demanded it. Dawn represented the financial advisor in two different forums: State District Court against the issuer’s employees and in arbitration against his employer. The cases were both settled before trial for a cumulative total of $367,000.00. Of the settlement amount, the client paid $183,500.00 in attorney fees and $77,000.00 in litigation expenses.

Breach of Contract. Dawn represented a former IFBB professional bodybuilder in his breach of contract and misappropriation of likeness claims against a nutrition supplement company. Dawn’s client had a contract with the company for the use of his likeness to endorse the company’s products. The company failed to pay sums due under the contract. The case was settled before trial for $900,000.00. Of the settlement amount, the client paid $360,000.00 in attorney fees and $40,000.00 in litigation expenses.

Breach of Contract and Fraud. Dawn represented a chiropractor in his claims against an orthopedic surgeon for breach of contract and fraud. The chiropractor developed a billing system that maximized the ability of a physician to collect insurance payments for services rendered to patients. He then contracted with the orthopedic surgeon to implement the system in the surgeon’s business. The surgeon failed to pay sums owed. The case settled during trial for $1,200,000.00. Of the settlement amount, the client paid $480,000.00 in attorney fees and $60,000.00 in litigation expenses.

Deceptive Trade Practices, Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Fraud. Dawn represented a poor, elderly man and his wife in a case against their mortgage company, their insurance company and various other companies to which the two primary defendants outsourced business. The case regarded the failure of the mortgage company to pay insurance premiums on the couple’s mobile home, despite the fact that the mortgage company withdrew the premium from the escrow account. Unfortunately, the mortgage company sent the premium to the wrong insurance company. The clients suffered a loss for which they were not insured due to the lapse in coverage. Dawn attempted, for over a year, to resolve the case with the mortgage company by waiving her fee and asking them to simply pay the $10,000.00 to repair the mobile home. The mortgage company refused, choosing instead to litigate for two years. The case was settled during trial for $400,000.00. Of the settlement amount, the clients paid $160,000.00 in attorney fees and $41,000.00 in litigation expenses, including substantial expert witness fees.

Personal Injury. Dawn has prosecuted a number of defective firearm product liability cases. The claims regarded the design defect of a popular rifle which defect allowed the gun to fire, when the safety mechanism was released, and without pulling the trigger. In 1995, she was one of a team of three lawyers who tried one of the cases to verdict. In the case, the client lost his foot, and ultimately his leg, as a result of a misfire on a hunting trip. The case was tried over eight weeks. The jury found that the rifle was defective, and awarded damages of $17.2 million. The damage award constituted $2.2 million in actual damages and $15 million in punitive damages. The jury also assessed 20% liability for the injury against the plaintiff. The case was settled post-trial for $3,500,000.00. Of the settlement amount, the client paid $1,400,000.00 in attorney fees and approximately $300,000.00 in litigation expenses.

PUBLICATIONS

Prosecuting Defective Firearms 1
Religious Freedom 2
Legal Insurance Plans: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly 3
Securities Law: Prosecuting the Lying, Cheating Suits 4

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Texas Bar Association
Houston Bar Association
American Association for Justice (Formerly ATLA)

CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS AND OFFICES

Brazoria County Women’s Center:
        Board of Directors 2006 – Present, Member

(A United Way Agency)
        Board of Directors, 2004 – 2005, President
        Board of Directors, 2003 – 2004, Vice President
        Board of Directors, 1998 – 2005, Member

National League of Women Voters:
        1998 through 2002

President of Pearland Area Chapter 1999 – 2000

North Brazoria County Democrats:
        1996 through Present
        President, 1998 – 1999

Texas Democratic Party:
        1996 through Present

Delegate to State Convention, 1996

Elected to State Platforms Committee, 1996

1 Co-Author, “A Primer to Prosecuting Defective Firearms Cases Involving Remington Bolt Action Rifles,”  67 Products Liability Advisory 8 (September, 1994).

2 Author, “Religious Freedom: Analysis of the Courts’ Application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” ABA Consumer & Personal Rights Litigation, Vol. III, No. 1 (May, 1996).

3 Author, “Legal Insurance Plans: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” ATLA Convention,
Chicago, IL (Summer, 2000)

4 Author, “Securities Law: Prosecuting the Lying, Cheating Suits,” ATLA Convention,
Atlanta, GA (Summer, 2002)