BARBARA L. EMERSON
Founding Partner
Dallas, Texas
Phone: 214-954-9540
Email:
bemerson@bd-law.com

CLIENT SERVICE PHILOSOPHY

“Litigation can be an expensive and cumbersome method to resolve disputes. The first step is to always determine my client's goal and find the most efficient and effective route to achieve that goal. Clients understandably expect and deserve a clear and understandable navigation through the litigation process. My goal is to ensure clients understand the cost and benefits of litigation and potential outcomes at any stage of the process.”

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Barbara Emerson is a co-founding partner of Bellinger & DeWolf, LLP and is a member of the Firm's litigation practice group.  Barbara's practice involves representing companies, insurers and individuals in the resolution of a variety of business, commercial and individual disputes.  Barbara also counsels companies in their employment practices and policies.

Barbara began her Texas legal career in 1980 in the Texas panhandle. She has been practicing in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since 1988 when she joined Arter & Hadden.  It was at Arter & Hadden where she met Glen Bellinger and Steve DeWolf before co-founding Bellinger & DeWolf in 1996. Emerson has extensive experience in litigation in federal and state court and before arbitration panels, having tried dozens of cases before courts and arbitration panels.

PRACTICE AREAS

Commercial Disputes
Post-Judgment Enforcement
Employment Litigation
Professional Liability Issues
Antitrust and Unfair Competition
Construction Litigation

CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Establishing ground breaking law on the rights of property owners against interstate shippers' seizure of property.

Successful verdict for a small business owner in a dispute with a non-profit corporation's attempts to force a boycott of non-profit’s business.

Resolution of matters in favor of the FDIC.

Successful settlement of claims involving a national transportation shipper for conversion of equipment.

Defense verdict for partners involving the dissolution of a partnership and claims of distribution rights.

Defense verdict involving claims of improper collection activities.

Defense verdict for a national homebuilder on a premise liability claim.

COURT ADMISSIONS

State of Missouri, 1980
State of Texas, 1982
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
United States District Court for the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas
U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits

EDUCATION

Attended Mount Holyoke College
University of Wisconsin-Madison – Honors Degree Political Science, 1977
Drake University of Law, J.D. with Honors, 1980

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Dallas Bar Association
State Bar of Texas, 1981
Litigation Section
Insurance Law Section
American Bar Association, Litigation Section
Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Sections
Section of AntiTrust Law
American Constitutional Society for Law and Policy

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Frequent guest speaker for workshops on insurance coverage issues for clients

ARTICLES PUBLISHED

Two Hats Too Many, Texas Trial Lawyer, November 1996.

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

Emerson enjoys reading and traveling

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization