Micheal W. Dobbs

Micheal Dobbs has over 10 years experience in commercial, environmental and tort litigation matters, with an emphasis on environmental litigation.  He has been at the forefront of some of the largest contaminated waterway sites in the country.  Mr. Dobbs also represents clients in a wide range of other environmental matters, including property damage and remediation claims.  He also has spent significant time handling environmental regulatory and transactional matters, including negotiating and facilitating the purchase, sale, lease and cleanup of environmentally impacted properties.  His clients include port authorities, transportation sector clients, and other public and private entities.

Practice Areas/Experience

Micheal Dobbs has handled a variety for environmental and litigation matters in state and federal courts throughout the country. His practice includes general commercial, environmental and tort litigation with an emphasis on environmental and natural resource damages litigation.

Environmental Litigation:
Mr. Dobbs represents clients in a wide range of environmental matters, including disputes under CERCLA, RCRA, Oil Pollution Act, Clean Water Act, state environmental statutes and the common law.  He has significant experience with property damage, remediation, cost recovery and natural resource damages matters.  His representational matters include:

• Representing the State of New Jersey as Special Counsel in pursuing natural resource damages, remediation, costs and other damages associated with the Passaic River and other sites.
• Representing the Port of Houston Authority in litigation against a neighboring pesticide plant for releases of hazardous substances into adjacent property and navigable waters. The Port obtained a settlement valued at $100 million, which the National Law Journal named as one of the ten most significant settlements in Texas for 2003.
• Representing the largest private port in Texas in litigation and arbitration of significant environmental contamination matters.
• Representing several national corporations in environmental cost recovery matters and remediation of contaminated properties. 

Commercial Litigation: 
Mr. Dobbs has extensive experience in representing clients in a variety of commercial litigation matters, including matters involving breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and contract interpretation.  His representational matters include:

• Arbitration of claims regarding the construction of and payments for an oil and gas processing unit for an offshore rig.
• Arbitration of corporate successor liability of an oil refining company.
• Representing boards of directors, attorneys and other fiduciaries in breach of fiduciary duty litigation.

Environmental Regulatory and Transactional Matters:
Mr. Dobbs also spends significant time handling real estate and environmental regulatory matters, including negotiating and facilitating the purchase, sale, lease and cleanup of environmentally impacted properties from a real estate and environmental perspective.  In connection with these real estate transactional matters, Mr. Dobbs has particular experience in property transfer issues, easement and leasehold negotiations, indemnity protections and the negotiation and administration of property cleanup and remediation agreements.  He also handles environmental regulatory matters before state and federal agencies.  His representational matters include:

• Representing public and private clients with the purchase, sale and lease of contaminated or impacted properties.
• Representing the largest private port in Texas with all transaction and regulatory matters.
• Representing clients before federal and state environmental agencies.
• Working with transaction and corporate counsel to address environmental and liability issues involved in corporate and real estate transactions. 
  

Professional Background

Prior to founding Jackson Gilmour & Dobbs, PC, Micheal Dobbs practiced with Connelly Baker Wotring & Jackson, LLP and at McFall, Sherwood & Breitbeil, P.C.  He began his legal career with Cowles & Thompson, PC in Dallas, Texas.

Micheal Dobbs received his Doctor of Jurisprudence, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Houston Law Center in 1999. He was a member of the Order of the Coif and Order of the Barons.  Mr. Dobbs received his Bachelor of Science in Rangeland Ecology and Management from Texas A&M University in 1995.

Micheal Dobbs is licensed to practice in Texas state courts and the United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  He has also appeared pro hac vice in various state courts.  He was named a 2006 and 2008 Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyer Magazine and one of Houston's Professional on the Fast Track by H-Texas Magazine.
 
Industry Organizations

Micheal Dobbs is a member of:

• American Association of Port Authorities, Law Review Committee.  Member.
• Gulf Ports Association of the Americas.
• Texas Ports Association.
• National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel. 
  

Bar-Related Organizations

Micheal Dobbs is a member of:

• State Bar of Texas.
• College of the State Bar of Texas 2007, 2008.
• American Bar Association.  Member, Environmental Section.
• Houston Bar Association.
• Houston Bar Foundation.  Life Fellow.
• Texas Bar Foundation.  Fellow.

Presentations & Publications

Micheal Dobbs has recently published and presented the following:

• Environmental Law Update, New Cases from the Supreme Court, presentation and paper published in the course book for the Advising Businesses in a Troubled Economy, University of Houston Law Foundation Continuing Legal Education, July 19, 2009, Dallas, Texas.
• Environmental Law Update, presentation and paper published in the course book for the Advising Businesses in a Troubled Economy, University of Houston Law Foundation Continuing Legal Education, January 16, 2009, Houston, Texas.
• Environmental Law Update, presentation and paper published in the course book for the Advising Small and Mid-Sized Corporations Seminar, University of Houston Law Foundation Continuing Legal Education, June 12, 2008, Houston, Texas.
• CERCLA Jurisdiction and Preemption Over State Law Natural Resource Damages Claims:  The Passaic Perspective, co-author, American Bar Association Environmental Litigation and Toxic Tort Committee News Letter, Vol. 9, No. 2, April 2007.
• New Rules for Environmental Due Diligence, presentation to the American Association of Port Authorities, Port Administration & Legal Issues Seminar, February 12-14, 2007, Miami, Florida.
• Ports 101 for Transportation Lawyers, presentation to the 39th Transportation Law Institute, October 27, 2006, Denver, Colorado.
• Environmental Law Update, presentation and paper published in the course book for the Advising Mid-Sized Corporations Seminar, University of Houston Law Foundation Continuing Legal Education, September 28-29, 2005, Dallas, Texas, October 20-21, 2005, Houston, Texas.
• Post-Aviall Cost Recovery & Contribution Under § 107 of CERCLA, paper and presentation to the American Association of Port Authorities, Port Administration & Legal Issues Seminar, July 11-13, 2005, Seattle, Washington.
• Environmental Considerations in Real Estate Transactions, presentation to the University of Houston Law Foundation Advanced Real Estate Short Course, November 18-19, 2004, Dallas, Texas.
• Cost Recovery Under the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act, published in the course book for the Sixteenth Annual Texas Environmental Superconference, August 5-6, 2004, Austin, Texas.
• Offer of Settlement Post-Tort Reform – Litigation and Trial Tactics, published in course book for the Litigation and Trial Tactics Seminar, University of Houston Continuing Legal Education, December 4-5, 2003, Austin, Texas.