Law Office of Anne Ashby, PLLC – Principal<br/>Shields Legal Group – Of Counsel

Arbitrator, Mediator, Attorney, Judge

President, Law Office of Anne Ashby, PLLC, 2011 - Present; Of Counsel, Shields Legal Group, 2014 - 2023; Mediator, Burdin Mediations, 2011-Present; Director, Collins Basinger & Pullman, P.C., 2009-2010; Presiding Judge, 134th Civil District Court, Dallas, Texas, 1989-2009; Presiding Judge, County Court at Law No.3, Dallas, Texas, 1987-1988; Litigator, Smith & Underwood, P.C., 1986; Master/Referee, 304th Judicial District Court, Dallas, Texas, 1982-1986; Assistant District Attorney, Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, 1980-1982; Administrative Assistant/Law Clerk, Probate Court No. 3, Harris County, Texas, 1978-1979.

Vast experience as a trial judge, arbitrator and mediator who applies judicial insight in a variety of complex cases involving commercial/business law, employment, contracts, unfair trade practices, healthcare, personal injury with catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, wrongful death, insurance and insurance coverage, appellate, energy, asbestos, environmental claims, oil and gas, real estate, will contests, guardianship and trust disputes, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, liens, zoning, transportation, construction defective workmanship, homeowner/builder disputes including fraud in the inducement and professional malpractice.<br/><br/>Employment: Extensive experience as an arbitrator on complex employment cases involving: non-subscriber issues, person injury (on the job injury), ERISA, age discrimination "ADEA", Family and Medical Leave Act "FMLA", Fair Labor Standards Act "FLSA", Americans with Disabilities Act "ADA" , Title VII, wrongful termination, retaliation, whistleblower, gender discrimination, sexual assault, harassment, hostile work environment, departing employees and trade secrets, workers compensation, OSHA violations, violations of non-solicitation provisions and violation and/or misappropriation of trade secrets.<br/><br/>Healthcare: Well versed as an arbitrator in complex healthcare cases that have addressed violations of the Texas Insurance Code including prompt pay, retaliation and wrongful termination, Texas Prompt Pay Act, unpaid or underpaid claims, medical, nursing and psychiatric malpractice, intricacies of billing issues including Medicare and Medicaid billing with home health agencies, asset purchase agreement of pharmacies and FDA regulations, HIPPA violations, protective orders, tortious interference, contractually covered services, facility participation agreements, nursing homes, whistleblower, litigation concerning all aspects inside hospitals, hospital administration litigation, peer review of physicians and fraud in pharmaceutical sales.<br/><br/>Commercial/Business Law: Broad range of large complex and small commercial disputes as an arbitrator encompassing breach of contract, DTPA, force majeure, partnerships, distributions, business law, real estate leases, co-tenants in real property, joint ventures, development, improvement and financing of real estate, foreclosures and foreclosure property management, tenant damages including personal injury, death and property damages, premises liability, HOA disputes, landlord/tenant, condemnation, bad faith, debt payout, buyer/seller agreements, factoring, misrepresentation, fraud, omissions, duress, mitigation, consulting agreements, shareholder buy outs, shareholder agreements, legal malpractice, sworn accounts, tortious interference, oil and gas, investments in the oilfield, pipeline investment, deep water drilling blow outs and injuries, Dram Shop Act, franchise, copyrights, cyber security, frustration of purpose, business interruption and business work out deals.<br/><br/>First elected to the Dallas judiciary in 1986, then served as the presiding Judge of the 134th Civil District Court from 1989-2009. Re-elected five times. Tried 244 cases to verdict in the 134th.

Served as a mediator and acted as a settlement facilitator in 290 mediations, including: asbestos damage claims; employment claims; business disputes; construction claims; construction defect claims; construction bond claims; defamation and slander claims; tort claims; real estate claims; sexual assault claims; insurance disputes; attorneys’ fees disputes; banking disputes; intellectual property disputes; liens; premises liability; professional malpractice disputes; international contracts; health care claims; franchise agreement; estates/will contest; guardianships; personal injury; medical malpractice; wrongful death; tax fraud; transportation and more.

Have mediated a case of multiple trusts where multiple siblings and the surviving spouse were attempting to work out many business deals and highly sophisticated financial arrangements among all without going to litigation.<br/><br/>Mediated a dispute over a brokerage deal concerning a large parcel of land, a family, and an individual allegedly driving the price up.<br/><br/>Mediated a dispute involving three lawsuits, including bankruptcy. The issues concerned the widow of the deceased suing her prior attorneys for their business and legal advice.

I approach each mediation from the perspective of a neutral to create a safe and peaceful environment for both parties which will encourage open communication, always holding to the responsibility of refraining from prescriptive solutions. My objective is to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution through active participation by all parties and exhaust all possibilities of settlement. My strength has always been my ability to communicate effectively in an empathic and sensitive fashion, yet with a credible voice. I am comfortable and confident in a variety of domains.

South Texas College of Law (JD, 1979); University of Texas (BBA, 1975).

Admitted to the Bar: State of Texas, 1979; U.S. District Court: Northern (1981), and Eastern (2013) Districts of Texas.

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Fellow; Women in Dispute Resolution {WIDR}; American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law, Litigation, ADR); State Bar of Texas (ADR, Construction Law, Labor & Employment Law, Litigation); College of the State Bar of Texas (30+ year member); Texas Bar Foundation (Life Fellow); Dallas Bar Association (ADR, Construction Law, Labor & Employment Law, Probate, Trusts & Estates); Dallas Bar Foundation (Fellow and Charter Member); Texas Mediator Credentialing Association Credentialed Distinguished Mediator; Association of Attorney-Mediators; American Arbitration Association, Neutral (Asbestos, Commercial Expedited & Large-Complex, Consumer, Healthcare, Judicial, Labor & Employment, Mediation, Non-Subscriber and Special Master Panels); American Health Lawyers Association.

Has spoken to 119 audiences including the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas. Presented, taught and served on panels throughout the nation including:"Damages in Civil Litigation" 2020 State Bar of Texas Conference, " Litigation vs Arbitration … What's the Difference" 2019 AAA Staff, “Commercial Arbitration: History, Current Practices, and Special Considerations,” 2017 Annual Conference, The Association of Conflict Resolution (ACR), 2017; "Winning Arbitrations and Mediations --- Paralegal Style!" Dallas Area Paralegal Association (DAPA), 2017; "Will Somebody Please Pay The Bathroom Bill? Perspectives, Implications and the Impact of "Grimm," 2017 Management & Professional Liability Conference, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), 2017Boston and Pennsylvania; Arbitration in Texas, Practically Speaking,” Lloyds of London, LMA Academy, 2016; Moderator of DBA Texas Trial Legends, Dallas Bar Association, 2016; “Arbitration for the Entrepreneur”, Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, 2016; “Arbitration, Practically Speaking,” Collin County Bar Association, 2015 and many more.<br/><br/>Complete list of presentations available upon request. <br/>

$500 Per Hour

English

United States of America

Dallas, TX