N. Terry Adams, Jr.

Terry Adams is co-chair of the firm’s appellate practice group. Mr. Adams’ practice focuses on handling complex appellate matters in state and federal courts with emphasis on commercial and non-commercial torts, products liability, insurance matters, arbitration, and oil and gas disputes. Mr. Adams’ practice also includes a concentration on providing procedural and briefing assistance in trial matters such as summary judgments and the court’s charge to a jury as well as the preparation of post-trial motions. He also assists the firm’s litigators with the preservation of issues that may be significant for an appeal.

• South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas (J.D., 1987)
  •  Law Review: South Texas Law Review, Editor-in-Chief
• Denison University (B.A. in Political Science, Economics, 1981)

• Texas
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 5th, 6th, and 9th Circuits
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas

• Obtained a successful result for a state senator in an election contest mandamus involving important questions on candidate eligibility and Texas residency, under the Election Code and Texas Constitution. In re Cullar, __S.W.3d, 2010 WL 32616 (Tex. App. -- Dallas 2010, orig. proceeding).
• In a matter of first impression, obtained mandamus relief for a health care provider under the Texas Medical Liability Act requiring a mandatory stay of discovery in an entire health care liability case when any health care defendant pursues an interlocutory appeal on the sufficiency of a medical report. In re Lumsden, 291S.W.3d456(Tex. App. --Houston [14th Dist] 2009, orig. proceeding).
• Obtained a reversal for a truck manufacturer in a direct appeal of an administrative final order where the agency re-decided its own judicially affirmed determination of good cause to terminate a dealership.  Freightliner Corporation and Ford Motor Company v. Motor Vehicle Board of the Texas Department of Transportation and Metro Ford Truck Sales, Inc; 255 S.W. 3d 356 (Tex. App. – Austin 2008, pet. denied)
• Obtained a reversal for a truck manufacturer in a direct appeal of an administrative order where the agency imposed monetary sanctions against the manufacturer for opposing a proposed transfer of a purported franchise.Sterling Truck Corporation and Ford Motor Company v. Motor Vehicle Board of the Texas Department of Transportation and Metro Ford Truck Sales, Inc; 255 S.W. 3d 368 (Tex. App. – Austin 2008, pet. denied)
• Representation on appeal of a defendant/appellant in a wrongful death/survival action and briefing of probate court jurisdiction issues leading to settlement. Victoria T. Esparza and American Habilitation Services, Inc. v. Peterson, 01-07-00791-CV (Tex. App. – Houston [1st Dist] 2008, dism'd by agr)
• Assistance with appellate briefing for the defendant/appellee in a product liability case affirming a summary judgment and involving issues of specific causation and alternative liability theories. Garcia v. Pfizer Inc., 2008 WL 625395 (5th Cir. 2008)
• Assistance with appellate briefing for the defendant/relator in a breach of contract, tortious interference case and securing mandamus relief from an order abating arbitration and requiring certain arbitrable issues first be considered by an administrative agency. In re Sonic-Carrollton V, L.P., Volvo Cars of North America LLC, 230 S.W.3d 811 (Tex. App. – Dallas 2007, orig proceeding)
• Assistance with appellate briefing for the defendant/appellee in a fraud and breach of fiduciary duty case and securing affirmance of a dismissal on the ground of forum non conveniens. Yoroshii Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd., BP International Ltd., 179 S.W.3d 639 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2006, pet denied)
• Obtained mandamus relief in a case of first impression in Texas compelling arbitration against a non-signatory to an arbitration agreement. In re Weekley Homes, L.P. 180 S.W.3d 127 (Tex. 2005)(orig. proceeding)
• Secured appellate reversal of a class certification order in a consumer fraud case involving claims brought under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Warner-Lambert Co. v. Mills, 09-02-173-CV, 2005 WL 2088366 (Tex. App. – Beaumont 2005, pet denied)
• Secured affirmance of judgment for the defendant/appellee in a product liability crashworthiness case involving evidentiary and expert witness issues. Smith v. Isuzu Motors, Ltd., 137 F.3d 859 (5th Cir. 1998)
• Secured affirmance of summary judgment for the defendant/appellee in a consumer fraud case brought under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Chamrad v. Volvo Cars of North America, 145 F.3d 671 (5th Cir. 1998)
• Assistance with appellate briefing in a wrongful discharge/arbitration case and obtained affirmance of an order refusing to compel arbitration on the basis of lack of mutuality. Tenet Healthcare Ltd v. Cooper, 960 S.W.2d 386 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist] 1998, dism’d w.o.j.)
• Obtained affirmance of a judgment for the defendant/appellee in a breach of contract and tort case involving jury charge and Certificate of Tile Act issues. Jarrin v. Sam White Oldsmobile Co. and Austin Rover Cars of North America d/b/a Sterling Motor Cars, 929 S.W.2d 21 (Tex. App. – Houston [1st Dist] 1996, writ denied)
• Obtained mandamus relief in a case of first impression in Texas protecting from discovery the corporate telephone book of a foreign automobile manufacturer as violating foreign privacy laws. Volkswagen, A.G. v. Valdez, 909 S.W.2d 900 (Tex. 1995)
• Assisted the trial team in representing Texas’ largest rural cooperative company in complex arbitration against the owner of an electric power generation facility for default of certain contractual prohibitions against transfers of control and ownership under a power purchase agreement, and in multi-jurisdictional litigation against the parties to a related Enron FAS 140 transaction for tortious interference with existing and prospective contractual rights

• Named one of Texas' "Top Rated Lawyers ®" by ALM/LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell, 2012
• Named "Texas Super Lawyer," Texas Monthly, 2011   
• Named one of Houston's "Top Lawyers," H Texas Magazine, 2007-2009

• "Class Action Lawsuits: What They Mean And How To Handle Them Procedurally,"  Advanced Products Liability Law Seminar, Houston, 1993
• "Mandatory Supersedeas Bond Requirements - A Denial Of Due Process Rights?" (Researched and Assisted in Writing),  39 Baylor L. Rev. 29, 1987
• "General Jurisdiction and the Exercise of In Personal Jurisdiction Under the Texas Long-Arm Statute" (Researched and Assisted in Writing),  28 S. Tex. L. Rev. 307, 1986

• Briefing Attorney, Honorable Raul A. Gonzalez, Supreme Court of Texas, 1987-1988
• Judicial Intern, Fourteenth Court of Appeals, 1986-1987

• Panel Member, "Appellate Advocacy: Practitioner's Perspective,"  Houston Bar Association Appellate Bench-Bar Conference, 2000
• Panel Member, "Handling Appeals In The Courts Of Appeals,"  Houston Bar Association Appellate Bench-Bar Conference, 1997

• State Bar of Texas, Appellate Practice and Advocacy Section 
• Houston Bar Association, Appellate Practice Section
• American Bar Association
• Defense Research Institute
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel
• College of the State Bar of Texas
• Bar Association of the Fifth Circuit
• Supreme Court of Texas Historical Society
• Houston Bar Foundation