Mary-Ellen King

Business Client

"Mary-Ellen King is an experienced strategic litigator who focuses on understanding her client's needs and advocating for her client. She uses an aggressive but professional approach to deliver results."

Business Client

“As a general contractor running a turn-key residential & small commercial remodeling company, I have a wide range of legal needs to contend with – from contract drafting and revisions to dispute resolution with clients. Sometimes I just need some sound legal advice on how to approach potentially sensitive situations during what is a very chaotic time in the construction business. Mary-Ellen is attentive to our needs whether they are big or small. She takes a prompt, aggressive and professional approach to quicky resolve our commercial and residential contract issues. Knowing she represents my company truly helps me sleep better at night. Highly recommend.”

Insurance Client

“Mary-Ellen has been a trusted resource for our company in helping us to address and steer through complex insurance coverage claims. She is responsive and attentive to our concerns and provides trusted guidance on complicated coverage matters. We will continue to look to Mary-Ellen for trusted counsel on a wide range of matters.”

Business Client

"Mary-Ellen is attentive to our needs whether they are big or small. She takes a prompt, aggressive, and professional approach to quickly resolve our commercial and residential contract issues. Knowing she represents my company truly helps me sleep better at night."

Mary-Ellen King is a multi-faceted, results-driven, and strategic leader and litigator with 21+ years of experience in leading both legal and management operations. She has a strong history in identifying issues, advising clients, assisting clients in capitalizing on areas of opportunity, advising clients on litigation avoidance, leading internal training efforts, developing effective teams and efficient processes, dispute resolution, litigation management, and trying cases.

Her primary focus is complex insurance, commercial, business, general civil, and real estate litigation. She has extensive experience in representing insurers and insurance companies in complex litigation matters in the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama and federal courts nationwide. She has a history of being an aggressive and professional litigator with proven success in attaining favorable settlements where possible. If no settlement is possible, she has a proven track record of obtaining favorable results via motion practice and trial.

Mary-Ellen has expansive experience in large loss insurance defense litigation, mass tort litigation, catastrophe litigation, and insurance coverage litigation. Mary Ellen handles all stages of litigation and has litigated hundreds of cases for insurers and insureds nationwide after Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jeanne, Ivan, Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Ike, and Sandy. She advises clients on the existence of insurance coverage related to the handling of insurance claims. Mary Ellen litigates insurance coverage disputes and extra-contractual liability lawsuits involving the duty of good faith and fair dealing, Stowers liability, the Texas Insurance Code, and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Ms. King has a long history of representing multiple National Flood Insurance Program Write-Your-Own carriers following major flooding events.

From 2017-2020, Mary-Ellen served as in-house counsel for a Texas political subdivision, where she managed internal litigation and outside counsel in various types of litigation matters, focusing on eminent domain litigation and real estate disputes.

As a service to her clients, Mary-Ellen provides seminars and training on a variety of topics related to business operations, risk management, claims management, and litigation.

Representative Experience

In 2023, obtained a $0 defense jury verdict in the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman, in a first party property insurance coverage case stemming from damage as a result of Winter Storm Uri.

In 2021, she was on the trial team and was responsible for drafting the opposition that successfully defeated a Rule 12(b)(6) Motion to Dismiss in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada.

In 2016, obtained a $0 defense jury verdict in Travis County in a minor impact auto collision with Stowers implications.

In 2016, obtained a favorable defense verdict in a Burnet County, Texas bench trial where the plaintiff was seeking over $1 million dollars for injuries and lost wages related to a head on collision on Highway 281.

In 2023, obtained a motion for summary judgment in the Southern District of Texas on a statute of limitations argument in a first party property insurance coverage case.

Mary-Ellen has successfully removed hundreds of cases to federal courts nationwide on the basis on federal question and diversity jurisdiction. In doing so, she has also successfully defeated motions to remands filed by the non-removing parties.

In 2007, she obtained a successful dismissal of a substantial portion of Plaintiff’s claims in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Plaintiff was seeking state law-based claims, federal common law claims, constitutional challenges to the National Flood Insurance Act for violation of the non-delegation clause and claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The court based its dismissal on the Fifth’s Circuit decision in Wright v. Allstate and the intelligible principle doctrine.