Professional Biography

Mike M. Tabor has more than 35 years experience as a trial and appellate lawyer, handling litigation for business, commercial and governmental clients and concentrates his alternative dispute resolution practice on arbitrations.  Mr. Tabor’s experience includes appraisal, banking, commercial leasing and sales, computer systems, construction, crop insurance, dealerships, employment disputes, export-import transactions and finance, fiduciary duties and disputes, financial transactions, foreign sovereign immunity, franchising, government contracts, health and pharmaceutical provider/insurance disputes, insurance agency benefit and coverage disputes, intellectual property, international law, lending, licensing, manufacturing and design, oil and gas, oilfield operation services and equipment, partnership disputes, product distribution and liability, real estate brokerage/transactions/management services, sales of businesses, sales representative agreements, surety bonds, telecommunications, trade secrets and warranties.  He has tried to a final verdict and/or adjudication more than 80 contested court and arbitration cases, has more than 30 reported appellate cases, more than 25 years experience as an arbitration advocate and more than 10 years experience as an arbitrator.  Mr. Tabor regularly chairs three arbitrator panels in multi-party and complex cases and frequently serves as the sole arbitrator in business and commercial matters ranging from small business disputes to multi-million dollar claims. 

Mr. Tabor is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law and Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He is admitted to practice before the U. S. District Court for the Northern and Southern District of Texas and the U. S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.  Mr. Tabor is licensed in Texas, having graduated from Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law.  He is an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association, a member of the American Bar Association’s International Law and Litigation Sections, the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association.  

Admissions & Certifications

Board Certified, Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Board Certified, Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
State Bar of Texas (1969)
U. S. District Court, Northern and Southern District of Texas (1970)
U. S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit (1972)

Education

Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law (J.D., 1969)
Southern Methodist University (B.B.A., 1966)

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

American Arbitration Association, Arbitrator
American Bar Association, Intellectual Property and Litigation Sections
North Texas Chapter of the Texas Association of Assessing Officers
Dallas Bar Association, (Director, 1974)
State Bar of Texas, Past Chair Pattern Jury Charges Committee (Member, 1982-94), Taxation Section,  member of the Ad Valorem Tax Committee
Texas Association of Defense Counsel (Vice President, 1992)
Dallas Association of Defense Counsel (Chairman, 1994)
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (President, 1974)
Texas Association of Young Lawyers (Director, 1973-75), Consumer Affairs Committee, Chairman (published “A Guide to New Texas Consumer Laws,” 1974)

Honors & Recognition

Martindale-Hubbell® AV® PreeminentTM (5.0)
American Jurisprudence Award – Federal Courts, SMU Dedman School of Law (1969)
Bureau of National Affairs Awards, SMU Dedman School of Law (1969)

Alternative Dispute Resolution Training

Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards, Dallas, 2/04
Commercial Arbitrator Training, Dallas, 12/99
Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas School of Law, Negotiation of Complex Disputes in the Public Arena, 3/95.

Representative Arbitrations

• Chaired a three-arbitrator panel in a 31-day hearing involving the marketing of telecommunications systems and equipment to agencies of the federal government under General Services Administration contracts.
• Served on a three-arbitrator panel in a 9-day hearing of a dispute over the ownership of intellectual property developed in the design and manufacturing of restaurant kitchen equipment for the fast food industry.
• Chaired a three-arbitrator panel in an 8-day hearing concerning warranties, representations and fraud in connection with a purchase agreement for the stock of a national defense contractor.
• Conducted a one-week hearing of the claims of multiple automobile dealers against a computer service provider.
• Conducted a one-week hearing involving a dispute seeking forfeiture of a note and deed of trust under the Texas Constitution concerning a home equity loan.
• Conducted a one-week hearing in a dispute over the net underwriting profit share between the parties to a General Agency Agreement concerning multi-peril crop insurance and crop hail insurance.

Reported Cases

• In Re:  Blue Cactus Post, 229 B.R. 379 (N.D. Tex. 1999) (11th Amendment immunity)
• Callejo v. Bancomer, S.A., 764 F.2d 1101 (5th Cir. 1985) (Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act)
• In Re:  Crestmex Corporation, 223 B.R. 681 (S.D. Tex. 1998) (necessary parties)
• Dalho Corp. v. Casseb, 747 S.W.2d 512 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1998, orig. proceeding) (jurisdiction of Courts) 
• Dalho Corp. v. Tribble & Stephens, 762 S.W.2d 733 (Tex. App.—San Antonio, 1988, no writ) (appeal and error)
• Dallas Central Appraisal District v. Funds Recovery, 887 S.W.2d 465 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1994, orig. proceeding) (jurisdiction of Courts) Dallas Central Appraisal District v. GTE Directories, 905 S.W.2d 318 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1995, writ ref’d) (statutory construction)
• Dallas Central Appraisal District v. Las Colinas Corp., 835 S.W.2d 75 (Tex. 1992) (open space appraisal).
• Dallas Central Appraisal District v. Las Colinas Corp., 814 S.W.2d 816 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1991, rev. 835 S.W.2d 75)
• Dallas Central Appraisal District v. Wang, 82 S.W.3rd 697 (Tex. Civ. App.—Dallas 2002, pet.den.) (constitutional law)
• Dyna Span Corp. v. Hoffman, 754 S.W.2d 341 (Tex. Civ. App.—Dallas 1988, orig. proceeding) (discovery)
• Electronic Data Services Corp. v. Sigma Systems Corp., 500 F.2d 241 (5th Cir. 1974), cert. denied, 95 S. Ct. 657; 418 U. S. 1070 (patent/antitrust issues)
• Filmstrips & Slides v. Dallas Central Appraisal District, 806 S.W.2d 289 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1991, no writ) (constitutional law)
• Laurel Land v. Dallas Central Appraisal District, 911 S.W.2d 783 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1995, writ ref’d) (statutory construction)
• McKean v. Thompson, 555 S.W.2d 136 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1977, no writ) (joint ventures)
• Metromedia Fiber Network v. Various State and Local Tax Authorities, 299 B.R. 251 (S.D.N.Y. 2003) (abstention and 11th Amendment immunity)
• Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Haney, 987 S.W.2d 236 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th] 1999, writ denied) (employment and consumer law)
• John H. Pelt Co. v. American Casualty, 513 S.W.2d 128 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1974, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (limitations)
• Plains Builders, Inc. v. Pride Transport, 554 S.W.2d 59 (Tex. App.—Eastland 1977, no writ) (corporations)
• Safeway Stores, Inc. v. CertainTeed Corp., 710 S.W.2d 544(Tex. 1986) (express and implied warranties)
• Safeway Stores, Inc. v. CertainTeed Corp., 687 S.W.2d 22 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1985) rev’d 710 S.W.2d 544 (Tex. 1986)
• Safeway Stores, Inc. v. McKasson, 726 S.W.2d 173 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1987, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (statutory construction)
  Signal Peak Enterprises v. Bettina Investments 138 S.W.2d 915 Tex App--- Dallas 2004, pet. struck) (damages)
• Stewart v. American Industrial Linings, Inc., 640 S.W.2d 654 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1982, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (homesteads)
• Stricklin v. Levine, 750 S.W.2d 814 (Tex. App. – Dallas 1988, no writ) (real estate foreclosure)
• Titanium Metals Corp. v. Dallas Central Appraisal District, 3 S.W.3d 63 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1999, no writ) (ad valorem tax rolls)
• U. S. Postal Service v. Dallas Central Appraisal District, 857 S.W.2d 892 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1993), opinion and judgment of the Court of Appeals vacated and judgment of the trial court reinstated, 866 S.W.2d 209 (Tex. 1993) (ad valorem tax exemptions)
• Windmill Dinner Theatre of Dallas v. Hagler, 582 S.W.2d 585 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1979, no writ) (mechanic’s liens)

Publications & Presentations

• "Litigation Basics for the Transitional Attorney," Association of Corporate Council, 2006
• Pattern Jury Charges Volume for “Malpractice, Premises and Products” cases; co-author
• "Business, Consumer, Insurance and Employment Cases," Texas Pattern Jury Charges,” Chairman and co-author, State Bar of Texas, 1990, supplements 1992, 1993
• "Current Issues Under the Federal Rules of Evidence," American Bar Association Litigation Section, 1989 
• “Jury Instructions Using Pattern Jury Charges,” 11th Annual State Bar Construction Law Conference, 1998.
• “How to Use the Pattern Jury Charges,” Texas Association of Defense Counsel Rookie Seminar, 1993.
• “Jury Charges in Commercial and Consumer Cases,” Texas Association of Defense Counsel Fall Seminar, 1993, State Bar Institute on Jury Charges under Amended Rule 277, 1989, and St. Mary’s Tenth Annual Procedure Institute, 1988.
• “Current Issues under the Federal Rules of Evidence,” ABA Litigation Section Trial Practice Committee Mid-Year Meeting, 1989.
• “Drafting a Jury Charge without a Pattern – DTPA Cases,” Dallas Association of Defense Counsel Seminar, 1986.
• “The Process of Constructing Broad Issue Charges without a Pattern – Business Litigation,” State Bar Jury Issue Institute, 1985.
• “Collecting Claims and Judgments,” DAYL Workshop on Debtor/Creditor Relations, 1978.
• “Damages:  Lost Profits and the Rule of Certainty,” Trial Lawyers Forum, 1974.