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Michael F. Pezzulli

Item: Law Office of Michael F. Pezzulli
Rating: 5
Author: J. Williamson

Michael's Resume

Summary

Michael F. Pezzulli is an accomplished Dallas civil trial attorney in practice for over 44 years, Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1986. Pezzulli has prevailed as the first- chair litigator in dozens of jury trials, obtaining multi-million-dollar verdicts in many cases, including the highest domestic violence jury verdict in U.S. history in 2016.

He founded a Dallas litigation firm, the Law Office of Michael F. Pezzulli, to advocate for businesses and individuals with lawsuits, appeals, and mediated settlements. Pezzulli is a gifted communicator, keynote speaker and media commentator. He is an avid legal scholar who has authored sections of legal practice manuals and board certification examinations. His exceptional recall of case law across all disciplines is a formidable advantage in court and when preparing alternative resolution strategies.

Experience

Complex commercial disputes
Banking, mortgage, securities fraud, and fiduciary duty
Real estate and property disputes
Catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice
Domestic violence
Institutional sexual abuse and child-on-child sexual abuse
Family law, custody, child support and modifications
Collaborative divorce and alternative dispute resolution
Emerging legal issues including internet domains, intellectual property, pandemic business operations

Case Highlights

Obtained landmark $40M jury verdict in a 2016 Dallas, TX domestic violence case; reportedly the largest domestic violence verdict in U.S. history (www.verdictsearch.com), and the 44th highest U.S. jury verdict in 2016 (National Law Journal).
Obtained the largest jury verdict in U.S. history in a child-on-child sexual abuse case.
Successfully represented Marina Oswald, widow of Lee Harvey Oswald, who sought to exhume her husband’s body, to confirm his identity and end conspiracy theories.
Obtained six of the highest settlements in U.S. history against a religious organization involving sexual abuse claims, Dallas, TX.
Obtained a defense jury verdict for a national bank in a lender liability claim, Dallas, TX.
Obtained a defense jury verdict for a securities defendant in blue-sky securities fraud case, Columbia, SC
Successfully represented a target defendant in a bank failure case against the FDIC; a national mortgage company in a complex bankruptcy adversary proceeding; and obtained a jury verdict on behalf of a plaintiff in stock put agreement litigation.
Obtained a verdict in a Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) case in the northern district of Texas.

Selected Distinctions

Best Lawyer / Best Law Firms (U.S. News & World Report, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2014, 2013)
Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame, inducted 2019
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Lifetime Member, awarded 2019
Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Lifetime Member, awarded 2019
Collin County Bar Association – Member, Board of Directors, 2019 - present
Chairman, Collin County Bar Association Pandemic Committee, 2020 - present
Martindale-Hubble AV Preeminent Lawyer for 30 years, recognizing exceptional legal ability and ethics
Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the U.S. (National Trial Lawyers, 2014, 2013)
Texas SuperLawyer (Thompson Reuters, 18 years)
Best Attorneys in Texas (Best Lawyers, 2010 - 2020)
Best Lawyers in America (Best Lawyers in America, 2010 - 2020)

Education

Juris Doctorate, West Virginia University College of Law, Morgantown, WV - 1976

Distinguished as the Graduating Senior Contributing Most to Overall Legal Scholarship
Law Review - authored three articles
Moot Court Team

Bachelor of Science, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV - 1973 (magna cum laude)

President, Political Science Honorary
Debate Scholarship Recipient - four years
First Seed Debate Team - four years

Employment

Law Clerk to the Honorable John A. Field, Jr., Senior United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1976 - 1977
Associate, Hughes, Luce, Hennessy, Smith and Castle (now K&L Gates), 1977 - 1978
Associate, Kelsoe & Ayres, 1978 - 1980
Principal, the Law Office of Michael F. Pezzulli, PLLC, 1980 - present

Community Involvement

Squadron Commander, Civil Air Patrol Squadron TX 295, McKinney, TX, 2010 - 2013
Awarded Honorary Green Beret by the Department of the Army, 2013
Town Council Member, Town of Fairview, TX, 2002 - 2010

Speaking and Publications

Business Interruption Losses and Covid-19 After Friends Of Danny Devito, Et. Al V. Tom Wolf, Governor Of Pennsylvania, 2020 Wl 1847100, posted on Courtroom.com blog Texas Law Updates, May 2020.

The Perils of Email, presented at Collin County Bench Bar Conference, Glen Rose, Texas, May 2019.

Criminal Law and Civil Litigators: Parallel Prosecution, the Fifth Amendment and a Review of Three Little Known Federal Statutes. State Bar of Texas CLE Webinar, Austin, Texas, March 2019.

Attorney-Client Privilege in Civil Litigation, Protecting and Defending Confidentiality (Fourth Edition), Author of Chapter 6, American Bar Association, 2008.

Attorney-Client Privilege in Civil Litigation, Protecting and Defending Confidentiality (Third Edition), Author of Chapter 18, American Bar Association, 2004.

Crimes, Criminals, and Civil Litigators or Will the Real Defendant Please Stand Up?; Dealing with Regulatory and Criminal Fall Out; August 2002; author of chapter 4.

Loans, Collateral & Repossession; Comprehensive Consumer Law Seminar; Houston; August 26-27, 1994.

Pretrial and Trial Publicity Ethics, Practicality and Ambiguity; "Learning from the Masters", Dallas Bar Association; September 10, 1993.

Tactical Use of Discovery and Claims of Privilege as a Sword and a Shield; Advanced Evidence and Discovery Course 1990-1991; State Bar of Texas Professional Development Program.

It's Like Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall: Representing Troubled Financial Institutions Against The Federal Government; 3rd Annual Advanced DTPA/Consumer Law Course; San Antonio, Texas, May 4-5, 1990.

Criminal Law and Civil Litigators: A Review of Three Little Known Federal Statutes and Their Potential Application to Attorneys; Litigation Update 1992; San Antonio, Texas.

The Emerging Damages Issues in Nursing Home and other Geriatric Personal Injury Cases; Southern Methodist University School of Law; Personal Injury and Products Liability Symposium, April 1992.

Foreclosure Documents Lien Documents; Notices; Sale Documents; Deficiency Suits; Collections: Drafting Documents for a Collections Practice; October 1991.

An Ill Wind Blows Into Town?: U.S. Supreme Court Rules That State Courts Have Concurrent Jurisdiction Over Rico Claims; Dallas Bar Association Business Litigation Seminar; April 10, 1990.

Suits and Estates: Commercial Defenses; 5th Annual Creditors' Right Course, April 1990.

Defenses to Deceptive Trade Practice Claims; Advanced DTPA Consumer Law Course; May 1989; State Bar of Texas.

New Approaches to Presenting Evidence in Commercial Litigation; Emerging Trends in Texas Evidence: Federal and State Developments; March 1989.

Technique and Strategies for Representing Client in Civil Rico Action; 7th Annual Advanced Civil Litigation Institute; South Texas College of Law; 1989.

A Defense Perspective Interview with Michael F. Pezzulli; RICO Drug Enforcement Newsletter; December 1989.

A Practical Guide to Presenting and Defending Spoliation of Evidence Case; July 31, 1988; ABA Annual Meeting/Tort & Insurance Section; Toronto Canada.

Direct and Cross-Examination of a Psychologist in a Psychological Injury Case; Southern Methodist University Products Liability Institute; 1988.

Introduction and Use of Experiments and Other Forms of Demonstrative Evidence Including Computer Generated Evidence; Southern Methodist University Products Liability Institute; Chapter 6, 1987.

Presenter, Marie Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland Trial Advocacy demonstration organized by The Honorable John McClellan Marshall, March 1996.

Selection of Testifying and Consulting Experts: The Importance of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b) (4); Southern Methodist University Products Liability Institute; Chapter 5; 1988.

The Court's Charge in DTPA Cases; Consumer Law Seminar; February 12, 1988.

Real Estate Foreclosure Litigation and its Bankruptcy Implications; Advanced Civil Trial Course Litigation; July 1987; Vol. 1.

"We'll Know It When We See It": The Concept Of Good Cause For Failure To Supplement Discovery Responses Under The Texas Rules Of Civil Procedure; State Bar of Texas Advanced Civil Discovery Course; 1989

Debtor's and Creditor's Rights Attachment and Garnishment Constitutional Parameters of Prejudgment Remedies; West Virginia Law Review; Vol. 78, Number 1; 1977.

★★★★★

"My case was complicated. My opponents were very high profile individuals with the ability to hire the best attorneys to defend their egregious actions. Michael Pezzulli did not back down, and my verdict was very favorable. He is a strategist with amazing skills. Most of the time he had them beaten before they ever entered the courtroom!" J. Williamson

"Michael Pezzulli is as good as it gets. You'll be hard pressed to find a litigator with not just the know-how but the experience in the courtroom to back it up. Ethically, you can be assured he is one who upholds the Texas Lawyer's Creed. And as a mediator who has mediated for Mr. Pezzulli, I know that he comes prepared, prepares the mediator, and most importantly, prepares his client." Barry Wernick

"My husband and I have known Michael Pezzulli for over 40 years. When representing us we have found him to be very thorough, decisive and, to our benefit, quite intimidating to the opposing attorney when necessary. He has an uncanny way of communicating to members of the jury and I highly recommend him to anyone who needs legal representation." Jan Richey

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