Lauren Harris is a seasoned civil appellate lawyer and serves as the head of the firm's appellate practice. With almost twenty years experience as lead counsel in state and federal appellate courts, she prepares briefs and presents oral argument in appeals from judgments, interlocutory appeals, and in original proceedings. Ms. Harris has handled hundreds of appeals in a wide variety of areas including commercial litigation, products liability, labor and employment, professional liability, construction litigation, and toxic tort. She is frequently retained to assist clients with preservation of error strategies at the trial court level, including the preparation of dispositive motions, jury charges, post-verdict and post-judgment motions and assistance in trial.

Ms. Harris is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She is the past chair of the Houston Bar Association Appellate Practice Section. She has also served as chair of the International Association of Defense Counsel Appellate Practice Committee, and the Amicus Curiae Committee. Ms. Harris also recently completed a three-year term on the State Bar of Texas' Appellate Section Council, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the College of the State Bar of Texas.

Ms. Harris has been selected as a "Texas Super Lawyer" in appellate law in surveys conducted by Texas Monthly and has also been recognized as one of Houston's Top Lawyers in the area of appellate law by H Texas Magazine. She was also recognized by BTI Consulting Group as one of 78 lawyers across the country nominated by corporate counsel as a "Client Service All-Star" for providing superior client service.

Representative Experience

• Successfully represented client in appeal to the Texas Supreme Court involving whether worker for temporary agency who was injured on premises of client company was "covered by workers' compensation insurance" for purposes of the exclusive remedy provision in the Workers' Compensation Act.
• Successfully obtained reversal in the U.S. Supreme Court of the trial court's dismissal of a client's lawsuit based on service requirements under the Suits in Admiralty Act where the provisions of the Act had been superseded by Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
• Successfully represented hospitals in appeals from the denial of motions to dismiss the plaintiffs' health care liability claims for failure to timely serve expert reports.
• Successfully represented client in appeal of case involving issue of first impression as to whether a health care provider could be liable for administering necessary life-sustaining medical care to a newborn infant contrary to the parents' instructions.
• Successfully defended health care provider in case involving whether hospital employee could recover for reaction to medication obtained from hospital pharmacy, or whether reaction to medication was extension of work-related injury, making recovery under the Workers' Compensation Act employee's exclusive remedy.
• Successfully represented health care facility in mandamus action involving the application of the hospital committee and peer review committee privileges.
• Successfully defended hospital in appeal from directed verdict on direct corporate liability claims for injuries patient sustained during cervical laminectomy.
• Successfully defended on appeal a summary judgment in favor of mental health facility by former patient asserting claims for false imprisonment.
• Successfully represented claimants obtaining multi-million dollar judgment for property damage suffered as a result of natural gas pipeline explosion in appeal by pipeline companies.
• Successfully represented Commission for Lawyer Discipline of the State Bar of Texas in appeal by attorney disciplined for making a false statement to the court.
• Successfully represented hospital in appeal involving issue of whether hospital could be liable under ostensible agency theory for injuries minor child suffered during birth.
• Successfully defended legal malpractice claims asserted by condominium association against law firm on appeal based on law firm's alleged failure to sue surety on performance bond.
• Successfully defended a Fortune 100 energy company in appeal involving whether company owed contractor's injured employee a duty to warn of the dangers of hydrogen sulfide gas.
• Successfully defended summary judgment for contractor of a major high rise in appeal by condominium association to recover for alleged construction defects.
• Successfully defended medical malpractice claims in appeal against physician who performed radial keratotomy allegedly injuring patient.

Professional / Civic Affiliations

• International Association of Defense Counsel (1996-): Chair, Appellate Practice Committee (2001-2003); Chair, Amicus Curiae Committee (2004-)
• State Bar of Texas: Council, Appellate Section (2006-2009); Commission for Lawyer Discipline, Special Assistant Disciplinary Counsel (1998-1999); Board of Directors, College of the State Bar of Texas (2004-)
• Houston Bar Association (1991-): Appellate Practice Section (1994-), Chair (2006-2007)
• American Bar Association (1998-); Council of Appellate Lawyers (2001-); Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Appellate Practice Committee (1999-2001)
• Defense Research Institute (2000-)
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel (1993-)
• Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit (1996-)
• Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists (1997-)
• Texas Bar Foundation (Sustaining Life Fellow 1996-); District 4 Nominating Committee (1997-2000)
• Houston Bar Foundation (Life Fellow 1996-)
• Houston Young Lawyers Foundation (Life Fellow 2000-)
• Phi Delta Phi Honorary Legal Fraternity (1998-)
• Baylor Law Review Association (Life Member)
• Board Member, Junior League of Houston, Inc. (2000-2001)

News

• Lauren Beck Harris Joins Porter & Hedges' Litigation Appellate Group (8/24/2009)

Publications

• Default Judgments, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, Boot Camp, Austin, Texas (2006)
• Texas Supreme Court Update, Harris County Judicial Conference, Austin, Texas (2005)
• House Bill 4 and Other New Statutes - A Year Later, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Civil Trial Course, Dallas, Texas (2004)
• Recent Class Action Developments, State Bar of Texas, Advanced Civil Appellate Practice Course, Austin, Texas (2002)
• Using an Appellate Lawyer at Trial, International Association of Defense Counsel, Mid-year Meeting, Tucson, Arizona (2002)
• Drafting an Effective Statement of Facts, Practicing Before the First and Fourteenth Courts of Appeal, Houston Bar Association Continuing Legal Education (2001)
• Appellate Ethics, University of Texas School of Law, 10th Annual Conference on State and Federal Appeals, Austin, Texas (2000)