In its inaugural podcast, the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) welcomed two MehaffyWeber attorneys as guests — Shareholder Michele Y. Smith and Managing Shareholder Bob Black. The two spoke on the topic of “Weathering the Storm,” including a discussion of how attorneys plan for disaster-related events and the associated difficulties within the profession.
In addition to being a Shareholder at MehaffyWeber, Michele Y. Smith was recently elected to the IADC Board of Directors. She is the past chair of the CLE and In House and Law Firm Management Committees. For more than 25 years, she has represented clients in complex litigation matters including products liability, premises liability, pharmaceutical litigation, and construction defect litigation.
Michele is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and is well known in the legal community for her leadership skills across multiple professional associations. She is a past president of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, a past president of the Jefferson County Bar Association, and a past president of the Jefferson County Young Lawyers’ Association. Michele is an Advocate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and currently serves on the board of the Lamar University Foundation. She also participates as a member of the State Bar of Texas’ Texas Pattern Jury Charge Committee for Products Liability.
Robert “Bob” Black is a leading Texas lawyer and mediator. Joining MehaffyWeber in 1980, he is renowned for both his litigation prowess and his prolific and successful mediation and arbitration practice. He has tried more than 50 cases, focusing on mediation and arbitration in recent years. He has successfully mediated more than 4,700 cases on a wide range of subjects and is routinely chosen to arbitrate disputes across Texas and in other states. Bob is a member of the American Arbitration Association Roster of Neutrals and was ranked by Chambers and Partners® in the 2016 inaugural rankings for Mediators Nationwide, an honor only bestowed upon 22 mediators in the country. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers® (2011-2019) and Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (2003 – 2019) for his outstanding legal work.
Bob is well known in the legal community as the past president of the State Bar of Texas from 2011-2012. During his time as president, he started an initiative called Oyez Oyez Oh Yay! that served to educate students on U.S. Supreme Court decisions that control the shape of our country and illustrate the central importance of the rule of law. This initiative was awarded the 2012 Community Outreach and Education Award from the National Association of American Bar Executives and LexisNexis, a national honor not previously accorded to a State Bar of Texas initiative.
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MehaffyWeber was founded in 1946 as a litigation firm. As our clients’ needs expanded, we evolved into a broad-based regional law firm maintaining a strong emphasis in litigation. Now, we combine the traditional values upon which our firm was founded with an advanced and proactive approach to the practice of law. If you would like to speak to any of our experienced and nationally recognized attorneys, contact us today to schedule a consultation.