Michael Hawash
Top rated alternative dispute resolution attorney in Houston, Texas
Hawash Cicack & Gaston LLP
Practice Areas: Alternative dispute resolution, Insurance coverage, Business litigation; view more
Licensed in Texas since: 1994
Education: University of Houston Law Center
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2023 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2005 COVID-19 disclaimer:
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Details
Michael Hawash is a veteran trial lawyer who also serves as a mediator, arbitrator and early dispute resolution professional. Over a career that spans three decades, Michael has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of disputes, including those arising out of insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, professional malpractice, breach of contract, deceptive trade practices and other high-stakes business disputes. Licensed to practice law in all courts throughout Texas, Michael has frequently been admitted pro hac vice by the bar associations of many other states.
In addition to traditional court cases, Michael also handles arbitrations brought under the American Arbitration Association (AAA), Judicial Arbitration & Mediation Services (JAMS) and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) rules.
Aside from representing parties in high-stakes insurance and commercial litigation, Michael is often engaged as a mediator to aid litigants in finding fair and economical solutions to disputes outside of the courtroom, typically with a massive savings of time, energy and expense. As a certified mediator, Michael can serve as a neutral in both traditional and dynamic mediation, as well as an early dispute resolution professional using the protocols of the EDR Institute.
When not practicing law, Mr. Hawash indulges his passion for military history by visiting and exploring great battlefields all over the world.
Mr. Hawash resides in Houston, Texas with his wife, Tori, and their sons, Luke and Gray.
Practice areas
Alternative dispute resolution, Insurance coverage, Business litigationFocus areas
Arbitration, Mediation
First Admitted: 1994, Texas
Professional Webpage: https://www.hcgllp.com/staff-profiles/michael-hawash/
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Harris County Court at Law EDR Pilot Program
- Harris County Dispute Resolution Center
- Founding Director, The International Society for Battlefield History
- Chairman, Mandell Winlow Security Foundation, A Non-Profit Corporation
Honors/Awards:
- Ranked "Superb" by Avvo
- Texas Super Lawyers – 2011-2022 (Thomson Reuters), Thomson Reuters
- Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 Attorneys in Houston – 2014-2015 (Thomson Reuters)
Verdicts/Settlements:
- Obtained multimillion dollar judgment against an employee accused of embezzling funds.
- Obtained a multimillion dollar settlement in a professional malpractice case against attorneys who failed to give proper advice relating to a multimillion dollar business deal.
- Obtained settlement from a manufacturer accused of distributing defective products worldwide.
- Obtained judgment against a creditor who was attempting to kill a several hundred million dollar business deal by forcing a debtor into an unjustified bankruptcy.
- Obtained a dismissal in favor of a seller of real estate accused of making improper disclosures regarding the condition of the property.
- Obtained an arbitration award in favor of a mid-rise apartment community against a plumbing contractor whose negligence led to a ruinous water leak.
- Obtained multimillion dollar settlement in favor of a healthcare provider in a contract dispute.
- Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a major oil and gas company accused of maintaining dangerous and hazardous conditions aboard one of its deep water drilling rigs.
- Obtained a jury verdict in favor of an offshore exploration company accused of negligence aboard one of its vessels.
- Obtained seven figure settlement in a breach of fiduciary duty case.
- Obtained a seven figure settlement against a title company that failed to properly close a multimillion dollar commercial transaction.
- Obtained a multimillion dollar settlement on behalf of a commercial property owner whose insurance company refused to pay for damages arising out of a catastrophic flood.
- Obtained settlement from a software company accused of misappropriating the trade secrets of a rival.
- Obtained settlement from a national insurance carrier who failed to provide appropriate property insurance coverage to a major retail business destroyed by fire.
- Obtained confidential settlement for a tenant in a dispute with a landlord over a multimillion dollar commercial lease.
- Obtained a seven figure settlement from a drilling contractor whose wrongful actions caused the loss of a multimillion dollar gas lease.
- Obtained a jury verdict in favor of an offshore services company accused of maintaining unseaworthy conditions aboard one of its vessels.
- Obtained judgment against a national insurance carrier who refused to provide insurance coverage to an insured faced with multimillion dollar liability claims.
- Obtained a multimillion dollar settlement in a professional malpractice case against an engineer who failed to provide proper design engineering drawings on a large construction project.
- Obtained judgment in favor of a trust beneficiary whose funds had been seized by the title company.
- Obtained a settlement from a national insurance carrier who failed to provide proper indemnity coverage to a major oil and gas company involved in a multimillion dollar lawsuit.
- Obtained policy limits settlement against a professional engineering firm that failed to obtain appropriate easements on a multimillion dollar construction project.
- Obtained an international arbitration award in favor of a European distributor of medical devices.
- Obtained a jury verdict in favor of a major oil company accused of allowing hazardous working conditions to pose a risk to offshore workers.
- Obtained a jury verdict against a national transportation company for allowing unrepaired conditions to pose a danger to passengers aboard one of its vehicles.
Educational Background:
- The University of Texas at Austin, B.A. in History, 1991
- The University of Texas at Austin, B.A. in Government, 1991
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- Certified Mediator - AA White Dispute Resolution Center, 2018
- Panel Arbitrator - American Arbitration Association, 2022
- Credentialed Distinguished Mediator - Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, 2022
- Early Dispute Resolution Neutral - EDR Institute, 2019
Videos:
- Early Dispute Resolution is a new form of dynamic mediation that seeks to resolve disputes in weeks not years., Early Dispute Resolution - Settle Disputes in 30 Days, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Law, Mediation, Early Dispute Resolution, 2020
- Mediation is a process by which parties can resolve disputes outside of the courthouse and avoid the risk, expense, and uncertainties of trial., The Value of Mediation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Law, Mediation, Early Dispute Resolution, 2019
- Legal disputes can be expensive and take years to resolve. Early Dispute Resolution seeks to resolve disputes in weeks, not years, and at a fraction of the cost., Can your business afford a lenghty court battle?, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Law, Mediation, Early Dispute Resolution, 2020
- Michael Hawash is the first mediator certified in Texas by the EDR Institute as an EDR Neutral trained in the Early Dispute Resolution Protocols., EDR Institute Certification, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Law, Mediation, Early Dispute Resolution, 2020
White Papers:
- In traditional litigation, settlement typically comes only after lawyers engage in months or years of adversarial posturing that escalates the original conflict, deteriorates the relationship of the parties, and costs an ever-increasing amount of time and money. Early Dispute Resolution (or EDR) seeks to short-circuit the traditional litigation model and provide parties with methods, optimally using the services of a trained neutral, to resolve almost all disputes within 30-60 days at a fraction of the cost. Further, the parties should reach roughly the same resolution they would have reached after protracted discovery and motion practice., An Introduction to Early Dispute Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Collaborative Law, Mediation, Early Dispute Resolution, 2020
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Ethical advocacy in mediation., Author, Zealous Advocacy and Zealous Problem Solving: Ethical Duties in Mediation, The Houston Lawyer, Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2021
- Tired of mediations where the claimant starts with an artificially high demand and the defense responds with anunrealistically low-ball counter? With parties spending hours slowly moving off their positions in equal proportions? Wherereal progress only begins in the late afternoon after hours of this wheel-spinning and gamesmanship? In this session,those attending will learn techniques to avoid these tactics. It will explore the role forecasting plays in settlement strategy,how to gain confidence in analyzing risks, and how to use decision trees, ultimately helping the parties and counsel makea more informed valuation of a case, and better settlement decisions overall., Panelist, Mediation - Managing Impasse Through Analytical Settlement Tools, American Arbitration Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2023
- Litigation forecasting approaches, including applied probability and basic decision tree analysis using a simple online outcomes forecasting tool useful to practicing mediators, advocates, and party decision makers alike; decision-tree analysis as foundation for “principled bracketing” of party settlement proposals., Panelist, Impassed Management Unpacked! Really Useful Analytical Tools, American Bar Association, Advanced Mediation Adovocy & Skills Institute , Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2022
- 12 hour course to teach the Early Dispute Resolution Protocols of the EDR Institute as well as powerful risk analysis tools to evaluate disputes and bring out resolution., Faculty, Resetting the Bar: Using Early Dispute Resolution to Resolve Disputes Economically and Fairly, American Arbitration Association, Law, ADR, 2022
- The latest techniques of dispute resolution that should be in every mediator's toolbox., Speaker, The Future of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Houston Bar Association Annual ADR Conference, 2022
- The Protocols of Early Dispute Resolution are a proven method to settle cases in as little as thirty days., Speaker, Early Dispute Resolution, UT CLE Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference, 2022
- Using sophisticated risk analysis tools to assist settlement negotiations., Lecturer, Litigation Risk Analysis and Decision Trees, New York State Unified Court System, 2022
- An expert panel of mediation and arbitration innovators discuss the future of alternative dispute resolution with an emphasis on new processes and protocols that allow disputes to be resolved faster and cheaper than what was previously thought possible. , Author and Panelist, The Future of Alternative Dispute Resolution, American Arbitration Association, Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2020
- An expert panel of alternative dispute pioneers and problem solvers demonstrate how to resolve disputes within 30 days through the concept of “EDR” (Early Dispute Resolution) Protocols, which include initial dispute assessment; information exchange; objective dispute valuation; and final resolution., Author and Panelist, Early Dispute Resolution: Protocols for Smarter Processes and Swifter Outcomes, American Bar Association Advanced Mediation & Advocacy Skills Institute, Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2021
- How to use the Practice Protocols of the Early Dispute Resolution Institute to fairly and ethically resolve disputes within 30-60 days of inception., Author and Instructor, Early Dispute Resolution Neutral Training, EDR Institute, Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2021
- Practical guidance for lawyers and mediators on using decision trees to more rigorously think through legal claims, risks and consequences for settlement valuation., Speaker, Advancing Your Practice Pesuasion: Decision Trees & Risk Analysis, Southern California Mediation Association, Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2021
- A new form of dynamic mediation seeks to unclog Harris County's dockets., Author, No Juries, No Trials, No Problem, The Houston Lawyer, Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2021
- The Pandemic has ground traditional litigation to a halt. Early Dispute Resolution seeks to resolve cases without the need for in-person discovery or impending trial date., Author, Early Dispute Resolution Comes of Age During the Pandemic, American Bar Association, 2020
- How to fairly & ethically resolve a disputes within 30 days of inception., Co-Author, An Introduction to Early Dispute Resolution, Association of Attorney Mediators Annual Conference, ADR, EDR, Mediation, Early Dispute Resolution, PEDR, Planned Early Dispute Resolution, 2020
- Recent research into Robert Capa's iconic photographs of the first wave at Omaha Beach on D-Day, Author, The Invasion of Normandy, the Magnificent Eleven and Mediation, 2019
- Michael Hawash, Foreword, Turning Point: Recollections of Russian Participants and Witnesses of the Stalingrad Battle (Leaping Horseman Books, 2008)
- Michael Hawash, The Ultimate Online Lawsuit, Computer Gaming World (November 1998)
- Michael Hawash, How to Start and Grow Your Own Computer Game Development Company, (1999)
- Michael Hawash, What Every Game Developer needs to Know About Intellectual Property Rights, Computer Gaming World (January 1999)
- Co-Author with Peter A. McLauchlan, Recent Developments in Admiralty Jurisdiction, 18 Tul. Mar. L. J. 262 (1994)
Bar/Professional Activity:
- American Arbitration Association - Panel Arbitrator - Commercial & Construction Law, 2022
- Early Dispute Resolution Institute - Board of Trustees
- United States District Courts for the Norther, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Texas Association of Mediators
- Association of Attorney-Mediators
- Texas Mediator Credentialing Association - Credentialed Distinguished Mediator
- American Bar Assocation - Committee on Early Dispute Resolution
- Texas, 1994
- American Bar Association - Committee on ADR Practice Management, Business & Skills Development
Industry Groups:
- American Bar Association
- Association Of Attorney-Mediators
- EDR Institute
- Federal Bar Association
- Houston Bar Association
- Texas Association Of Mediators
- Texas Mediator Credentialing Association
Selections
13 Years Super Lawyers
1 Year Rising Stars
- Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2023
- Rising Stars: 2005
