About Jennifer
EXPERIENCE
Jennifer Lee began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Tom Green County where she gained a vast amount of valuable trial experience handling felony criminal and civil matters. This experience provided a solid base upon which she grew her litigation skills.
Ms. Lee uses that experience, as well as her experience in the civil arena of over fifteen years, to represent and vigorously defend companies and individuals related to matters that include criminal components. Specifically, Ms. Lee defends hotels and other companies in human trafficking litigation under Chapter 98 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, as well as the federal human trafficking statutes and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (“TVPA”). Additionally, Ms. Lee has defended schools, hotels, and other companies related to civil claims involving allegations of improper sexual relationships, sexual assaults, deaths, driving while intoxicated, and other civil claims involving claims that a criminal statute was violated.
In addition to her experience with these types of cases, Ms. Lee has successfully defended many trucking and construction fatality matters. Recently, Ms. Lee tried a serious trucking injury case in federal court to a defense verdict. Additionally, Ms. Lee has successfully arbitrated cases involving alleged construction defects.
Ms. Lee frequently speaks for the State Bar of Texas to assist her peers with continuing legal education over a multitude of topics.
While in law school, Ms. Lee was a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s mock trial team, the Texas Young Lawyers’ Association’s mock trial team, the William Daniel mock trial team, and the American Bar Association Negotiations Team. Ms. Lee was also invited into the National Order of Barristers by nomination from her law school faculty based on her litigation skills. Additionally, Ms. Lee was the Vice-President of the Student Bar Association and was a member of the Board of Barristers. While in undergraduate school, Ms. Lee was the External Vice President of the Texas Tech University student body, and a member of both the Mortar Board Honor Society and the National Honor Society.
A strong advocate of community service, Ms. Lee has served as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Tom Green County, on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Tom Green County, and as both the secretary and member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyer’s Board of Directors. Ms. Lee also served as co-chair of the DAYL Generation Generosity Committee. Ms. Lee was an associate in the Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court for the 2013-2014 term. Further, Ms. Lee teaches Sunday School at St. John’s Episcopal Church, and is currently serving as the Senior Warden for the Church’s Vestry.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Matt Kintz, et al v Lutheran Secondary Association of Dallas, Inc. (Dallas, Dallas County, Texas) Fee Smith Senior Partners William Toles and Jennifer Lee Achieved a Unanimous Verdict in a Teacher Student Sexual Relationship Case in Dallas County (Texas). The two-week trial involved four (4) Plaintiffs who alleged claims including negligence, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and gross negligence against Dallas Lutheran stemming from an inappropriate relationship between a Dallas Lutheran teacher and a student. Plaintiffs made multi-million dollar demand and refused to negotiate in response to Defendant’s last pre-trial offer of $500,000. The jury only awarded two (2) of the Plaintiffs damages which included $25,000 to one and $60,000 to another. Dallas Lutheran was only held to be 20% and 10% responsible to these Plaintiffs, respectively. Thus, the total award against Dallas Lutheran was $11,000, in a case which was highly publicized in the media by the Plaintiffs.
- Anne Dropp and Amy Slabaugh v. 2RJP Ventures. Represented the Defendant in a four day civil jury trial resulting from the generator-related death of two individuals due to carbon monoxide toxicity. Verdict of $1.39mm. Plaintiffs made a $10mm demand prior to trial. (2019; Denton, Denton County, Texas.)
- Tim Siegel and Jennifer Siegel a/n/f of L.S., a minor child v. Yamaha Golf-Car Company, and Charles Dannheim. Represented a Defendant in a three and a half week jury trial in which a minor plaintiff sustained a traumatic brain injury and was rendered a quadriplegic as a result of a modified golf cart rollover. (2019; Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.)
- Janine Jones, Individually and a/n/f of Shelby and Nathan Woods v. Allegiance Health Management, Inc., et al. U.S. District Court Eastern District – Marshall
- Wang et. al. vs. MHI Partnership, L&S Plumbing and Alfredo Trejo – lead arbitration counsel obtaining a defense verdict on behalf of Alfredo Trejo in a case involving an alleged defective plumbing pipe installed by my client. The arbitrator found no liability on my client.
- September Lee Fuller v. Werner Enterprises, Inc., U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas – Dallas. No negligence finding for Defendants in accident alleged to require knee surgery.
AUTHORED ARTICLES & SEMINARS
- 2018: Advanced Personal Injury Texas Bar CLE Course Director – Dallas
- 2018: “Building Your File – Defense” and “Post Negotiation Actions – Defense” Handling Your First or Next Negotiation in a Personal Injury Case Texas Bar CLE (oral & written presentation)
- 2017: “Dram Shop” Advanced Personal Injury Texas Bar CLE (oral & written presentation)
- 2015: Premises Liability” Advanced Personal Injury Texas Bar CLE (oral & written presentation)
- 2015: “Mediation, Post-Twitter: A Panel Discussion with the Next Generation of Dallas Trial Partner,” Dallas Bar Association, ADR Section (panel discussion).
- 2015: “Texas Association of Responsible Nonsubscribers (TXANS) Case Law Review,” TXANS 25th Annual Conference and Exhibition “Approaching and Litigating a Traumatic Brain Injury Case.” The Dicta, Sept. 2014. Vol. 31, No. 9.
- 2014: “Approaching and Litigating a Traumatic Brain Injury Case,” San Antonio Claims Associations (oral presentation).
- 2019: “When a Criminal Case Becomes a Civil Case” Advanced Personal Injury Texas Bar CLE (oral & written presentation).
- 2019: “Developments in Proving up Medical Expenses” Damages Texas Bar CLE (oral & written presentation with Spencer Browne and the Hon. Karin Crump, 250 District Court, Travis County.
- 2019: “Chapter 18.001 Affidavits, Post HB 1693: What Changed and What Remains the Same” UT School of Law CLE – Car Crash Seminar (oral & written presentation)
- 2020: “Hot Topics in Personal Injury Litigation”, Advanced Personal Injury Law Texas Bar CLE Faculty
- 2023: Prosecuting and Defending Truck and Auto Collision Cases, Texas Bar CLE Course Director – Houston
HONORS
- Selected to Texas “Super Lawyers – Rising Star” 2012
- D Magazine – 2018 Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas
- D Magazine – 2019, 2020 Best Lawyers in Dallas
- D Magazine – 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023