Joseph Nixon

Joseph Nixon's legal practice covers a broad range of civil litigation issues. The subject matter of his more than 1000 cases has varied from the highly complex, such as class actions involving securities fraud, large contract disputes for public oil and gas companies, and large multi-party product cases, to employment law, construction, professional negligence (engineers, architects), business torts, and simple contract disputes. Mr. Nixon has also defended insurance companies in matters regarding bad faith, deceptive trade practices, and insurance code violations.

Mr. Nixon has first-chaired numerous jury trials to verdict; and he has written and argued approximately 15 appeals, including appeals to the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

Mr. Nixon was a member of the Texas House of Representatives (District 133), where he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Civil Practices. He was also a member of the House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues.

During the 77th Legislative Session, he was appointed by his Republican peers to serve as Republican Whip. The Speaker appointed him to co-chair a special interim committee on workers' compensation. During the 78th Legislative Session, Mr. Nixon authored and passed a comprehensive tort reform bill and the companion Constitutional Amendment, known as Proposition 12. The comprehensive tort reform bill addressed many long-ignored issues affecting the civil court system. It focused on bringing a balance to the civil justice system, reducing litigation costs, and addressing the role of litigation in society. The bill modified rules and procedures, class action lawsuits, offers of settlement, proportionate responsibility, products liability, medical malpractice, charitable volunteer immunity and liability, and liability relating to asbestos claims. Public school teachers were also protected from frivolous claims. Texas voters approved this constitutional amendment in September 2003. Mr. Nixon has been a featured speaker for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on tort reform and has been designated as a "Legal Reform Champion" by the American Tort Reform Association.

Mr. Nixon has also authored and passed other important legislation dealing with barratry, identity theft, and child abduction.

• St. Mary's University School of Law, San Antonio, Texas (1982)
  Honors:  
  • Order of the Barristers, Phi Delta Phi
  • American Jurisprudence Award, Property
  Law Journal: St. Mary's Law Journal, Associate Editor, 1981 - 1982

• Texas
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

• Board Certified, Civil Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• AV Rated, Martindale Hubbell

• "Why Doctors are Heading for Texas," Wall Street Journal, May 17, 2008
• "The History of Lawsuit Reform in Texas," October 2007
• Op Ed: "Tort Reform Brings Doctors Back to Lone Star State," Amarillo Globe News, August 3, 2007
• "Commentary - Joe Nixon: Tennessee-to-Texas medical migration holds many lessons for lawsuit-happy states," Washington Examiner, June 14, 2007
• "Texas House has passed fair school finance reform" (an editorial), Houston Chronicle, April 28, 2006
• "Texas asbestos / silica litigation gets dose of legislative medicine,"  Houston Business Journal, September 16 - 22, 2005
• "Prop. 12 Having Healing Effect on Healthcare,"  Houston Chronicle, May 7, 2004
• "Breaking the Quorum: New Rules and Consequences for Runaway Legislators,"  Texas Lawyer, November 17, 2003
• "No Wall Between the Legislature and Common Law,"  Texas Lawyer, September 8, 2003
• "To Cap or Not to Cap,"  Houston Chronicle, August 17, 2003

• Helen Farabee Community Leadership Award, Mental Health Association of Greater Houston, 2006
• President's Award, Texas Building Branch - Associated General Contractors, 2005
• Champion of Free Enterprise, Texas Association of Builders & Contractors, 2004
• Patient Protectorae Award, Texas Medical Association, 2004
• Fighter for Free Enterprise Award, Texas Association of Business, 2004
• Legislative Award, Galleria Area Chamber of Commerce, 2004
• Legislator of the Year Award, West Houston Chamber of Commerce, 2004
• Ten Gallon Tort Reform Award, Greater Heights Chamber of Commerce, 2004
• Legislator of the Year Award, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, 2003
• Legislator of the Year Award, Harris County Medical Society, 2003
• True Texan Award, Texans for Texas, 2003
• Texas Hospital Advocacy Tribute Award, 2003
• Crime Fighter of the Year, Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, 1995

• State Bar of Texas
• Houston Bar Association
• Senior Fellow, Texas Public Policy Foundation
• Senior Fellow, Pacific Research Foundation, 2007
• Board of Directors, Houston Holocaust Museum
• Board of Directors, Houston Mental Health Association
• Board of Directors, Arbor Products Foundation (helps mentally handicapped adults)
• Life Fellow, Texas and Houston Bar Foundations

• Medical Liability Reform  Georgia Medical Association and House Republican Caucus, Atlanta, Georgia, January 25, 2005
• Texas Association of Business Workers' Compensation, Forum, Dallas, Texas, September 23, 2004
• Texas Association of General Contractors, Port Isabel, Texas, August 12, 2004
• Civil Justice Reform Group, Chicago, Illinois, June 10, 2004
• Flathead Business and Industry Association, Kalispell, Montana, June 1, 2004
• Aggie Bar Association, College Station, Texas, April 3, 2004
• Oklahoma Builder's Association, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, January 26, 2004
• American Tort Reform Association Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada, November 17, 2003
• State Bar and Texas Hospital Association Annual Meeting, Dallas, Texas, October 21, 2003
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Legal Reform Summit, Washington, D.C., September 22, 2003
• Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, August 20, 2003
• Association of General Contractors Conference, New York City, New York, July 21, 2003
• Business and Insurance Law Seminar, Austin, Texas, June 27, 2003
• Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals, Austin, Texas, February 11, 2003
• Moderator, Tort Reform Panel  Texas Public Policy Forum, Austin, Texas, January 30, 2003