Skip to Main Content.

Biography

Over his 44 year career, Martin has represented clients in more than 150 complex trials in 14 states, and resolved other complex litigation, short of trial, in 47 states, as well as in Europe, South America, New Zealand and Asia. His litigation experience includes tort law, including personal injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial and private aircraft disasters, transportation accidents and product liability claims; commercial disputes including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and fraud; and intellectual property, including trade secrets, trademark infringement and patent infringement.

Martin regularly advises clients engaged in high-stakes litigation. Whether being hired as replacement counsel to turn around a troubled lawsuit, or being sought out when a “bet the company” risk is at play, he excels when the pressure is on.

Martin has also worked with healthcare providers for 15 years. He primarily focuses on business, management, employment, labor and coding issues.ย  He’s handled and litigated, as necessary, cases on behalf of medical practices, locum tenens firms and hospitals with particular emphasis on LLC and partnership issues between healthcare professionals and their employers/partners and billing disputes with third party payors.

Martin has developed deep industry knowledge through his experience in technical cases involving aerospace, chemical and mechanical engineering, industrial materials, and computer and software technology. He is also a pilot with ratings in Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Martin's Relevant Experience

Litigation Highlights

Tried cases involving more than $1B in alleged damages and winning cases with awards valued at more than $200M.

Tried and resolved short of trial dozens of cases involving Intellectual property, including Theft of trade secret and patent infringement in diverse jurisdictions and courts.

Tried and resolved short of trial dozens of Contract, fraud, unfair competition and tortious interference business claims.

Represented defense contractor in multi-jurisdiction litigation against aircraft manufacturer over world wide support of a military program, trying one trade secret case in Atlanta, Ga., and resolving a related anti-trust case in Texas short of trial.

Represented clients trying scores of product liability cases involving wrongful death in air disasters, and personal injury cases involving serious burns, loss of limbs, brain damage and spinal chord injury. Resolved short of trial hundreds of additional Aviation and transportation tort cases.

Represented component manufacturers in many notable air disasters, including: Alaska Airlines California disaster; Swiss Air crash in Peggyโ€™s cove, Nova Scotia; United Airlines flight 232, Sioux City Iowa; American Airlines Chicago DC accident; TWA disaster; among others.

Represented air carriers in domestic and international air disasters, including accidents in Chicago, North Carolina, California, Columbia, among others.

Handled notable air disasters including: Payne Stewart tragedy; the Reba McIntyre Band Crash Disaster; Ricky Nelson; Columbia Space Disaster; the Twilight Zone movie accident which resulted in both criminal and civil litigation; Aspen, Co charter plane crash, among many others.

$9.6 million jury verdict in a fraud and unfair competition case against an equipment manufacturers distributor.

$7.3 million jury verdict in a breach-of-contract, fraud and tortious interference case in Dallas County, Texas state court on behalf of a casual game developer and publisher.

$9.8 million decision in defamation and breach-of-contract case in Dallas County, Texas state court on behalf of a doctor who sued his former employer.

$96 million judgment in favor of a steel forger in litigation against aircraft engine manufacturer Textron Lycoming, in the largest worldwide recall of aircraft engines in history. Same verdict wiped out a $180M claim for indemnity brought by Textron.

Arbitration in a breach-of-contract case on behalf of an aviation integration company.

Defense of an air charter operator in 15 wrongful death claims involving the crash of a Gulfstream 3 in Aspen, Colo., tried in Los Angeles superior court.

Verdict in excess of $26 million, including more than $11 million in punitive damages, while prosecuting tort and contract claims by aviation integration company Raytheon against a subcontractor, Learjet.

Defense verdict in Mississippi state court in a wrongful death case on behalf of national trucking company Yellow Freight against one of the top plaintiffโ€™s lawyers in the state. The jury deliberated less than 11 minutes.

Defense of an insurance company director against claims of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and usurpation of corporate opportunities by carrier.

Defense of an aircraft seller against claims of breach of contract and fraud by purchaser.

Defense of a joint venture partner against claims of negligence.

Successful defense of Founder of Block Buster chain in litigation brought by minority investors.

Defense of a national trucking company in Missouri state court against a significant brain damage and loss of limb claim.

Directed verdict for a helicopter operator in a wrongful death action by the pilotโ€™s estate, tried in Denver federal court.

Achieved favorable settlement for our client in trade secret and anti-trust disputes with a global aerospace and defense company.

Successfully represented designer of in-flight entertainment system blamed for the crash of Swiss Airโ€™s MD-11 aircraft near Peggyโ€™s Cove, Nova Scotia from claims for indemnity spear headed by aircraft manufacturer and airline. Led independent investigation which questioned likelihood of fire initiation by the system and resulted in favorable confidential resolution

Represented the manufacturer of elevator jackscrew in litigation arising out of a commercial aircraft disaster. Our investigation demonstrated that the failure was due to maintenance and not design. We extricated our client from the mass disaster litigation without payment.

Represented and aircraft operator and owner in product liability litigation arising from a well-publicized disaster. Achieved an innovative and novel settlement which preserved substantial insurance assets and averted client bankruptcy.

Achieved favorable settlement for our client in breach of contract and fraud claims against to international aircraft manufacturers.

$3.8 Million dollar jury verdict for the value of a prominent ย stallion found dead in his stall. Insurer of stallion (who was temporarily infertile due to an injury) denied coverage and claimed the horse was put down for the insurance. Affirmed on appeal.

Received record jury verdict for the wrongful death of an unemancipated minor in the State of Tennessee.

Other Info About Martin

Education

Law School

Southwestern University, J.D., 1974

Undergraduate School

University of California at Los Angeles, B.A., 1971

Bar Memberships

Martin is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

California, 1974

Texas, 1984

Colorado, 2013

Courts

Martin is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

U.S. District Courts โ€“ Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Districts of Texas

U.S. District Courts โ€“ Northern, Southern, Central and Eastern Districts of California

U.S. District Court โ€“ Colorado

U.S. District Court โ€“ Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. Court of Appeals โ€“ Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth, and Federalย Circuits

U.S. Supreme Court

Supreme Court of California

Supreme Court of Texas

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

The Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ: Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions โ€“ Plaintiffs, 2013-2024,โ€œLawyer of the Year,โ€ 2014, 2018; Aviation Law, 2019-2024

Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent Peer Rating, 2013-2019

Texas Super Lawyers, 2005-2018

Featured on Cover Article of D CEO magazine as of one of 3 โ€œMasters of the Corporate Lawsuitโ€

Americaโ€™s Top 100 Attorneys,ย Northern Texas, 2016-Present

ALMย Top Rated Lawyer in Mass Torts, 2013-2016

Chambers USAย โ€œLeaders in Their Field,โ€ย commercial litigation, 2013

Texasโ€™ Legal Leaders, Top Rated Lawyer in Personal Injury Law, 2013

Business Defendersโ€™ Award for Best Business Trial Lawyers, Dallas Business Journal, 200

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Bar Association

Aviation and Space Law Committee, Member
Insurance, Negligence and Compensation Law Section, Member
Litigation Section, Member

American Board of Trial Advocates, Advocate (2006-present), Associate Member (1992-2006)

Dallas Bar Association, Member

Distinguished Justice Advocates, Lifetime Member

Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow

State Bar of Texas Aviation Section, Chairman (2000-2001)

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

St. Edwardโ€™s University Board of Trustees, Chairman

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, Member

Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship (non-profit organization serving North Texans with disabilities), Past Board Member

Related Insights