I have spent decades working on behalf of asbestos victims and their families, using my skills in research and writing to level the playing field for individuals who have been harmed by corporate misconduct.
Misty A. Farris
Partner
Background & Motivation
Nearly 25 years ago, I worked on my first appeal on behalf of the family of an asbestos victim. This man had served in the Navy and served his community, and he died young of a terrible, but preventable disease. The money we obtained for his family could not recover what they had lost, it was important. It helped his family honor his legacy, and it told the companies responsible that what they had done was not acceptable. From that point forward, I was committed to serving those who had suffered from the bad conduct of the asbestos industry.
I have worked as a teacher and as a minister, and I believe those are important vocations. For me though, it is as an appellate attorney at Dean Omar Branham & Shirley that I have found a place where my skills and passion can make a real difference in the world around me. I am proud to be a part of this work.
Education
University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1996, Austin, TX, cum laude
Southern Methodist University Perkins School of Theology, M. Div., 2014, Dallas, TX, summa cum laude
University of Houston, B.A., 1988, Houston, TX, summa cum laude
Admissions
State Bar of Texas, 1996
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Honors & Professional Affiliations
Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2006
State Bar of Texas
- Amicus Committee
American Association for Justice
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Amicus Committee
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Amicus Committee
- LEAD Academy
Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Dallas Bar Association
- Judiciary & Judicial Investiture Committee
- Legal Ethics Committee
- Publications Committee
Public Justice
- Case Development/Special Projects Committee
- Communications & Marketing Committee
- Membership, Outreach & Diversity Committee
National Civil Justice Institute
- Board of Trustees
Publications, Presentations, & Reported Decisions
Publications
Majed Nachawati and Misty Farris, Mandatory State Bars Likely To Remain Intact, For Now, Law360 (June 22, 2020)
Misty A. Farris, Understanding Causation: The Heart of the Plaintiff’s Toxic Tort Claim, Texas Lawyer (Jan. 26, 2015).
Burton LeBlanc and Misty A. Farris, Alternative Theories for Environmental Contamination Cases, Trial (Apr. 1, 2008).
Brent M. Rosenthal, Misty A. Farris, Sharon D. Bautista, and Renee M. Melancon, Toxic Torts and Mass Torts, 61 SMU L. Rev. 1155 (Summer 2008).
Brent M. Rosenthal, Misty A. Farris, Sharon D. Bautista, Toxic Torts and Mass Torts, 60 SMU L. Rev. 1345 (Summer 2007).
Brent M. Rosenthal, Misty A. Farris, and Amanda R. Tyler, Toxic Torts and Mass Torts, 59 SMU L. Rev. 1579 (Summer 2006).
Brent M. Rosenthal, Misty A. Farris, and Amanda R. Tyler, Toxic Torts and Mass Torts, 58 SMU L. Rev. 1183 (Summer 2005).
Brent M. Rosenthal, Misty A. Farris, and Carla M. Burke, Toxic Torts and Mass Torts, 57 SMU L. Rev. 1267 (Summer 2004).
Misty A. Farris, The OSH Act, Workers’ Compensation, & Workplace Tort Liability, in Occupational Safety and Health Law (BNA, 2004).
Misty A. Farris, The Nuts & Bolts of Filing a Bankruptcy Claim, Mealey’s Asbestos Bankruptcy Report (2002).
Misty A. Farris and Carla M. Burke, Applying Texas Premises Liability Law to Asbestos Cases, Asbestos Columns (Sept. 2001).
Reported Decisions
Andrews v. John Crane, Inc., 604 S.W.3d 495 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2020, pet. filed).
Huff v. Cyrus Amax Minerals Co., No. A-3655-17T3, 2019 WL 4296778 (N.J. Super Ct.—App. Div. Sept. 11, 2019).
Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. v. Dickson, 601 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2019, no pet.).
Case v. Clark Indus. Insul., 2018-Ohio-4611, 125 N.E.3d 203.
Kinseth v. Weil-McLain, 913 N.W.2d 55 (Iowa 2018).
Urbach v. Okonite Co., 514 S.W.3d 653 (Mo. Ct. App. 2017).
Bobo v. Tennessee Valley Auth., 855 F.3d 1294 (11th Cir. 2017).
Graves v. Riverwood Int’l Corp., 41,810 (La. App. 2 Cir. 1/31/07), 949 So. 2d 576, 579, writ denied, 2007-0630 (La. 5/4/07), 956 So. 2d 621.
Cortez ex rel. Est. of Puentes v. HCCI-San Antonio, Inc., 159 S.W.3d 87 (Tex. 2005), for Amicus Curiae Tex-ABOTA.
Norfolk & W. Ry. Co. v. Ayers, 538 U.S. 135, 123 S. Ct. 1210, 155 L. Ed. 2d 261 (2003), for Amicus Curiae Trial Lawyers for Public Justice.
Quigley Co. v. Calderon, No. 08-01-00346-CV, 2003 WL 77256 (Tex. App.—El Paso Jan. 10, 2003, pet. denied).
Emery v. Owens-Corning Corp., 2000-2144 (La. App. 1 Cir. 11/9/01), 813 So. 2d 441, writ denied, 2002-0635 (La. 5/10/02), 815 So. 2d 842.
Pittsburgh Corning Corp. v. Walters, 1 S.W.3d 759 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1999, pet. denied).
N. Am. Refractory Co. v. Easter, 988 S.W.2d 904 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1999, pet. denied).