Ellen began her legal career even before she graduated law school by prosecuting and defending criminal cases as a licensed law student. Her most memorable case involved a 3rd-degree felony theft trial involving $75,000 in stolen funds, where she was first-chair prosecutor. Ellen also interned for the Honorable Christopher Mott at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas. These experiences enriched her understanding of the art of well-crafted arguments and out-of-the-box thinking.
Born and raised in Houston, Ellen gladly returned to her hometown after graduating from the University of Texas to join the Hall Maines Lugrin team. As an associate, Ellen dove headfirst into highly complex and diverse cases representing plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of matters, including insurance coverage, subrogation, property damage, serious personal injury, products liability, and contract disputes. With a love for writing developed early on as a Plan II Honors major at the University of Texas, Ellen often takes the laboring oar in drafting complicated motions and appellate briefs. In every case, Ellen strives to find creative solutions to complex disputes and understands that clients’ best interests are served by meticulous attention to detail in order to obtain early resolution and to maximize chances of success at every stage.
Services
Cases & Experience
- Defended seven individual employees in two related Federal and Texas trade secret multidistrict litigations, which settled shortly after obtaining summary judgment in clients’ favor in the Texas case.
- Member of team representing the London insurer of bankrupt oil and gas company in a declaratory judgment action against another oil and gas company seeking defense, indemnity, insurance coverage for a serious personal injury lawsuit. Obtained Summary Judgment in Texas federal court whereby court found there was no written contractual duty to defend, indemnify, or provide coverage.
- Obtained a take-nothing final judgment based on no evidence, lack of standing, and anti-SLAPP in a Harris County lawsuit involving legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and tortious interference claims. The 14th Court of Appeals affirmed both dismissals and the Texas Supreme Court denied the Plaintiffs’ petition for review.
- Obtained Summary Judgment in favor of Defendant in Jefferson County, Texas in a personal injury lawsuit involving a rotating contractor insurance program.
- Member of team representing various insurers and companies in multi-million-dollar oil and gas well blowout recovery actions involving negligence, breach of contract, and products liability claims.
- Member of team advising and representing various insurers in coverage disputes involving various energy package policies. Issues include applicability and scope of control of well, pollution, property damage, removal of debris, and well restoration coverage.
- Member of team advising and representing various insurers and companies in contractual disputes over whether defense, indemnity, and insurance coverage is owed.
- Member of team defending companies in serious personal injury lawsuits involving millions of dollars in damages.
- Successfully prosecuted a 3rd degree felony theft as first chair in a bench trial. The judge found the defendant guilty of stealing over $75,000 of client funds from his employer.
- Served as second chair in a 2nd degree felony jury trial for burglary of a habitation.
Education & Admissions
- University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 2018 (The Order of Barristers)
- Intern for the Honorable Christopher Mott of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas, 2018
- University of Texas, B.A., Plan II Honors, 2015, special honors (Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi – Top 7.5% in the College of Liberal Arts, Dean’s List, Kappa Delta sorority)
- University of Texas McCombs School of Business, Certified Business Foundation, with distinction
- State Bar of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Awards & Recognitions
- Texas Rising Star, 2025, Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers
- The Order of the Barristers – one of the top 8 graduates from the University of Texas School of Law in oral advocacy and brief writing
- Stanley & Claudie Wilson Endowed Presidential Scholarship for Excellence in Trial Advocacy, 2017
- Semi-finalist, Judge Paul Joseph Kelly Jr. Invitational Trial Tournament, Fordham University, 2018
- Champion and Best Advocate, Strasburger & Price Advanced Mock Trial Competition, University of Texas, 2017
Professional & Civic
- State Bar of Texas
- Houston Bar Association
Publications & Speaking
Does Texas Prompt Payment Penalty Interest Keep Accruing After a Final Judgment?, Chambers Insurance Litigation Guide: Trends and Developments (2025) (co-authored) https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/insurance-litigation-2025/usa-texas/trends-and-developments
Insights
Outside the Office
My Favorite vacation spot
Hiking in the fjords near Bergen, Norway and relaxing at the beach in Barcelona, Spain.
Most satisfying professional accomplishment
Winning my first trial.
Quote I live by
“Throw me to the wolves, and I shall return as Leader of the Pack.”