Mike Martin

Mike Martin was first licensed in 1985. By the time he graduated from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Martin was a national and state advocacy champion and had already argued before the D.C. Circuit (en banc); the Texas State Supreme Court and two United States Supreme Court justices. While in law school he won multiple national advocacy championships, including best advocate in the region and in the nation.

Martin has specialized in trial litigation for both commercial and personal injury, with a specific specialty in respirator product liability.

Experience
Mike Martin has successfully tried over 100 civil cases as first chair. During his career he has verdicts ranging from 3.5 million to 7.5 million in damages. Martin has successfully tried both complex toxic tort cases and complex commercial cases. In addition to his role as a seasoned and experienced trial lawyer, Martin has garnered many positive settlements for his clients. By way of example these recent settlements included a 6.5 million, 4.5 million, 3.5 million, 2 million, 2.2 million, 2.8 million 1.5 million in respirator product liability cases. Unlike some plaintiff lawyers, Martin handles respirator liability arising out of silicosis, asbestos or chemical exposures on a case by case basis, only. He has never grouped his clients in a single case.

Member and Court Admissions
• American Bar Association
• Texas Bar Association
• Kentucky Bar Association
• American Association for Justice
• Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• United States District Court – Southern District, Texas
• United States District Court – Northern District, Illinois
• United States District Court- Eastern District, Missouri

Public Service and Recognition
• 1991-1995 - Member, Texas House of Representatives: Chair Health Insurance Reform, Vice-Chair Insurance; member, House Appropriations, Chair Freshman Caucus – Outstanding, Freshman member.
• 1993, 1995 - Texas Monthly, 10 Best Legislators
• 1993 - Common Cause, Texas Star Award, Ethics Reform
• 1993, 1994 Citizen of the Year – Galveston Daily News, Galveston Chamber, Santa Fe Chamber
• 1993 - Clean Water Action – Legislative Hero
• 1993 - Sierra Club – Legislative Hero
• 1993 - Texas Medical Association, Texas Medicine’s Best
• 1993 - Texas AFL – CIO, Harris-Galveston Central Labor Council, Distinguished Service
• 1994 - Candidate, Texas State Senate, District 17
• 1998-2000 - Chair, Galveston Bay Foundation
• 2005-2009 - National Board Member – Pacifica Foundation

Legislative Accomplishments

• 1991 - Texas Coastal Zone Management Act (SB 1053) – principal author
• 1993 - Texas Prevailing Wages Act (HB 560) – principal author
• 1993 - Texas Health Insurance Reform (HB 2055) – principal author

Publications & Presentation

• Invited Expert, United States Senate, Committee on Judiciary, Arlen Spector, Chair; Toxic Torts - silicosis
• University of Houston, Continuing Legal Education – “Ethical Perspectives in Accepting Representation After Passage of SB 15” Dallas and Houston.
• University of Houston Continuing Legal Education – “Ethical Issues in a Toxic Tort Case” Houston, Dallas
• Co-Chair, Mealey’s Silica Litigation Conference, Oct. 25-26 New Orleans. Speaker – Medical Ethics of Evaluating Silica Cases – “presenting false expert testimony, improper coaching of claimants testimony” - Model Rules of Professional Responsibility.
• Speaker – Mealey’s Silica Litigation Conference, Oct. 13-14, Atlanta – “Medical Panel – Debate over Science and Medicine of Silica.”
• Speaker – Harris Martin Conference on Silica, June 9-10, New Orleans “The Regulatory Framework and How it relates to State of the Art, Employer’s Liability an Duty to Warn”
• Columns, “Quarries and Aggregate Operations: The Birth and Perpetuation of Silicosis.” (2003)
• Columns, “Foundries and Respirators: A Fatal Solution to the Silicosis Problem” (2003)

Reported Cases

• Guinn v. Texas Newspapers, Inc., 738 S.W. 2d 303) (Tex. App. 14th Dist. 1987)
• Childs v. Haussecker, 974 S.W. 2d 31 (Tex. 1998)
• Bergfeld v. Unimin, 319 F. 3d 350 (8th Cir. 2003)
• Ford v. Pulmsan, 831 N.Y S. 2d 353 (2011)
• Newport Development Joint Venture v. Hoba Lake Houston, 2009 Tex. App. LEXIS 9224
• In Re Hunter Buildings, 2011 Tex. App. [14th Dist.] LEXIS 7993
• BBG Group v. MBI Global, 345 S.W. 3d 851 (Tex. App. [14th Dist.] 2013)

Gage Walton

Gage Walton is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and South Texas College of Law in Houston. Ms. Walton has significant experience in commercial litigation, specifically representing landlords in landlord/tenant litigation. She has successfully prosecuted thousands of landlord tenant disputes to the advantage of her clients. Ms. Walton has appellate experience both in state and federal court and has handled appeals relating to complex toxic tort and environmental claims. She also successfully argued the appeal of one of the largest defamation verdicts in the history of Brazoria County.

Ms. Walton has been a strident public advocate for children and families in need. She is the former president of the board of directors of the Women’s Resource and Crisis Center of Galveston County. She helped establish the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, or CASA, of Galveston County which provides critical assistance to children in the judicial process. She has volunteered with the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center and Casa D’Esperanza De Los Ninos, the House of Hope for Children.