News

Five of firm’s attorneys touted in 2025 edition in multiple practice areas

DALLAS – The 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America has named five attorneys with The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson to its list of the nation’s top lawyers for excellence in work for plaintiffs. 

Firm founder Frank L. Branson is recognized for his success in personal injury, product liability, professional malpractice cases, medical malpractice, and commercial litigation. Mr. Branson is among an elite group of practitioners who have been honored by Best Lawyers annually since 1987. 

Litigation strategy specialist Debbie Dudley Branson is honored for personal injury and commercial litigation. An integral member of the firm’s team of trial lawyers, Ms. Branson specializes in trial preparation techniques in a wide range of cases.  

Tim Newsom and Linda Yee Villa were recognized for excellence in personal injury matters. Mr. Newsom is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and in civil trial law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. In addition to personal injury matters, Ms. Villa handles premises liability, product liability litigation and insurance coverage disputes.  

Mr. Branson, Ms. Branson and Mr. Newsom were recently recognized by Forbes Advisor as among the Ten Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Dallas. 

Trial attorney John T. Burkhead was named to Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, which highlights attorneys who demonstrate excellence within the first five to nine years of professional experience. He has been selected by Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars every year since 2016 and has also been honored among the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 Trial Lawyers. 

One of the oldest and most respected peer-review guides to the legal industry, The Best Lawyers in America compiles its list from surveys of tens of thousands of attorneys nationwide, followed by rigorous vetting by the company’s research staff. The legal guide spotlights only the top 5% of lawyers in the nation. 

DALLAS – Acclaimed personal injury firm The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson is proud to announce that firm founder Frank Branson has earned repeat recognition by D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas.

Mr. Branson was again selected for excellence in tort law, highlighting his esteemed catastrophic personal injury practice and products and medical liability work on behalf of plaintiffs. His exceptional legal work has been consistently recognized by the listing since its inception in 2001.

“I am again thankful for the D Magazine endorsement,” said Mr. Branson.  “We are always grateful for recognitions based on the views of our peers.”

With a legal career stretching over 4 decades and over a billion in recovery on behalf of his clients, Mr. Branson has consistently earned industry recognition for his efforts and success in high-stakes personal injury litigation matters.

D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas listing is compiled from peer nominations and vetted by an independent panel of distinguished lawyers with careful consideration by the magazine’s editors. The complete list of this year’s honorees is listed in the May 2024 issue of D Magazine.

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, truck accidents, commercial air crashes, electrical and gas explosions, and truck and auto catastrophic injury.

Peer attorneys have again selected Dallas-based trial lawyer John T. Burkhead for the Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young attorneys, recognizing his exceptional advocacy for plaintiffs in consequential personal injury cases. 

Mr. Burkhead is a respected member of The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, one of the most renowned litigation boutiques in the Southwest. His practice emphasizes advocacy for individuals affected by trucking and transportation accidents, worksite mishaps, oilfield injuries, and hazardous product liabilities, and it underscores a commitment to seeking justice for the injured.  

“At the Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, we are committed to tirelessly advocating for our clients’ best interests, ensuring they receive the support they deserve throughout their recovery,” stated Mr. Burkhead. “Being recognized for our dedication by peers within the legal community is incredibly affirming.” 

Mr. Burkhead is actively involved in professional affiliations such as the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Dallas Bar Association, Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, State Bar of Texas, and Texas Trial Lawyers Association, demonstrating his commitment to staying connected with his legal community and upholding the highest standards of legal advocacy. 

The Texas Rising Stars list celebrates the exceptional contributions of the state’s leading attorneys under 40 years old or with less than a decade of legal experience. Recipients are chosen through peer nominations, independent evaluations, and assessments by distinct advisory panels. Mr. Burkhead has been consistently recognized on this prestigious list since 2016. 

Multiple lawyers earn repeat recognition on Lawdragon 500 list 

DALLAS – Four attorneys with The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson have been named to Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide, further solidifying the firm’s reputation as a national leader on behalf of victims of serious and catastrophic injuries. 

Earning repeat recognition on the prestigious list are firm founder and courtroom legend Frank L. Branson, and esteemed trial lawyers Debbie Dudley Branson and Tim Newsom. All three were recently recognized by Forbes Advisor as among the Ten Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Dallas. 

Trial attorney John T. Burkhead earned a place on the 2024 list for the first time. Mr. Burkhead also has been recognized several times as a Texas Rising Star by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers and among the “Ones to Watch” by the publishers of The Best Lawyers in America. 

“Peer recognition really speaks to the efforts and success of our entire team,” said Mr. Branson. “Acknowledgment by our colleagues in the legal industry is extra special to us because other lawyers truly understand the work that we do. Of course, the greatest accomplishment we could achieve is justice on behalf of our clients.” 

The firm is nationally known for representing injured individuals and their families in cases involving trucking and transportation accidents, dangerous and defective products, construction accidents, commercial plane crashes, explosions and burns caused by gas and electric power utilities, medical negligence and workplace catastrophes. 

According to Lawdragon’s editors, the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers list highlights lawyers who “will stand up for you and put their own resources on the line to get you justice.” Honorees were selected through the publication’s long-established process of peer assessment and independent journalistic research and submissions on thousands of legal industry candidates. 

View the full list.  

About The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson 

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, truck accidents, commercial air crashes, electrical and gas explosions, hospital and medical negligence, and truck and auto catastrophic injury.  

To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.flbranson.com 

Media Contact:
Alyssa Woulfe
800-559-4534
alyssa@androvett.com 

Attorneys ranked among the city’s best personal injury lawyers 

DALLAS – The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson is pleased to announce that Forbes Advisor has named three of the firm’s attorneys to its list of the Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Dallas for 2024. 

Founder Frank L. Branson is recognized for excellence in personal injury litigation. Mr. Branson represents plaintiffs in matters involving dangerous products, injuries from gas explosions or electric burns, medical negligence, major trucking accidents and industrial catastrophes. 

“To have three of the top 10 on this list is truly a remarkable honor,” said Mr. Branson. “It is a true testament to the efforts and success of the entire team. I am very proud to work with such a distinguished, hard-working and caring group of lawyers who are dedicated to advocating on behalf of those who have been seriously or fatally injured.” 

Mr. Branson has been named to the Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame by Texas Lawyer/VerdictSearch inducted into Lawdragon’s Hall of Fame and listed among the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Texas by Thomson Reuters each year since 2007. Other industry accolades include The National Law Journal’s ”50 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S.” and D CEO’s ”Dallas 500: The Most Powerful Business Leaders.” 

Also honored by Forbes Advisor were litigation strategy specialist Debbie Dudley Branson and veteran trial lawyer Tim Newsom.  

Ms. Branson, former President of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, is a recipient of The Dallas Morning News’ Linz Award, one of the oldest and most prestigious civic honors presented to individuals whose community and humanitarian efforts have impacted Dallas. She has also been repeatedly ranked by The Best Lawyers in America and Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers and received the esteemed Gayle Pettus Pontz Award.  

Mr. Newsom is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a repeat honoree by The Best Lawyers in America, Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers and Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers. 

The Best Personal Injury Lawyers in Dallas list is compiled by extensive editorial review that considers years of experience, awards and honors, education and employment backgrounds and other factors. Forbes Advisor’s article considers and weighs the information collected to calculate a specific rating and reviews these results to find the best attorneys in a given practice area. 

About The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson 

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, truck accidents, commercial air crashes, electrical and gas explosions, hospital and medical negligence, and truck and auto catastrophic injury.  

To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.flbranson.com 

Media Contact:        
Alyssa Woulfe       
800-559-4534
alyssa@androvett.com 

DALLAS – Peer lawyers and the research staff at Best Lawyers in America have once again placed the Law Offices of Frank L. Branson in the elite, annual Best Law Firms guide in its tier one rankings for commercial litigation, medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability. The firm also received a tier two designation for its professional malpractice law.

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson has earned an esteemed place among the elite trial litigation firms in the Southwest, based on record verdicts and settlements in high-stakes injury litigation, including catastrophic injuries caused by reckless and negligent trucking and transportation companies, pipeline and oilfield operations, construction sites and workplaces, as well as dangerous and defective products.

Firms that earn a spot on the annual Best Law Firms list must first undergo a rigorous selection process. They are judged based on client feedback and peer review from some of the top attorneys and law firms in their respective legal fields, as well as the information provided by the firm itself during the formal submission for consideration.

To earn a spot on the list, firms must have first had at least one attorney recognized for their work in the most recent edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Only about 5 percent of practicing attorneys in the country are chosen for that list each year. Firm founder Frank L. Branson and attorneys Debbie Dudley Branson, Tim Newsom, John Burkhead, and Linda Yee Villa earned 2024 honors; Mr. Branson is one of an elite group of practitioners to earn selection every year since the guide was started in 1987.

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, truck accidents, commercial air crashes, electrical and gas explosions, and truck and auto catastrophic injury. To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.flbranson.com.   

Peers name Branson trial lawyers among the best for personal injury, product liability litigation

DALLAS – Lawyers across Texas and the research staff at Best Lawyers in America have selected veteran trial lawyers Frank L. Branson, Debbie Dudley Branson, Tim Newsom, and Linda Yee Villa among the nation’s best for their representation of individuals in personal injury and product liability litigation in the 2024 edition. They are also joined by John Burkhead, who was named to the list of Best Lawyers Ones to Watch, honoring younger attorneys.

The Best Lawyers honors are only the latest achievements for the firm, which has built a national reputation for representing individuals in catastrophic personal injury lawsuits against trucking and transportation companies, pipeline operators, oil and gas companies, the operators of dangerous worksites, automakers, and manufacturers of defective products.  

One of the legal industry’s oldest and most respected peer-review guides to the legal industry, Best Lawyers compiles its list from surveys of tens of thousands of attorneys nationwide, followed by a rigorous vetting by the magazine’s research staff.  

Mr. Branson is among an élite group of practitioners who have been honored by Best Lawyers annually since 1987. For the 2023 edition, he is recognized for his expertise in personal injury, product liability, professional malpractice, medical malpractice, and commercial litigation. 

In addition to the Best Lawyers honors, Mr. Branson is a Lawdragon Hall of Fame honoree and has been named among the Top 10 lawyers in the state by Texas Super Lawyers each year since 2007. He is the recipient of the Texas Bar Foundation’s Ronald Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award and has been named to D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas Hall of Fame, Texas Lawbook’s “Lions of the Bar,” the National Law Journal’s “50 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S.,” and D CEO’s “Dallas 500: The Most Powerful Business Leaders.”   

Best Lawyers honorees are selected based on peer nominations and feedback from peer attorneys. To view the complete list of the 2024 Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch honorees, click here.

Dallas, TX – The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, a leading litigation firm focused on personal injury cases, is proud to report that its founder, Frank Branson, has been honored in 2023 as one of D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas.” This distinguished recognition highlights Mr. Branson’s exceptional contributions in the field of tort law and is evidence of his reputation as a battle-tested litigator. 

Mr. Branson, renowned for his unwavering commitment to advocating for his clients, has consistently been acknowledged in numerous publications throughout his illustrious career. In addition, his exceptional work in high-stakes personal injury litigation has solidified his position as a trusted and respected legal professional. 

“I am deeply honored to be recognized as one of D Magazine’s ‘Best Lawyers in Dallas’ since its inception in 2001,” said Frank Branson. “This accolade reinforces the firm’s mission to deliver outstanding results.” 

The annual Best Lawyers in Dallas list showcases attorneys who exhibit outstanding proficiency in their respective practice areas, through peer nominations. A distinguished panel of anonymous lawyers and the D Magazine editorial staff meticulously selects the honorees. The complete list of this year’s exceptional attorneys can be found in the May 2023 issue of D Magazine. 

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson is a leading litigation firm based in Dallas, Texas. Founded by Frank Branson, the firm specializes in handling complex personal injury cases, including product liability, trucking/transportation injuries, catastrophic injuries, commercial air crashes, and professional negligence. 

For more information about The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson and the range of legal services they offer, please visit the website at https://flbranson.com. 

Law Offices of Frank L. Branson: Officer Lina Mino was shot in the eye, sustained brain damage during training exercise in Tarrant County  

DALLAS – A Sansom Park, Texas, police officer who was shot in the eye and suffered brain damage during an active shooter drill in November 2022 has filed a lawsuit against the company that conducted the exercise and its owner.

In her lawsuit, Officer Lina Mino says Texas Police Trainers, LLC, of Killeen was negligent in that it allowed someone to bring a firearm with live rounds into the training. The filing also names the company’s owner and CEO, Janice M. Washington, as a defendant.

The shooting happened at David K. Sellars Elementary School in Forest Hill, where officers from area police departments had gathered to learn and ready themselves for active-shooter scenarios. Officer Mino was taking part in the training when another law enforcement officer fired his weapon, striking her. As a result, Officer Mino lost her left eye and suffered a brain injury.

“If there is any place where this shooting absolutely should not have happened, it’s in the middle of a training drill run by a company that is supposed to be qualified to teach police officers,” says attorney Frank Branson of Dallas’ The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson, who represents Officer Mino. “If anyone should know how to be safe around firearms, it’s them. To think that they allowed a set of circumstances that led to Officer Mino being shot is just astounding.”

Texas Police Trainers touts itself as a “one-stop shop” that helps “ensure (members of) our law enforcement community are highly trained.” According to the company’s website, it continues to offer a variety of law enforcement training courses, including basic and advanced instructor courses, crisis intervention training and crime scene investigation.

The case is Lina Mino vs. Texas Police Trainers, LLC and Janice Washington, Cause No.017-341841-23 in Tarrant County, Texas.

About The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson

The Law Offices of Frank L. Branson represents clients in cases involving complex product liability, catastrophic injury, truck accidents, commercial air crashes, electrical and gas explosions, and truck and auto catastrophic injury. To learn more about the firm, visit http://www.flbranson.com.     

Media Contact:    
Barry Pound
800-559-4534    
barry@androvett.com

Branson named among Top 10 in Texas; Debbie Dudley Branson, Tim Newsom earn repeat recognition 

DALLAS – Iconic Texas trial lawyer Frank L. Branson is among an elite group of practitioners who have earned Texas Super Lawyers recognition every year since the prestigious legal guide’s 2003 founding. 

While the rigorous Super Lawyers selection process is designed to identify the top 5 percent of lawyers in the state, Mr. Branson’s honors for personal injury litigation exceed that. He has been named among the Top 10 lawyers in Texas since 2007 and among the Top 100 every year for the legal guide’s entire 20-year history. 

In addition, veteran trial lawyers Debbie Dudley Branson and Tim Newsom have earned repeat Super Lawyers honors for their expertise in personal injury litigation on behalf of plaintiffs. Like Mr. Branson, they are accomplished lawyers who are committed to leveling the playing field for individuals seeking justice from powerful corporate interests. 

Earlier this year, firm attorney John Burkhead was recognized by Super Lawyers/Rising Stars, which honors the top Texas lawyers age 40 or younger or who have been in practice 10 years or less.  

Thomson Reuters researchers compile the annual Super Lawyers list based on a rigorous selection process that starts with peer nominations, followed by independent research and vetting by a blue-ribbon panel. The full list is published in the October issues of Super Lawyers and Texas Monthly magazines and is available at https://www.superlawyers.com/.  

Mr. Branson’s Super Lawyers record is just one example of the esteem he has earned in his courtroom career. Best Lawyers in America has recognized him every year since 1987. He is a Lawdragon Hall of Fame honoree, recipient of the Texas Bar Foundation’s Ronald Secrest Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award in 2020 and is in D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas Hall of Fame. Texas Lawbook‘s “Lions of the Bar” and the National Law Journal’s “50 Most Influential Lawyers in the U.S.” are also among his accolades, as is D CEO’s ”Dallas 500: The Most Powerful Business Leaders.”  Under his leadership, the firm was named Elite Trial Lawyers Product Liability Law Firm of the Year by the National Law Journal and the National Trial Lawyers. 

This marks the 15th year of Super Lawyers recognition for Ms. Branson, who has played a key role in the firm’s string of record verdicts and settlements. In addition to Texas Super Lawyers, she has earned honors from Lawdragon, D Magazine’s Best Lawyers in Dallas and The Best Lawyers in America. She has held numerous leadership positions within governmental, political, business and legal organizations at the national and regional level. She currently serves on Dallas County’s COVID-19 Task Force.   

This is the 18th year of Super Lawyers recognition for Mr. Newsom, a veteran trial lawyer who is active in leadership positions in legal and professional organizations and currently serves as president-elect of TEX-ABOTA, the Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. In addition to Super Lawyers, he is a repeat Best Lawyers honoree.