Personal Background
Before his judicial service, he was in private practice for more than 20 years, handling both trials and appeals. He was also appointed as a special master in a case and also frequently retained as an arbitrator and mediator. Judge Brown is also an award-winning author, having authored six law review articles.
Representative Cases
During his almost seven years as a trial judge, Judge Brown heard more than 150 jury trials and 200 bench trials, and served as the chair of a panel that administered the diet drug product liability litigation in Harris County. He also served on the Multi-District Litigation Panel for four years.
As a member of the Lanier Issues and Appeals Team, he was a lead member of the team that successfully wrote the briefs in the appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court, that rejected Johnson & Johnson’s efforts to overturn a $2.1 billion award to a group of women who developed ovarian cancer after exposure to its talcum powder products. He also assumed a lead in preparing a Vioxx case for the State of Utah for trial, won an appeal in the Fifth Circuit following the dismissal of three claims in an MDL proceeding, has won a number of pre-trial motions, and has attended two trials as a trial/appellate advisor. He also has served as a mock trial judge and moot appellate judge in a number of cases, along with serving as an arbitrator and mediator.
Admissions and Certification
- Board certified in Personal Injury Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- State Bar of Texas, the United States Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and numerous District Courts
Education
- J.D. – The University of Texas, with honors, and was a member of the Texas Law Review and the Order of Coif.
- Bachelors of Arts – The University of Texas, graduating with high honors and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Awards
- Named Appellate Judge of the Year by the Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- Mentor of the Year by the Houston Young Lawyers Association and the Texas Young Lawyers Association
- Named as a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters
- Honored as one of American’s Best Lawyers by S. News and World Report
- Recognized as AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
- Awards for scholarship for his articles and speeches on expert witnesses
- Best Lawyers 2024 - Appellate Practice
- Best Lawyers 2024 - Commercial Litigation
Community and Professional Activities
- Member of the American Law Institute
- Member the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee
- The Texas Center for Legal Ethics
- The Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- Life member of the Texas Bar Foundation and the Houston Bar Foundation
- The Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
- Board Chair KSBJ radio station and Houston Habitat for Humanity
- Board member Star of Hope, Spring Branch Family Development Center, Memorial High School Community Network
- Member Campus Improvement Team, Frostwood Elementary
- Volunteer Books for Development, Frostwood Elementary, Spring Brach Memorial Sports Association, Houston Bar Association
- Member various Houston Bar Association committees and State Bar committees
- Adjunct Professor University of Houston Law Center, Houston Baptist University
