Dorothea “Dotty” L. Vidal

Biography

Dorothea Vidal is a shareholder at Geary, Porter & Donovan, P.C. and heads the firm's commercial litigation section. She has more than 30 years of experience in trial and arbitration, as well as with appeals, having handled almost every type business dispute, including those involving breach of contract, insurance coverage, product liability, shareholder derivative claims, minority shareholders, theft of trade secrets, real property, eminent domain, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, usury, and creditors’ rights. In addition, Ms. Vidal has handled numerous will contests.

Ms. Vidal has tried, arbitrated, or otherwise disposed of cases in both state and federal courts throughout Texas, as well as in state and federal courts in Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Tennessee. She has also litigated cases internationally.

Ms. Vidal has argued appeals before the Fifth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal, as well as before both the Dallas and Fort Worth Courts of Appeal.

Areas of Practice

Property Tax and Eminent Domain

Business Litigation

Bar Admissions

State Bar of Texas, 1982

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

Education

Baylor University School of Law. J.D. 1982

University of Texas at Arlington, B.B.A. (Honors) 1979

Awards & Honors

Martindale Hubbell AV PREEMINENT 5.0/5.0

1990-2016

McSwain - McCartney Scholarship

1980

AmJur Award in Property

1980

Order of Barristers

Advocacy Honor Society 1981

Richie Moot Court Society

1980

Phi Delta Phi

Secretary 1982

Baylor Law Review

Associate Editor 1982

Significant Cases

Selected cases include the following:

Reeder v. Curry, 426 S.W.3d 352 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2014, writ denied).

Nelson v. Webb, No. 10 12 00099 CV, 2013 Tex. App. LEXIS 6439 (App.—Waco May 23, 2013, orig. proceeding [mand. denied].

Int’l Padi, Inc. v. Diverlink, No. 03 56478, No. 03 56788, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 14234 (9th Cir. 2005).

In re: Calvary Hill Cemetery, No. 05 04 01034 CV (Tex. App.—Dallas Aug. 12, 2004, no pet.)(orig. proceeding)

Dallas Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Calvary Hill Cemetery, 318 F. Supp. 2d 429 (N.D. Tex. 2004).

Lewis v. Bank of Am., N.A., 347 F.3d 587 (5th Cir. 2003).

Art Midwest, Inc. v. Clapper, No. 3:99 CV 2355 R, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4581 (N.D. Tex. Mar. 20, 2002).

St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Reliance National Ins. and Trinity Industries, Inc., No. 05 98 00031 CV (Tex. App.—Dallas July 28,

2000, no pet.).

Stearns Airport Equip. Co. v. Mannesmann Dematic Rapistan Corp., No. 3:98 CV 2713 L, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6947, (N.D. Tex.

April 30, 1999).

Dinger v. Hornbeck Offshore Servs., 968 F. Supp. 1185 (S.D. Tex. 1997).

FDIC v. Patel, 46 F.3d 482 (5th Cir. Tex. 1995).

Ortega Carter v. American Int’l Adjustment Co., 834 S.W.2d 439 (Tex. App.— Dallas 1992, writ denied).

Stricklin v. Levine, 750 S.W.2d 814 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1988, writ dism’d).

Holloway v. Walker, 811 F.2d 263 (5th Cir. 1987).

Professional Associations and Memberships

Dallas Bar Association

American Bar Association

Silver Underwriter for the General Counsel Forum

Litigation Section of the State Bar of Texas

Dallas Association of Women Lawyers