Professional Biography

With over 25 years’ litigation and trial experience, Melinda R. Burke brings seasoned judgment and finely tuned trials skills to complex cases.  Ms. Burke dedicates keen focus and energy to creating the winning strategy unique to each case.  Her practice includes aggressive defense of bad faith institutional litigation, including vigorous mass litigation arising out of hurricanes, floods, regulatory issues, commercial, homeowners, and auto policies.  She has defended class actions and serious personal injury cases, preparing  hundreds of management, corporate representatives and fact witnesses for depositions and trial as well as preparing numerous engineers, economists, mental health professionals, accountants, attorneys, insurance experts, class action experts, agency experts and net worth experts for deposition and trial. Ms. Burke has comprehensive knowledge and experience with e-discovery issues and is skilled in electronic presentation of evidence and demonstratives.

Ms. Burke is admitted to the Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas.  She is licensed in Texas, having graduated from Baylor University School of Law.  Ms. Burke is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Counsel on Litigation Management and Texas Association of Defense Council.  She has been a presenter at many seminars during past 25 years.

Representative Trials 

• Karen Davies, et al. v. Texas Motor Speedway, 348th Judicial District of Tarrant County (paralysis and brain injury)
• Eric Paulsen v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, USDC for the Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans Division (institutional bad faith allegations/Hurricane Katrina)
• Ralph and Janice Choate v. State Farm Lloyds, US District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division (institutional bad faith and punitive damage allegations/mold)
• Cassie Allbaugh, et al. v. First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, 96th Judicial District of Tarrant County 

Admissions & Certifications

State Bar of Texas (1985)
U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern, Southern Districts of Texas

Education & Background

Baylor University School of Law (J.D., 1985)
Texas Wesleyan University (B.A., 1982, summa cum laude)
Joined Shannon Gracey (1985; Partner since 1991)
Head of Litigation, Shannon Gracey
Elected to Firm's Executive Committee for past 15 years

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

Honors & Recognitions

Martindale-Hubbell® AV® PreeminentTM (5.0)
2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law, Martindale-Hubbell and American Lawyer Media
Power Attorney, Fort Worth Business Press (2011)
Best Lawyers in America® (2010 - 2013)
Texas  Super Lawyer, Texas Monthly Magazine (2005 - 2007)