Attorney Honors and Achievements
Richard J. Plezia has received multiple honors and achievements for both his community service and legal work he has accomplished on behalf of his clients and his expertise. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. That accounts for only 5% of the lawyers in Texas who practice personal injury trial law. He has tried in excess of 100 verdicts to conclusion allowing him to be recognized by multiple different trial groups.
These groups include the American Board of Trial Advocates, an invitation only group comprised of both plaintiff and defense lawyers. He belongs to the Houston Chapter of ABOTA. He is also AV rated by Martindale Hubbell. The AV rating is reserved for those lawyers rated by their peers and having the highest legal ability and highest ethical standards in his practice of law.
He is the member of a number of other groups that recognize his accomplishments including the award of “Super Lawyer”, a designation he has held since 2005 by the Thompson Reuters group. That selection is also one that is done by an extensive survey of his peers and their comments regarding his professional abilities. The national group Princeton Global Network has recently inducted him into the “Top 100”. He is a member of the million-dollar advocates forum, multi-million dollar advocates forum and the verdict club. He has received verdicts in excess of one million dollars and ten million dollars that have given him admission to those groups.
In 2009 he received the second largest motor vehicle collision verdict in the State of Texas for that year. He is also a frequent author and speaker to other lawyers on how to try cases. He spends a lot of time in Austin volunteering for work on new laws that the legislature is considering that impact the rights of Texan families across the state. He has testified numerous times in committee hearings comprised of members of both State House of Representatives and the State Senate.
Throughout his career Richard J. Plezia has accumulated many awards from many different groups. A listing of those awards can be found below.
Education:
Baylor University (B.B.A., 1989; J.D., 1990).
Phi Delta Phi. Order of the Barristers.
Member, Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society.
Admitted to Texas Bar, 1990
U.S. District Court, Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, 1991
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1992
Admitted to the United States Supreme Court, 2011
Admitted to Mississippi Bar, 2004 and
U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi 2004
Admitted to Georgia Bar, 2005
Honors and Awards:
Included in Top 100 by the Princeton Global Network in 2013.
2009 Second Highest Jury Verdict for Motor Vehicle 2009,
Top Verdicts of 2009,
Texas Lawyer 2009;
Top Texas Lawyers, 2006 - 2013 -
Texas Monthly;
Life Member, Kingston’s National Registry of Who’s Who,
2002 Edition. Elected: Texas Rising Star,
2004 Super Lawyers,
2005 – Present; Houston’s Best Lawyers for the People,
2006. Listed: Texas Rising Star 2004,
Super Lawyer 2005 – Present. H Magazine “Lawyer for the People,”
March 2005; “Lawyer for the People,”
2006 - 2013. Instrument rated commercial pilot for Single and Multi Engine Aircraft.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
The Advocate, State Bar of Texas, May 2006.
Author
“Obtaining and Reviewing Medical Records and Working with Medical Experts”, Half Moon LLC,
“Texas Personal Injury Practice”, Half Moon LLC;
“Current Issues Surrounding Parental Notification Law,” CPCC;
“Cross Examination of Experts,” Winning Edge Seminar,
Texas Trial Lawyers Association;
“Texas Civil Litigation,” Half Moon LLC;
“Responsible Third Parties,” Advanced PI Seminar, TTLA, Dallas 2005;
“Mediation: Effective Negotiation or Just a Game”, TTLA CLE, April 2006;
“Offer of Settlement, Judgment, or Pay My Costs Please”,
“Protecting Your Clients Through Settlement Options”, Advanced Personal Injury Seminar, Austin, May 2007; “Biomechanical Experts and Medical Causation”,
TTLA Car Wrecks Seminar, Austin November 2007;
“Comparative Responsibility and Third Party Practice”,
TTLA Mid Year Advanced PI Seminar, April 2008, Austin
“Hurricane Ike: The Plaintiffs Perspective After The Storm”,
Co Author, TTLA Mid Year Advanced PI Seminar, June 2009, Austin.
“ECM: Preserving Evidence”, Trucking Litigation, State Bar of Texas, San Antonio 2010. “Recovery of Attorney Fees” Texas Bar Journal, November 2012, State Bar of Texas.
Speaker: “Technology in the Courtroom,” Winning Edge Seminar, TTLA
“Trial on Non-Rhabdo Cases,” Mealey’s Jan. 2004,
Baycol Conference; “Deposing a Treating Cardiologist,”
Majority Counsel Fen-Phen Seminar, New Orleans, 2004;
“Using Technology at Trial to Win Big Verdicts,”
CLE at Sea, 2005;
“Responsible Third Parties,” Advanced PI Seminar, TTLA, Dallas 2005;
Admiralty Pointers, TTLA, Key West 2005;
“Preparing for the Productive Mediation”, TTLA
Maximizing Your Case Recovery in 2006 and Introduction to TTLA CLE, Houston, April 2006.
“Protecting Your Clients Through Settlement Options”, TTLA Advanced Personal Injury Seminar, Austin, May 2007
“Biomechanical Experts and Medical Causation”, TTLA Car Wrecks Seminar, Austin November 2007;
Co-Moderator TTLA Mid Year Advanced PI Seminar, April 2008, Austin; “Comparative Responsibility and Third Party Practice”,
TTLA Mid Year Advanced PI Seminar, April 2008,
Austin; Co-Moderator TTLA Spring Break Ski Seminar
March 2009: Co-Moderator TTLA Mid Year Advanced PI Seminar, June 2009
Austin; “Hurricane Ike Claims”, TTLA Mid Year Advanced PI Seminar, June 2009, Austin.
“ECM: Preserving Evidence”, Trucking Litigation, State Bar of Texas, San Antonio 2010
TTLA Car Wreck Seminar, Houston, March 2011, “Qualifying – Disqualifying Police Officers Accident Reconstructionist”. TTLA Car Wreck Seminar, San Antonio, April 2011, McAllen, August 2011, Dallas September 2011
“Reconstructionist – Police and Retained Experts.” “Using the Reptile in Opening Statements” Dallas April 2012, Houston March 2012.
“Trying Cases Under the New Supreme Court Rules” TTLA Las Vegas, February 2013
“Legislative Update and What It Means to Your Practice” Marshall, March 2013
“Legislative Update” Harris County Bench Bar Conference April 2013
“Legislative Update” Soaking up CLE, South Padre, State Bar of Texas May 2013.
Member:
Houston and American Bar Associations
State Bar of Texas
Past Member of the State Bar Grievance Committee – 4G21, 1998–2004
Houston Trial Lawyers Association (Vice-president, 1999–2004; Director, 1996-1998, 2005-present)
Texas Trial Lawyers Association (Associate Director, 1998-1999; Director 1999 – present, Membership, CLE, Finance, Chair Legislative Affairs 2011, Legislative Management Team 2011 Executive Committee 2011 - Present, Vice President – Communications 2012-2013)
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Section memberships: Aviation, Admiralty, Baycol, Cox 2 Inhibitors)
Houston Trial Lawyers Foundation (Director 1997, 2000–2004)
American Board of Trial Advocates (Associate Member 2002)
Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association
Georgia Trial Lawyers Association
Southern Trial Lawyers Association
San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association
National Italian American Bar Association
Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association (2004-2007)
Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
NTSB Bar Association.
The Verdict Club.
Board Certifications: Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Board Certified, Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy.
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