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Melissa Dorman Matthews

Partner

Melissa is the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Partner, and represents clients in professional liability, product liability, employment, personal injury, commercial litigation and premises liability matters. She defends drug and medical device manufacturers, automotive manufacturers, and heavy equipment manufacturers. She has extensive experience representing a broad spectrum of industries and clients in attorney-client disputes, business and employment disputes, personal injury cases, and product defect cases.  Melissa has gained extensive first-chair trial experience over her 25 years of practice, and has tried cases all over Texas and beyond.  She has always been a champion of retaining and promoting women in law, and is spearheading the firm’s diversity and inclusion program by focusing the firm’s efforts on hiring, training, and retention initiatives.

Telephone: 214.346.3771
Fax: 214.267.4271
mmatthews@hartlinebarger.com
8750 N. Central Expy.
Suite 1600
Dallas, Texas 75231

Curriculum Vitae

  • Education
    Texas Tech University, J.D. 1994
    Texas Christian University, B.S. 1989
  • Bar & Court Admissions
    U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
    U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
    U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
    U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • Honors & Awards
    • Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
    • Outstanding Young Lawyer of El Paso, El Paso Bar Association (1998-1999)
    • Recognized among Super Lawyers® Texas Rising Stars by Thompson Reuters (2007)
    • Texas Top-Rated Lawyers by ALM, 2012
    • Selected for the Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers for 2012
    • Appointed Vice-Chair of the State Bar of Texas standing committee on Council of Chairs
  • Professional Affiliations & Activities
    • International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)
    • Board of Directors, Trial Attorneys of America, 2017
    • Member, Trial Attorneys of America, 2012-present
    • Dallas Bar Association
    • Defense Research Institute
    • Texas Women Lawyers; Board of Directors & Member since 1999
    • Dallas Women Lawyers
    • Chair, State Bar of Texas, Women and the Law Section; Council Member since 2005
    • El Paso Women's Bar Association; Past President
    • Chair, State Bar of Texas Council of Chairs (2015-2016)
    • Board of Directors, The Council on Alcohol & Drugs

Areas of Practice

"If you do good work, good work will come to you."

Melissa in Motion

Melissa and her husband enjoy going to college football games and basketball games, and exploring new destinations. She is an avid TCU fan but roots for her husband’s Baylor Bears as long as they aren’t playing TCU.  She and her husband recently embraced the RV lifestyle with an enormous fifth wheel, which they take to Baylor football games and plan to use for travel around the country. When Melissa is not on the road, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their 15-year-old lab mix, Rollie.