Dale Jefferson

Mr. Jefferson is a nationally recognized trial lawyer with extensive experience in complex commercial, fiduciary litigation, professional malpractice, real estate, construction defect, insurance, employment and tort litigation and regularly tries cases as lead counsel in district, county and probate court as well as arbitration. Mr. Jefferson has tried to verdict cases in four different states. He also provides outside general counsel services to a variety of leading business entities and law firms. In the courtroom, he has handled some of the highest profile lawsuits in Texas. Mr. Jefferson has appeared on numerous national television broadcasts, including CNN, Dateline, Good Morning America and the Oprah Winfrey Show. His strengths involve fiduciary litigation, the law of lawyering, insurance law, and coverage issues involving technology, copyright, intellectual property, and the media, employment law, tort law and real estate and construction law. In 2008, Mr. Jefferson was elected into membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates, an organization that certifies only experienced first-chair jury trial attorneys into membership. In 2019, he was awarded the Joseph S. Horrigan Award for Fiduciary Litigation Excellence by the State Bar of Texas. Recently, Best Lawyers named him 2024 Lawyer of the Year in Houston, TX for Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants.

Elected Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates

Recepient: The Joseph S. Horrigan Award for Fiduciary Litigation Excellence by the State Bar of Texas, December 2019

Named to the Texas Super Lawyers list by Super Lawyers®, a Thomson Reuters business, as featured in Texas Monthly and Texas Super Lawyers magazines (2004-2023)

Best Lawyers in America Commercial Litigation, 2015 - 2024

Named as Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Houston, TX for Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants (2024)

Awarded AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

South Texas College of Law Distinguished Alumni Recipient, 2011

Named one of “Houston’s Top Lawyers” by H Texas Magazine, 2017-2020

Outstanding Lawyers of America

Adjunct Professor South Texas College of Law, 1987 – 2003

Clients

Professional

State Bar of Texas (Insurance, Litigation, and Probate sections)

Houston Bar Association

American Bar Association

Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit

News

News

Lawyer Seeking $9.2M From Ex-Firm Fights Arbitration Bid
Law360; July 20, 2020

GC Violated Duty By Gunning For Share Of Contingency Fee
Law360; February 5, 2020

A Decade After O'Quinn's Death: Litigation, Legal Fees, Foundation Live On
Texas Lawyer; October 29, 2019 

Silvia Garcia, et al. v. Gabriel A. Arguello, et al.
Texas Lawyer

Hardin to take on Nuggets player in court of law
Houston Chronicle; January 26, 2010 

Court upholds will of King Ranch heir 
Houston Chronicle; July 13, 2007 

The Inconvenient Sharon Bush
Vanity Fair; April 2004 

Suit against Geraldo Rivera settled
The New York Times; July 21, 1990

Cheerleader mom, movie producers settle
Chicago Tribune; November 7, 1992 

Judge seals ex-clients’ fraud complaint against co-lead counsel in pelvic mesh case
Thompson Reuters; July 2, 2019 

Houston Firm Seeks Quick Dismissal of Hospital's Trademark Suit
Law.com; January 17, 2019

Houston homebuilder RG Homes facing new legal trouble
Houston Chronicle; February 13, 2018

John O'Quinn's Former Lover Sues Funeral Home After It Transports His Body to Louisiana
The Houston Press; March 29, 2016

John O'Quinn Still Looms Large at the Courthouse, Even in Death
The Houston Press; March 21, 2016

Hart: Brookshire-Katy Drainage District's version of democracy
Houston Chronicle; April 10, 2012 

Kilday Hart: On taxpayers' dime drainage district won't give up
Houston Chronicle; February 7, 2012 

Confidential settlement
Houston Chronicle; Friday, January 6, 2012 

The John M. O'Quinn Estate and Foundation Announce Lawsuit Settlement
PR Newswire; January 5, 2012 

Rick Casey: The epic tale of Lily Gardens
Houston Chronicle; March 17, 2011 

Law and Disorder
Texas Monthly; February 2011 

The legacy of trial lawyer John O’Quinn
The Denver Post; August 13, 2010 

Battle on for Houston lawyer's vintage cars
Victoria Advocate; August 9, 2010

Car collection's fate uncertain after O'Quinn's death
Houston Chronicle; October 31, 2009 

Lawsuit accuses Houston attorney of sexual misconduct
Houston Chronicle; July 31, 2008 

Big Boobs Revisited
The Houston Press; May 14, 2008 

O'Quinn case: Lawyers take aim at each other
Houston Chronicle; July 21, 2007 

Judge rules landowners can keep bridge cover
Houston Chronicle; December 16, 2006 

Landowners claim bridge fight just drainage district land grab
Houston Chronicle; November 27, 2006 

Deal reached in harassment suit against law school, former professor
Houston Chronicle; June 28, 2005 

Ex-wife of president's brother settles case
Houston Chronicle; March 20, 2005 

Cast Away
Texas Monthly; May 2004 

$850,000 bet issued in suit involving Neil Bush
Houston Chronicle; February 21, 2004 

‘Thelma and Louise’ lose shot at Hollywood Riches
Houston Chronicle; January 12, 1996 

True Greed
The Boston Globe Magazine; May 16, 1993 

Publications

Mr. Jefferson has been a much sought after CLE speaker for over a decade. Mr. Jefferson has written articles and delivered speeches at seminars across Texas and in other states on a variety of legal topics. His articles cover the spectrum of civil litigation issues, including legal malpractice, insurance coverage, trial and litigation skills and tactics, employment, media, real estate and tort issues. Starting in 2006, Mr. Jefferson has been invited to be part of the faculty for the Texas College for Judicial Studies, the advanced legal education course for Texas Judges.  Mr. Jefferson has also been accredited by the Texas Real Estate Commission as a certified continuing education instructor for real estate professionals.  Mr. Jefferson also served as an adjunct professor of appellate advocacy at South Texas College of Law where he coached 12 national championship teams in his 17 years of teaching.

Texas Bar CLE:  36^th Annual Advanced Personal Injury
Avoiding Legal Malpractice
July 6, 2020

Texas Bar CLE:  15^th Annual Fiduciary Litigation
Tips to Win the Fiduciary Trial
December 10, 2020

Texas Bar CLE:  14^th Annual Fiduciary Litigation
Deposing the Fiduciary Witness
December 6, 2019

Texas Bar CLE:  43^rd Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Probate
Appeals Before Appeals
June 19, 2019

Texas Bar CLE:  13^th Annual Fiduciary Litigation
Trying the Fiduciary Litigation Case
December 6, 2018

Texas Bar CLE:  12^th Annual Fiduciary Litigation
Breach of Fiduciary Duty & Legal Malpractice
December 1, 2017

Texas Bar CLE:  40^th Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Probate
Bringing the Bling to Your Presentation
Jun 24, 2016

Texas Bar CLE:  11^th Annual Fiduciary Litigation
Course Director
December 1 - 2, 2016

Texas Bar CLE:  10^th Annual Fiduciary Litigation
How to Try the Fiduciary Litigation Case
December 11, 2015

Texas College for Judicial Studies
Everything You Wanted to Know About Insurance Litigation, But Was Afraid to Ask
May 8, 2014

The University of Texas School of Law:  18^th Annual Insurance Law Institute
Legal Malpractice Pitfalls to Avoid in Insurance Litigation
November 7, 2013

Texas Bar CLE:  37^th Annual Advanced Estate Planning and Probate
Spoliation:  It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore
June 27, 2013

Texas Bar CLE:  26^th Annual Advanced Evidence and Discovery
What to Communicate to Your Client at Each Stage of the Case
May 23, 2013

South Texas College of Law:  27^th Annual Wills and Probate Institute
Malpractice and Fiduciary Litigation
September 21, 2012

Texas College for Judicial Studies
Fiduciary Duty Litigation
April 11, 2012

Texas Bar CLE: Advanced Personal Injury
Malpractice Pitfalls to Avoid in Personal Injury Law
July 7, 2011

South Texas College of Law:  22^nd Annual Personal Injury Law Conference
Legal Malpractice
April 10, 2008

Texas Bar CLE
New Lawyer Course Preparing for Trial
2007

Texas College for Judicial Studies
Insurance Law Update
2006

South Texas of College of Law
Insurance Law Symposium
2003