Valerie is Southeast Texas born and raised and is a proud alumni of All Saints Episcopal School (c/o 2000), West Brook High School (c/o 2004), Rice University (c/o 2008), and Tulane University Law School School (c/o 2014). Before law school, she spent one year teaching English in rural France. She subsequently served two years as a Teach For America Corps Member in Northern California, where she taught seventh grade English as part of Teach For America’s mission to make excellent education equitable for all children and fought for an uncompromising belief in every child. Valerie’s advocacy skills also carry into her volunteer efforts in the Southeast Texas community, where she has served on the Boards of Directors of the Junior League of Beaumont, the Michelle M. Mehaffy Inn of Court, the Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association, and the Foundation for Southeast Texas.

Toby F. Nash is a native of Beaumont, Texas who began his legal career at Germer in 2005. He graduated magna cum laude from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting in 2002. Toby graduated in the top two percent of his Texas Tech Law School class, receiving his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, summa cum laude. While in law school, he served as Comment Editor on the Texas Tech Law Review and was the recipient of the Lamar University/Texas Tech University School of Law Presidential Scholarship. Toby was initiated into the Order of the Coif and the legal honor societies of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Delta Phi. In November 2005 he was admitted to the State Bar of Texas and is admitted to practice before Texas state courts and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Toby is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Jefferson County Bar Association, Jefferson County Young Lawyers Association, National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel, and Texas Association of Defense Counsel. Toby practices in the areas of Appellate Law, Class Action, Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Family Law, Maritime Law, Personal Injury Defense, Rail Transportation/Railroad, and Transportation and Trucking Litigation.

Troy A. Williams represents a wide variety of clients and companies who are based locally, nationally, and internationally, and whose industries include retailers (premises liability, general negligence, premises security, products, DTPA), oil and gas (employment, personal injury, OCSLA, DOHSA), construction liability (worksite accidents, contractual indemnity, OSHA), products liability (manufacturing defects, design defects, marketing defects, DTPA, warranty, distribution), property management companies / owners, and restaurants. Troy has achieved an AV Preeminent Martindale Rating while representing three nationally known retailers in hundreds of cases over the course of the last twenty years. Additionally, he handles general liability cases involving motor vehicle accidents, premises incidents, wrongful death, survival, dram shop, construction defect, statutory violations, deceptive trade practices, and contractual disputes. After receiving his Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Army, Troy graduated from the University of Houston (BBA ’90) and South Texas College of Law (JD ’93). Troy’s biography includes: Board of Advocates; Order of the Barristers; Order of the Lytae. National Champion: Craven National Moot Court Invitational, Chapel Hill, N.C. (1992). National Champion and Best Brief: John Marshall National Moot Court Invitational, Chicago, IL (1993). Brief For Petitioner, The Eleventh Annual John Marshall National Moot Court Houston Young Lawyers Association, Competition in Information and Privacy Law, VI Software l.J. 115, 1993; Representative cases include Shell Oil Company v. Khan, 138 S.W.3d 288 (Tex. 2004); Allstate Insurance Co. v. Spellings, 2012 WL 2452051, No. 01-11-01065- CV (Tex. App. – Hou [1st Dist] June 28, 2012); Rehabilitative Care Sys. v. Davis, 43 S.W.3d 649 (Tex. App. – Texarkana, 2001); Lampasas v. Spring Center, 1999 WL 161008 (Tex. App. – Houston (14th Dist.) 1999); Member of Houston Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Defense Research Institute, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Texas Bar Foundation, and Houston Bar Foundation.

Victoria L. Plante is the founding attorney of Plante Law Firm, P.C. Since 1997, she has represented individuals and small to mid-sized businesses in business formations, transactions, contracts, day-to-day operations as well as in litigation and internal matters related to employment and labor law. She has trained and assisted corporate management in the implementation of policies and procedures related to harassment, discrimination, retaliation, overtime pay, minimum wage, medical leave, and employee and independent contractor designations. Ms. Plante earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Arkansas William H. Bowen School of Law. She also holds a Master of Divinity in Missions from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ms. Plante is licensed by the State Bar of Texas. She is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, United States Court of Federal Claims, and United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She has also represented clients in employment and labor lawsuits outside the state of Texas, including California, Louisiana, and New Jersey. For more than two decades, she has successfully tried many cases in federal and state courts as well as administrative bodies like the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Texas Workforce Commission. She has authored several state and federal appellate briefs and has orally argued multiple times before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Federal Circuits. She has also briefed for review legal issues presented to the U.S. Supreme Court. She has also drafted legal memorandum as a U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Jones law clerk for the Eastern District of Arkansas. She is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the Texas Employment Lawyers Association, and the Labor and Employment and Real Estate sections of the State Bar of Texas. She is legal counsel and a member of the Board of Directors of two 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Evangelism and Missions organizations. She is an active member of the Missions and Evangelism ministries at her church. She has performed foreign missionary work in Africa and other countries and plans to devote more time to foreign missionary work in the future. Ms. Plante has been a panel speaker or presenter for various community and government based agencies and organizations, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Government Procurement Connections. She has also given several pro bono seminars for employees and union members on employee rights. Throughout her scholastic and professional careers, she has received multiple awards and certificates. In 2009 and 2013, she was named among the successful businesses in Who’s Who in Black Houston.

Since 1988, J.C. Bailey has provided strategic legal solutions in Business and Probate Law. A graduate of Abilene Christian University and Baylor Law School, he is a member of the Order of Barristers, the State Bar of Texas, and the Tarrant County Bar Association. J.C. prioritizes constructive, professional advocacy, aiming for resolution through mediation and arbitration when possible, but he is also a respected trial attorney. Based in the Bedford office, he serves businesses, families, and even Texas Lottery winners with expertise and dedication.

Kim Smith has been advocating for injured workers in Texas since 2000. After earning her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, she began her career in Workers’ Compensation law, eventually managing her own firm. In 2013, she merged her practice with Bailey & Galyen, where she now leads the Workers’ Compensation Department in the Arlington office. A proud mother of six, Kim balances her passion for family with her dedication to protecting the rights of injured workers across Texas.

With decades of legal and leadership experience, Steve has built a distinguished career in personal injury, consumer protection, and commercial litigation. A seasoned trial attorney, he has handled over 100 jury trials, earning recognition as a Texas Super Lawyer (2004–2018) and Fort Worth Texas Top Attorney (2003–2017). Steve has served as President of the Tarrant County Bar Association, the Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association, and the Fort Worth Jaycees. His dedication to the legal community and public service extends to his tenure as an elected director of the State Bar of Texas and Chairman of the Tarrant County Democratic Party. Respected for his professionalism and advocacy, Steve continues to make a lasting impact in the courtroom and beyond.

Kern Lewis joined Bailey & Galyen in 2020, bringing extensive experience in brain injury cases. He understands the devastating impact that a brain injury can have on someone’s life, and he has dedicated his career to fighting against the negligence of others. “There is hardly any injury more devastating than a traumatic brain injury. An injury to a person’s back, arms or legs is terrible – but a brain injury is an injury to the very core of who a person is,” says Lewis. “A brain injury impacts their memory, their personality, and their ability to think.” In a recent traumatic brain injury case – Lewis lived with his client for several days to be able to completely understand and experience the impact the injury had on her life. “When I told her story to the jury at trial – I was able to do so as someone who experienced it – not just heard about it. It makes a huge difference.” His client received the largest jury verdict ever awarded in that court. But even after the trial and the money was paid, he continued to work with that client and her family members to make sure she was taken care of. Lewis’ skills as a trial lawyer have earned him local and national recognition. He is double board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Civil Trial Law and Consumer and Commercial Law, a distinction only 15 lawyers have obtained. Lewis has also been inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) with the rank of Associate and has an AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest level of professional excellence. He has been repeatedly named to the Texas Super Lawyers list, which is an honor less than 5 percent of lawyers obtain. In 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018 he was named a “Top 100” Trial Lawyer in Texas by the National Trial Lawyers Association. He was also named to the National Trial Lawyer’s list of Top 25 Brain Injury Lawyers in 2018.

Mr. Pierret attended the University of Dallas on full academic scholarship, obtaining a degree in Philosophy, and went straight to law school at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. His first job as an attorney brought him to Fort Worth as a briefing attorney for Justices Clyde Ashworth and David Farris on the Fort Worth Court of Appeals, and he has remained in Tarrant County for the past 35 years. Mr. Pierret’s practice has always revolved around tort law, both plaintiff and defense, and he has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Law since 1991 and Personal Injury Law since 1998. He received a Top 10 Attorney Award in 2020 from the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys, and he will devote his time at Bailey & Galyen to representing those who have been injured by someone else’s negligence.

James Bridge serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Firm Managing Attorney at Bailey & Galyen, one of the largest consumer law firms in Texas. A dedicated leader and experienced attorney, James has been instrumental in driving the firm’s success and overseeing its operations. James earned his undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University (TCU) and went on to graduate from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in 1998. During law school, he demonstrated his leadership abilities as the President of the Student Bar Association and as the President of his legal fraternity. With a proven track record in litigation, James is a member of the prestigious Top 100 National Trial Lawyers Association. Over the course of his career, he has secured settlements totaling more than $100 million in net attorney fees during his many years practicing personal injury law.