Mr. Michael J. Willson, Full-Time Judge

Mike is a shareholder in the firms Litigation Section. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and all federal district courts in Texas.

Areas of Concentration

Business, Commercial, and Oil and Gas Litigation

Mike worked as part of a trial team that obtained a multi-million dollar jury verdict in favor of a real estate developer in a bad faith, insurance litigation case. He also has secured several favorable summary judgments for institutional clients, including a "take nothing" defense judgment in federal court in favor of a manufacturing client in a $200,000 breach of contract case. Mike assists with the defense of oil companies involved in contractual disputes over leases, drilling contracts, and operating agreements. He also assists with the defense of oil production companies on personal injury suits arising out of oil field operations.

Federal and State Appeals

Mike has prepared and filed several federal and state appeal briefs for individual and business clients on election law, legal malpractice, environmental, and employment law matters. His briefs have helped resolve three contested elections and affirm the trial courts dismissal of a legal malpractice claim. Mike helped a large institutional client successfully appeal a trial courts decision in an environmental case. He also assisted with an appeal of an oil royalty case and a federal appeal in an age discrimination case.

Government Entity Defense

Mike served as the second chair attorney defending a municipality against a plaintiffs $900,000 bad faith and taking suit over the municipalitys denial of a building permit. He assisted at trial and prepared the post trial motions that resulted in a directed verdict for the municipality. Mike also defended a water improvement district in a suit brought by local residents.

Labor and Employment Law

Mike assists with the defense of clients on various employment matters, and was the lead attorney defending a large retail company in a defamation suit. He also assists with the defense of institutional and state agency clients in labor and employment matters.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Before joining Cotton Bledsoe, Mike practiced law in both Dallas and San Antonio. Mike also was an adjunct professor at Texas Tech University School of Law and a graduate teaching assistant at Notre Dame Law School. Before attending law school, Mike flew as an instructor navigator on KC-135, EC-135, and RC-135 aircraft in the United States Air Force. As a commissioned officer, Mike was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Aerial Achievement Medal (two oak leaf clusters), Air Force Commendation Medal, and Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.

Education

• B.S., Education, summa cum laude, Ohio State University, 1984
• J.D., cum laude, Notre Dame Law School, 1995

At Ohio State, Mike was a four-year Scholar Athlete; a Presidents' Scholar; a member of Sphinx, the Senior Honor Society; and a member of the 1983 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics championship team.

During the 1993-94 academic year, Mike studied at the Notre Dame London Law Centre, in London, England; was selected as the John Bruce Dodds Memorial Scholar; and was on the Deans List. He served as a Staff and Production Editor on the Notre Dame Law Review. Mike participated on the ATLA National Mock Trial Team. He also earned the American Jurisprudence Award for Corporations and the Outstanding Law Exam for Private International Law.