Michelle C. Hayes
Houston
713-403-8203
Michelle Hayes is a dedicated advocate who helps clients solve their legal problems. She focuses her practice on legal and medical malpractice defense, premises liability, products liability, class-action defense, and commercial litigation. She effectively assists with handling all stages of trial litigation.
Michelle has experience drafting civil appellate briefs and petitions for writs of mandamus, preparing motions for summary judgment, excluding evidence (including expert testimony), and drafting trial briefs at the trial court level.
Background
Michelle graduated in the top half of her class and served as briefing attorney to the Honorable Kem Thompson Frost at the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston after graduation. She later served as a Senior Staff Attorney to the Honorable Gregory T. Perkes at the Thirteenth Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Michelle is a former member of the Committee for the Administration of the Rules of Evidence for the State Bar of Texas and served on the subcommittees that assisted with restyling the Texas Rules of Evidence and drafted Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 132.001, Unsworn Declaration.
Michelle is currently a contributing editor for Litigation News, a publication of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association.
Representative Experience
Drafted successful petition for a writ of mandamus concerning a discovery dispute.
In re Berry, 578 S.W.3d 173 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2019, orig. proceeding).
Drafted winning appellants’ brief to obtain reversal of erroneous $6,000,000 judgment entered against wronged plaintiffs after arbitration.
Morrison v. Amway Corp., 517 F.3d 248 (5th Cir. 2008).
Drafted winning civil appellate brief in a complex contract dispute between a landlord and a tenant.
Marinecorp Int'l, Ltd. v. Chopper Grp., LLC, No. 01-14-00707-CV, 2016 WL 1382168 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Apr. 7, 2016, pet. denied).
Successfully argued in the Court of Appeals and briefed numerous cases in the intermediate appellate courts and the Supreme Court of Texas.
Related Services
Education, Admissions & Activities
Education
Notre Dame Law School
J.D., 2002
Moot Court Appellate Best Speaker Award
Judge Joseph P. Mahoney Award for Outstanding Student Leadership
University of St. Thomas
B.A., magna cum laude, 1999
Major: Psychology, Minors: Philosophy and Theology
Outstanding Graduate in Psychology Award
Bar Admissions
Texas
2002
Professional and Community Activities
State Bar of Texas
Appellate Section
Houston Bar Association
Appellate Section
Texas Bar Committee for the Administration of the Rules of Evidence
2009-2014