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Overview

Sarah draws on more than 20 years of experience—much of it in the courtroom—to defend clients in asbestos litigation.

Sarah began her legal career at the start of the second wave of asbestos cases: it was 2001, and a partner assigned her to a handful of matters in a practice area that conventional wisdom believed was on its way out. Instead, asbestos litigation quickly took off, and Sarah found herself handling a higher case volume than any of the more experienced attorneys in her office, with multiple trial settings every week and a docket of more than 10,000 plaintiffs. The baptism of fire gave her hands-on experience early in her career with all aspects of litigation and trial, rapidly teaching her the ins and outs of the mass tort world.

In addition to 20+ years as a Texas asbestos attorney, Sarah also served as a state representative from 2011-2021 while continuing to practice law. She had the opportunity in the state legislature to author portions of the asbestos tort reform that governs Texas asbestos cases today: in other words, Sarah doesn’t just know the law; she’s also the one who wrote it.

Today, Sarah devotes the majority of her practice to Texas asbestos litigation, primarily representing contractors. She has experience in all types of motion practice and is a seasoned mediator who has also tried a number of cases to verdict. Over the course of her career, she’s picked hundreds of juries, and she knows the practice inside and out. After two decades in the field, she’s built relationships with most plaintiff’s attorneys, and she’s deeply familiar with the thinking of the MDL judge who rules on nearly all Texas asbestos cases.

Sarah is known as a straight talker who deals fairly and honestly with clients and with opposing counsel. She often represents the same clients for many years, building loyal long-term relationships, and she aims not only to solve clients’ problems, but to make clients’ jobs easier along the way.

Industries

Services

Education

  • J.D., University of Houston Law Center
  • B.A., Baylor University

Admissions

  • Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • State Bar of Texas
  • Houston Bar Association
  • CLM Council on Litigation Management
  • Rodel Scholar at The Aspin Institute, Class of 2018
  • UN Sanctioned Observer, COP27, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, 2022


*Contact Sarah to set up an in-person consultation by appointment in the Houston office.
Experience
  • Achieved favorable jury verdict in household mesothelioma case in Brazoria County, Texas.
  • Resolved multiple asbestos cases at trial in Galveston County, Texas.
  • Settled asbestos case during Harris County trial for a fraction of the pre-trial demand, following the court's decision to grant the motion to strike the plaintiff's fact and expert witnesses.
  • Settled trucking accident case on appeal for favorable amount after adverse verdict in Jefferson County, Texas.
  • Achieved defense verdict in four plaintiff, mixed-dust pneumoconiosis case in Smith County, Texas.
Outside the Office

Classic Texans, Sarah and her husband own a small ranch, where they spend most weekends and holidays. She loves gardening and other ranch tasks, birdwatching (especially for hummingbirds during their migration season), and enjoying the neighboring cattle who have grazing rights at the ranch.

Sarah also loves to spend time with her two rescue dogs.

Community Leadership
  • Houston Area Women’s Center, Advisory Council
  • Texas Medical Center Orchestra, Advisory Council
  • Texas Access to Justice Ex-Officio Member for The Speaker of The House, 2013-2020