Dallas Attorneys, Civil Litigation, Civil Appellate Law, Insurance Defense, Insurance Coverage, Construction Litigation, Professional Malpractice Defense, Environmental and Mass Tort, Workers' Compensation

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Michael Gerstle : Dana Minissale : Steve Snelson

Michael Gerstle
Partner

Mr. Gerstle specializes in the representation of all parties involved in the design and construction process, including owners, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals. He has handled claims and litigated matters involving a wide variety of improvements, including schools, surgery centers, commercial and multi-family structures, and manufacturers, suppliers and retailers in product liability actions. He has also represented numerous physicians, mental health care providers, nurses, hospitals, group homes for the developmentally disabled and ICFMRs in professional liability matters.

Mr. Gerstle received his license as a Professional Engineer in New York in 1990. Prior to entering law school, he practiced structural engineering in New York and Connecticut , specializing in the design and construction management of long span suspension bridges and hydroelectric dams. For several years, Mr. Gerstle was an adjunct professor of legal writing and research at a local law school and college. Mr. Gerstle regularly presents continuing education and risk management seminars to insurance professionals, members of the construction industry, and attorneys.

Area(s) of Practice:
Construction Litigation, Professional Malpractice Defense, Environmental and Mass Tort, Workers' Compensation

Admissions/Affiliations/Bar Memberships:
Professional Engineer's license from the State of New York since 1990
State Bar of Texas
United States District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas

Education:
B.S., Civil-Structural Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, New York
J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law
Dallas, Texas

Dana Minissale
Partner

Ms. Minissale has over 13 years of experience providing coverage assistance to insurers, third-party administrators, and persons involved in the practice of insurance. She also represents parties in first and third-party “bad faith” insurance litigation. Ms Minissale routinely provides coverage advice on areas as diverse as claims made and reported professional liability policies and occurrence-based commercial general liability policies.

Ms. Minissale also has extensive experience representing and managing litigation for legal and health care professionals. She has represented numerous mental health care professionals and, prior to joining the firm, worked as in-house litigation liaison for Great American Insurance Company, managing claims and litigation pertaining to legal malpractice matters.

Ms. Minissale sits on the steering committee for the Consumer Law division of the State Bar of Texas. She also regularly presents continuing education seminars to insurance professionals.

Area(s) of Practice:
Insurance Defense, Insurance Coverage

Admissions/Affiliations/Bar Memberships:
State Bar of Texas
United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Southern Districts of Texas

Education:
B.A. University of Texas at Austin, 1986
J.D. Southern Methodist University School of Law, 1990

Steve Snelson
Partner

Mr. Snelson is Board Certified in Personal Injury Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has extensive experience litigating and trying a variety of commercial, insurance, and personal injury matters. He was formerly with Fox, Connor & Snelson as in-house counsel for St. Paul Fire & Marine insurance Company. Mr. Snelson also previously served as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas where he was one of three section chiefs in the Tort Litigation Division.

Mr. Snelson has extensive experience in representing governmental entities, insurers, insureds, and commercial clients. He has handled cases concerning claims for wrongful death, personal injury, premise liability, automobile accidents, construction accidents, product liability claims and oil and gas litigation. He has tried more than 50 first chair jury trials through-out the State of Texas. He also served as Legal Counsel to Texas State Senator Bill Sims and acted as General Counsel to Texas Senate Committee for Natural Resources during the 72nd Legislature.

In addition to his trial experience Mr. Snelson has handled the appeal of more than 30 cases including the appeal and argument of a case of first impression before the Texas Supreme Court. His appellate experience includes the following published and unpublished cases:

Brazos County v. Tullous, 2004 WL 157889 ( Tex. App.- Waco, July 7, 2004 );
Tillery v. Trans Texas Inv. Properties – V, Ltd., 2003 WL 1461476 ( Tex. App. – Dallas, Mar. 24, 2003 );
Hardin v. Dykes, 2002 WL 31684879 ( Tex. App. - Tyler, Nov. 27, 2002 );
LaFebre v. COMP USA, Inc ., 2002 WL 3145988 ( Tex. App. – Amarillo , Nov. 4, 2002 );
Morris v. JTM Materials, Inc ., 78 S.W.3d ( Tex. App. – Ft. Worth 2002, no pet.);
Bass v. City of Dallas, 34 S.W.3d 1 ( Tex. App. – Amarillo 2000, no pet.);
Texas Animal Health Commission v. Garza, 27 S.W.3d 54 (Tex. App. – San Antonio 2000, pet denied);
Texas Animal Health Commission v. Garza, 980 S.W.2d 776 (Tex. App. San Antonio 1998, no writ);
Second Injury Fund of Texas v. Avon, 985 S.W.2d 93 (Tex. App. Eastland 1998, pet. denied);
Second Injury Fund of Texas v. Garcia, 970 S.W.2d 706 (Tex. App. – Amarillo 1998, pet. denied);
Clark v. University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, 919 S.W.2d 185 (Tex. App. – Eastland 1996, writ denied);
State v. Pruett, 900 S.W.2d 335 ( Tex. 1995);
Director, State Employees Workers' Compensation Division of the State of Texas v. Lara, 901 S.W.2d 635 (Tex. App. – El Paso 1995, writ denied)

Area(s) of Practice:
Insurance Defense, Civil Litigation, Civil Appellate Law

Admissions/Affiliations/Bar Memberships:
Supreme Court of Texas
State Bar of Texas
Dallas Bar Association
United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts
Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1997

Education:
B.A., Northwestern University, 1986
J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law, 1990
Member Order of the Barrister, 1990
Chairman, Texas Tech Board of Barristers, 1990
First Place and Best Oralist, Spring Advanced Moot Court Competition, 1989
Corpus Juris Secundum Award as the Outstanding Second Year Student, 1989