Karen R. Bennett, managing principal with the firm, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 from the University of Texas at Arlington. She received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Texas Tech University. Karen has handled a docket of personal injury and civil litigation files since the beginning of her practice. She is also the principal in charge of the firm’s Family Law Department. She has litigated cases in the discovery phase and trial of several complex cases including those involving class actions and prescription drugs. She is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Texas, Texas state courts, the United States District Court for the Eastern, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She is a member of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, State Bar of Texas, Texas Women Lawyers, Jefferson County Bar Association along with Family Law Section, Eastern District of Texas Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, American Board of Trial Advocates, and Houston Chapter of American Board of Trial Advocates. She also has served on the Board of Directors for the Jefferson County Bar Association and has been a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas and Mickey Mehaffy Inns of Court. She has served on the Board of the Jefferson County Bar Association Auxiliary and is a past President. She has also served on the Board of the Junior League of Beaumont. She was recognized as a “Texas Super Lawyer”, a Thompson Reuters publication, in 2013-2024. Karen has been active in many local volunteer organizations in the community.

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.

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.