Category Archives: Firm News

Patrick Dennis presented at the Advanced Personal Injury Law Course, sponsored by the State Bar of Texas, in Houston, Texas on September 15, 2011. Mr. Dennis’s speech, entitled “Insurance Bad Faith: Into the Heart of Darkness,” focused on bad faith insurance disputes, with a particular focus on bad faith workers’ compensation claims.

The Advanced Personal Injury Law Course will also be held in Houston again from November 2 to 4, and later this year in South Padre Island and Fort Worth.

Doyle will sponsor a community event for the Indo-American Cultural & Religious Foundation of Arizons on Friday, November 11, 2011. Doyle is proud to sponsor this fundraiser for the community, which will take place at the Fundation Community Center for the Indo-American Cultural & Religious Foundation of Arizona, 2809 W. Maryland Ave., Phoenix, Arizona.

Further information is available at the Foundation’s websites:  IACRF and Ekta Mandir.

Doyle is currently handling commercial and residential insurance disputes arising from the October 2010 hailstorm in Phoenix, Arizona.

Mike Doyle taught at the college held by the American Association for Justice (AAJ) on November 11-12, 2011, in Washington, DC.  The educational program, entitled “The Persuasion Edge,” was geared toward teacing enhanced communication skills to attorneys, in order to help them select, develop, and prepare cases for trial.

Also teaching at the college were Eric Oliver and Amy Pardieck.  More information is available here from the AAJ.

The Texas Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in a workers’ compensation bad faith claim, in which the plaintiff was represented by Doyle Dennis Avery LLP at the trial level, and on appeal by Alan Daughtry.  The plaintiff, Jerome Wagner, sued his workers’ compensation insurer, XL Specialty, after he was injured on the job and XL Specialty denied his claim, forcing him to unneceesarily proceed through the administrative process.

The matter was appealed to address a dispute in discovery about whether the attorney-client privilege attaches to communications between an insurer, its attorney, and the employer that purchased the workers’ compensation policy, while the claim is pending at the administrative level.  XL Specialty’s attorney had prepared materials and sent them to the employer–who was not XL Specialty’s client.

Mr. Daughtry prepared Mr. Wagner’s briefing on appeal and argued the case before the Texas Supreme Court.  The case was recently profiled in the Texas Lawyer Magazine.

Mike Doyle, a partner at Doyle, was recently invited to join the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).  Mike’s entry into ABOTA marks a significant milestone in his already impressive career.  Membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates does not come easy, as the organization is extremely selective–extending invitations to only the most highly regarded trial attorneys.

ABOTA strives to improve the ethical and technical standards of legal practice and client advocacy.  Amongst other purposes, it provides exceptional training and education to trial attorneys and works to improve the efficiency and integrity of the law and justice systems.

Doyle congratulates Mike on this extraordinary achievement.