For nearly three decades, Laura’s practice has focused on all aspects of healthcare liability claims, including representing group insurers, healthcare institutions, and physicians before their governing administrative boards. Laura has defended and tried various types of personal injury and insurance matters, including fraud and abuse, toxic torts, product liability, workplace injuries, qui tam, and issues relating to managed care. She has represented clients in Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio. While the range of disputes on which Laura works crosses many industries due to her trial experience and medical background, her emphasis has recently been in the managed care industry, including representing clients in federal and state lawsuits, as well as arbitrations.
- Commercial Litigation
- Healthcare and Life Sciences
- Healthcare Litigation and Compliance
- Managed Care Litigation
- Product Liability and Mass Tort Litigation
- Litigation
- Qui tam
- University of Houston Law Center (J.D., magna cum laude, 1997)
- Order of the Coif
- Order of the Barons
- Houston Law Review
- University of British Columbia (LLB, 1993)
- Articles at Owen Bird LLP (1993 to 1994)
- University of Texas (BSN, cum laude, 1986)
- State Bar of Texas
- U.S. District Courts for Southern, Northern, and Western District
- Member of the Texas Pattern Jury Charges – Malpractice, Premises & Products Committee (2017 to Present)
- Chair of the Texas Pattern Jury Charges – Malpractice, Premises & Products Committee (2022 to 2023)
- University of Houston Law Alumni Board
- Director and Secretary (2011-2016)
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Houston Bar Association
- Greater Houston Society of Healthcare Risk Management
- Past President (2010)
- President (2009)
- President-Elect (2008)
- Past Vice President (2007)
- Past Secretary (2005-2006)
- Board of Directors (2002-2003)
- Pro Bono College of the State Bar of Texas
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Texas Association of Defense Counsel
- British Columbia Bar (Inactive)
- Defense verdict in bad faith lawsuit filed in Federal Court
- Representation of medical device company involving allegations of product liability, and obtained summary judgment award following deposition of plaintiff
- Representation of health care provider in qui tam litigation involving allegations of Medicare billing fraud
- Representation of health care providers providing home health care and hospice care
- Defense verdicts in several jury trials for surgeons, including case involving allegations of failure to properly repair a tear in the spinal canal occurring during surgery to repair herniated disk, resulting in loss of cerebrospinal fluid and neurologic injuries; case involving accusations of improper use of pedicle screws and hardware in a lumbar fusion operation and failure to recognize subsequent failure of pedicle screws, resulting in disability and the need for extensive anterior/posterior multi-level fusion operation; case involving allegations of injured and loss of kidney following pedicle screw implantation; case involving allegations of negligent perforation of the small intestine of a 55-year-old female patient during surgery to correct incontinence, resulting in massive abdominal infection, eight subsequent surgeries and lengthy period of hospitalization; and case involving allegations of death following lower back surgery
- Defense verdict in jury trial for medical group which employed social worker accused of having sexual relationship with former patient in violation of Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code Chapter 81
- Representation of major commercial mortgage lender in series of lawsuits arising out of lender's foreclosure on loan to owners of nursing home and claim that lender was directly and derivatively liable for injuries and/or deaths of residents of nursing home.
Published Cases/Publications
- 7 Minute Read Winter 2012, Publication. Co-author- the Essentials of E-Discovery (Top Five), Straigthline.
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, Greater Houston Anesthesiology Social Media and Drug & Alcohol Abuse Seminar, “Drug & Alcohol Abuse – The Interface with the Practice of Medicine,” Houston, Texas (April 12, 2014)
- "TMB Board Rules and Electronic Death Certificates," Presentation to Medical Staff (May 2013)
- "Advance Directives: What Does the Law Say?" (November 8, 2010)
- "Facing the Texas Medical Board: What You Need to Know When You Are the Subject of a TMB Investigation," GHA - American Physicians Insurance Company/Risks, Identification and Remedies of Substance Abuse (February 2010)
- "Understanding and Avoiding Texas Medical Board Investigations," San Patricio, Aransas and Refugio Counties Medical Society (May 2008)
- "Understanding and Avoiding Texas Medical Board Investigations," Guadalupe County Medical Society (April 2008)
- "Texas Medical Board Complaints and Investigations," The San Antonio Orthopedic Group-San Antonio, TX (April 12, 2008)
- "Legal and Risk Management Aspects of Running a Private Practice," The University of Texas Medical School-Galveston (March 4, 2008)
- "Overview of Chapter 74 and Application to Health Care Liability Claims," University of Houston Law School (February 2006)
- "Using Medical Records to Prove Your Case," National Business Institute (April 2005)
- "Ethical Issues in Medical-Legal Practices," AALNC Greater Houston Chapter Annual Seminar (October 2004)
- "Medical Records Confidentiality," National Business Institute (July 2004)
- "Charting Practices," DePelchin Children’s Center (June 2004)
- "HIPAA Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information," National Business Institute (September 2003)
- "Medical Records Management for Paralegals," Institute for Paralegal Education (June 2003)
- April 12, 2014
- Drug & Alcohol Abuse – The Interface with the Practice of Medicine, Greater Houston Anesthesiology Social Media and Drug & Alcohol Abuse Seminar, Houston, Texas
- May 2013
- TMB Board Rules and Electronic Death Certificates, Presentation to Medical Staff
