John Michael Frick

John Michael Frick

Experienced North Texas Civil Trial and Appellate Attorney
  • Business Law, Appeals & Appellate, Construction Law ...
  • Texas
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Biography

John has been representing businesses and business people in the North Texas area for more than thirty years. He has tried numerous cases at various levels of the judicial system, including federal district court and state district court. He has presented appeals to the Supreme Court of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and ten of the fourteen intermediate courts of appeal in Texas. He has arbitrated cases before the American Arbitration Association and JAMS, Inc. In addition to his trial practice, John is a trained mediator and summary jury trial judge. As a result of displaying a high degree of skill, competence, and professionalism, he has earned an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

John received his law degree from SMU School of Law in 1988, where he served as an Associate Editor for the Southwestern Law Journal. While still in law school, he successfully presented an appeal to the Supreme Court of Texas through the school’s civil clinic program, resulting in a published opinion reversing the lower court. He also completed his first jury trial through the school’s clinic program.

After graduating from law school, John served a judicial clerkship as briefing attorney for the Honorable Gordon H. Rowe, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas. There, John had the pleasure of working with future Supreme Court of Texas Justices Nathan Hecht, Craig Enoch, and James Baker.

As a seasoned trial lawyer, John continues to maintain a high level of practice. He has represented clients in cases reported in the Wall Street Journal and Dallas Morning News, as well as ones featured on local news broadcasts and the national news program, Nightline. His civil trial practice includes representation in both state and federal court and encompasses a wide range of areas.

Practice Areas
Business Law
Business Litigation, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
Appeals & Appellate
Civil Appeals, Federal Appeals
Construction Law
Construction Defects, Construction Litigation
Employment Law
Arbitration & Mediation
Business - Arbitration/Mediation, Family - Arbitration/Mediation
Personal Injury
Construction Accidents, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
Divorce
Additional Practice Areas
  • Civil Litigation
  • Contract Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Real Estate Litigation
  • Professional Liability
  • Trade Secrets & Misuse of Confidential & Proprietary Information Litigation
  • Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation, & Non-Disclosure Litigation
  • Insurance Coverage Litigation
  • PEOs & Staff Leasing
Fees
  • Credit Cards Accepted
    Visa & Mastercard Only
  • Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
    Provides 90-minute initial consultation for a flat fee of $500. Does not typically work on a contingency fee. Usually requires a retainer.
Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
Texas
State Bar of Texas
ID Number: 07455200
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5th Circuit
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Languages
  • English
Professional Experience
Partner
Reid, Dennis & Frick, PC
- Current
Member
Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC
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Partner
Bennett, Weston LaJone & Turner, P.C.
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Senior Attorney
Reid & Dennis, PC
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Solo Practitioner
Law Offices of John M. Frick
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Partner
Mills, Presby & Associates, L.L.P.
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Associate
Godwin & Carlton, P.C.
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Briefing Attorney
Court of Appeals, Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
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Education
SMU Dedman School of Law
Doctor of Jurisprudence/Juris Doctor (J.D.)
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Southern Methodist University
B.S. (1985) | Political Science
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Honors: Summa Cum Laude
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Southern Methodist University
B.A. (1985) | Psychology
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Honors: Summa Cum Laude
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Awards
AV-Preeminent
Martindale-Hubbell
For over 100 years, the Bar Register has been a unique guide to the legal community's most eminent professionals. It includes only those select law practices that have earned the highest rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and have been designated by their colleagues as preeminent in their field. The 2022 Bar Register contains over 14,000 member listings out of more than 1.3 million attorneys in the United States.
Professional Associations
Texas State Bar  # 07455200
Member
- Current
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Certifications
Board-Certified, Civil Trial Law
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Websites & Blogs
Website
Reid, Dennis & Frick, PC
Legal Answers
2393 Questions Answered
Q. I need to know how to stop a writ of possession that hasn't been served
A: A writ of possession may be stayed by timely appealing the case to the county court or by filing a supersedeas bond within ten days from the date of judgment in the county court.

Once a judgment for eviction has been granted, even filing bankruptcy will not stop a writ of possession from being executed.
Q. I just got served in a civil action lawsuit against a company I'm an independent contractor for, and have no ownership
A: If you are named as a party in the lawsuit, you have less than three weeks from when you were served to hire an attorney to file an answer on your behalf to the lawsuit. (In Texas state court, your answer must be filed no later than the first Monday following the expiration of twenty days from the date you were served).

If the lawsuit is only against the company--and not against you individually--but erroneously names you as an owner and officer of the company for purposes of service of process, send the lawsuit papers to your contact Fresh Central Trading LLC and to Mr. Garcia with a note indicating when the papers were served upon you.

It is possible that the plaintiff-company and its attorney do not understand you are just an independent contractor and mistakenly believe you are an owner and officer. It is also possible that Mr. Garcia and/or other people within Fresh Central Trading LLC erroneously told the plaintiff-company you are an owner and officer, or said or did something to foster the mistaken belief.

If an attorney does not timely file an answer on your behalf, the allegations in the petition that you are an owner and officer of Fresh Central Trading LLC will be taken as true if the plaintiff-company moves for a default judgment against you.
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Q. We are sued in MO I need a general denial form and form to change jurisdiction to Texas our company is in TX,
A: A company can only appear in legal proceedings through a licensed attorney. You don't need a form; your company needs a Missouri attorney to represent it in the lawsuit filed against it in Missouri. Even if you were to present a form, unless you are a licensed Missouri attorney, it likely would be ineffective to protect your company and preserve its rights.

While a mandatory forum selection clause is often enforced, there are a variety of possible defenses that can be raised to enforcement. With respect to consumer contracts in particular, many states have specific rules as to both content and as to conspicuousness. For example, some require the clause to be in ALL CAPS and at least 12- or 14- point font and on the same page as the consumer's signature.

There are also constitutional defenses to a forum selection clause. Parties usually can choose one particular state as the forum for a resolution of a dispute among two or more states with personal jurisdiction over the parties. A state can exercise personal jurisdiction over a party only if that party has "minimum contacts" which demonstrate that that party has "purposefully availed" itself of the laws of that state such that the exercise of personal jurisdiction over that party does not "offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice."

Because your company is a Texas company, your company almost certainly satisfies this constitutional requirement and can be sued in Texas. But the party suing you might have no such contacts with the State of Texas. Some courts would therefore find that the forum selection clause is invalid. Others, however, would find it valid as to any lawsuit brought against your company, but potentially not valid if your company were to bring a lawsuit against the other party that has no contacts with Texas.

Depending upon the amount of the claim, an attorney might instead advise you to remove the case to federal court and then transfer venue to the federal district where your company is located. States cannot transfer cases from one state's court to another state. Federal districts do this all the time. Getting a dismissal in Missouri based on a forum selection clause may be more difficult than removing the case and getting it transferred depending on the facts and circumstances of your case.

Be aware that it is often very easy to waive a forum selection clause by not invoking it in a timely manner or by taking any action in the Missouri court inconsistent with claiming your company's right to enforce it--for example, by asking the Missouri court for any affirmative relief on behalf of your company other than a dismissal of the lawsuit.
... Read More
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Contact & Map
Reid, Dennis & Frick, PC
2600 Dallas Parkway, Suite 380
Frisco, TX 75034
Telephone: (214) 618-1400
Monday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM (Today)
Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Notice: Located in Collin County, just north of the intersection of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and the Dallas North Tollway, near Dr Pepper Ballpark
Reid, Dennis & Frick, PC
2626 Cole Avenue, Suite 300
Dallas, TX 75204
Telephone: (972) 991-2626