Top Rated Alternative Dispute Resolution Attorney in Houston, TX

Bar/Professional Activity

• 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 Advanced Mediator
• American Bar Assocation - Committee on Early Dispute Resolution
• Texas, 1994
• American Bar Association - Committee on ADR Practice Management, Business & Skills Development

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 – 2011-2020 (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
• Credentialed Advanced Mediator - Texas Mediator Credentialing Association, 2021
• 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

Scholarly Lectures/Writings

• Mediation is by far the most predominant method of alternative dispute resolution (ADR). In many courts, mediation is a prerequisite for getting to trial, especially when a jury is requested. But as mediation has become more ubiquitous, the rules and ethical standards for mediators have also grown. Even so, less attention has been paid to the standards of professionalism that lawyers representing clients in mediation should follow, which is a shame as clients would be far better served if lawyers had a better understanding of professionalism in mediation as well as in the courtroom. The basic ethical duties owed by a lawyer engaged in mediation can be distilled to these five: keeping a client informed about their case, including settlement and ADR options; competent representation before and during the mediation; avoidance of conflicts of interest; protecting confidentiality; and the avoidance of the unauthorized practice of law. The article summarizes these key concepts., Author, Zealous Advocacy & Zealous Problem Solving: Ethical Duties in Mediation, The Houston Lawyer, Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2021
• 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)

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