Dawn Meade
Attorney at Law

I've been a business trial lawyer since 1991, and I love it. I work closely with my clients to provide their small companies with "in-house" type services: Drafting and negotiating contracts, complying with applicable regulations, organizing their business entity, drafting operating manuals, etc. As a litigator, I am value-added because I see issues that many attorneys simply don't consider. After all, they've never been in the trenches actually defending the contracts they've drafted. I work with my clients to resolve issues through prevention or negotiation. When litigation can't be avoided, I litigate the issues to a jury verdict. There is a cost-effective synergy to having a one-stop-shop for small businesses, and my firm provides that for them.

​I strive to "right" injustice. I'm not talking about structural injustice the likes of which you see in the news and about which you read in books. No one person can change that. I fight the injustice that befalls my clients when, as they go about their lives, they fall victim to the carelessness, thoughtlessness, or avarice of others. Sometimes, they suffer financial or bodily injury as the result of another's carelessness or negligence. Other times, they become targets of people they trust - family, friends, business partners, or even clients.

​I love this practice because it is about facts, fairness, and truth as well as prevention. I believe it's important for people to recognize that Plan A really is "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and that "Act now and ask forgiveness later" should almost always be Plan Z. My clients need me most when Plan "Z" was enacted as Plan "A."

I was born in Houston and grew up in Pearland, Texas, the oldest of four children, reared by a divorced mother who could double for a drill sergeant. I began working full-time at age 15, and have never stopped. I obtained my B.A. in Sociology from the University of Houston. I began my college education as a business major, for which degree I was required to take sociology courses. I loved the discipline, which is essentially the psychology of organizations and groups. I changed my major and believe that all human resources divisions in companies should require their employees to have Sociology degrees.

Upon my graduation from the University of Houston, I attended South Texas College of Law, the best advocacy law school in the United States. While at STCL, I was a member of the Board of Advocates and served on national moot court teams. My team carried on the STCL tradition by winning the National Starr Invitational Moot Court Competition in 1989. In 1990, I was inducted into the Order of the Barristers, a national honorary organization whose membership is limited to students and lawyers who demonstrate exceptional skill in trial advocacy, oral advocacy, and legal writing. I've always been honored to have been an advocate for such an austere program.
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For my entire career, I have represented individuals and small companies against "Goliaths" and fought some of the largest and best law firms in the world. Fighting against great lawyers is one of the best ways to keep your own skills on the cutting edge. My work has earned me an AV Preeminent Rating[1] from Martindale-Hubbell. The AV rating is so trusted because I can't buy it and my clients can't give it to me. The AV rating is awarded based upon the feedback provided to Martindale by judges before whom I work and by attorneys against whom I work. It is the gold standard in rating attorneys worldwide, and only 10% of the nation's practicing attorneys are rated AV.

I believe in civic duty and in performing mine, I serve on the Board of two public organizations: The Women's Center of Brazoria County and the Mary Jane Carvel Foundation for Abused and Unwanted Animals. The WCBC is a non-profit organization that provides services to victims of domestic abuse. We provide counseling, and economic assistance and operate two shelters for emergency lodging for women and their children. We formed and operate Brazoria County's Supervised Visitation Program which works in conjunction with the Family Court to provide a safe place for parents who have restricted parental rights so that they may maintain a relationship and bond with their children. The WCBC has grown and accomplished a great deal since its inception, and I am proud to have been a part of that for over 20 years. The MJCF is a public charity formed by Mary Jane Carvel to help care for abused and unwanted animals. When Mary Jane passed away, she left her estate to fund the charity. Our Board works in tandem with "boots on the ground" groups to help them in their efforts to protect, spay, neuter, and vaccinate animals before re-homing them with new families. Animal cruelty and neglect have become a crisis in our society, and I am likewise proud to have been asked to serve on this Board to further the cause of protecting these sweet beasts.