Mike is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a Fellow in the National College of Advocacy of the American Association for Justice. Mike has obtained many multi-million dollar verdicts, judgments, and settlements.
Mike’s personal injury practice includes the representation of Jones Act and foreign seaman in disputes arising in U.S. waters and around the world. He also represents a number of U.K. residents injured in the U.S. on holiday, as well as working people from various countries who have been injured as a result of the actions of multinational companies.
Mike’s insurance bad faith practice includes the representation of workers’ compensation claimants who have had their claims delayed and denied by their insurers and adjusters. In addition, Mike has represented insureds and policy holders against domestic liability and excess insurers, and in transnational coverage disputes against U.K. and E.U. underwriters and company market insurers.
Biography
Mike obtained a B.A. in History at the University of Virginia and a J.D. from the University Of Texas School Of Law. Mike has also completed coursework in marine insurance, international law, and maritime law at the University of London, St. Mary’s College of Law. Mike first practiced at Vinson & Elkins in Houston, then at Cook, Doyle & Bradshaw and Doyle Raizner LLP, before forming Doyle Dennis Avery LLP. Mike was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1990.
ACTIVITIES
Mike also is an active leader in civic and community activities. He served as President of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association from 2007-2008, and he has been a member of the Board of Directors since 1999 and Chair of the Judicial Affairs Committee. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School from 2002 to 2004; President of the Strake Jesuit Alumni Association, 2002-2004; and 1998 Alumni Fund Drive Chairman. Mike also served as a member of the Houston Advisory Board of the AFL-CIO Community Fund, the labor community’s charity arm.
Selected Recent Publications, Presentations, and Honors
- “Critical Thinking and Building Your Case from the Ground Up”, Nonverbals, Anchoring and Framing, American Association for Justice, 2011 Winter Convention, Miami, Florida, February 8, 2011
- “Maritime Personal Injury”; Seaman’s Remedies, Defenses, and Procedural Issues, Houston, Texas, February 1, 2011
- Insurance Update and Bad Faith Litigation, Michael Doyle, Chris Martin, Harris County Judicial Education Conference, Houston, Texas, August 9, 2010
- Michael P. Doyle and Darryl Silvera, Directing, Crossing and Challenging Experts, State Bar of Texas Sixth Annual Advanced Workers’ Compensation Course 2009, Austin, Texas, August 13-14, 2009
- Michael P. Doyle, “The Current State of the US Legal Market”, Legal & Medical Conference 2009 (UK), Royal College of Medicine, London, April 2, 2009
- Michael P. Doyle, American Association for Justice (AAJ) Mid-Winter Convention, “Cross-Examination of Experts”, San Juan, PR, January 2008
- Michael P. Doyle, American Association for Justice (AAJ) Annual Convention, “Direct Examination”, Chicago, July 2007
- Faculty member & Speaker, Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now American Association for Justice (AAJ) National College on “Depositions”, Cleveland, October 2006; Atlanta 2008
- Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association, 2006 Annual Convention, “Champions of Justice”, Winning the Impossible Case”, Cody, June 2006
- TTLA Admiralty Update, Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA), Advanced Personal Injury Update, Houston, May 2006
- Faculty member & Speaker, Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA) National College on “Essentials of Civil Litigation”, Tuscaloosa, March 2006
- Sequencing, Point of View, and Other Ways to Make your Case from the Start, Kansas Trial Lawyer Association Annual Crown Center Meeting, December 2004
- Michael P. Doyle and Jeffrey L. Raizner, “Winning the Battle of the Atlantic,” Association of Personal Injury Lawyers Newsletter (UK), Vol. 13, Issue 3, June 2003
Areas of Practice
- Trial Practice
- Personal Injury
- Insurance Bad Faith Practice
Education
The University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
- J.D.
University of Virginia
- B.A. – Major: History
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1990
- Missouri, 2012
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Litigation Certified Legal Specialties
- Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Published Works
Past Employment Positions
Cook, Doyle & Bradshaw
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND RECOGNITION
- American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors and Executive Committee
- American Association for Justice
- Houston Trial Lawyers Association
- The Mexican American Bar Association of Houston
- Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (UK)
- Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, 2005-2012
- Best Lawyers in America, 2009
- Best Lawyer (Personal Injury Litigation), a Woodward White business, 2009-2011, 2013
- Best Lawyer (Transportation Law), a Woodward White business, 2010, 2011, 2013
- Best Lawyer (Admiralty & Maritime Law), a Woodward White busines, 2009, 2013
Classes/Seminars
- “Workers’ Compensation Bad Faith”, GOOD HANDS, GOOD NEIGHBORS AND BAD FAITH, Arizona Association for Justice/Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, Phoenix, Arizona, December 6, 2013
- “Critical Thinking and Building Your Case from the Ground Up”, Nonverbals, Anchoring and Framing, American Association for Justice, 2011 Winter Convention, Miami, Florida, February 8, 2011
- “Maritime Personal Injury”; Seaman’s Remedies, Defenses, and Procedural Issues, Houston, Texas, February 1, 2011
- Michael Patrick Doyle, faculty member and lecturer, Essentials of Civil Trial Law, “Openings, How to Make Your Case from the Beginning and Stay There”, “Direct Examination”, and “Cross-Examination of the DME”, Knoxville, Tennessee, October 2010, American Association for Justice (AAJ)
- Michael Patrick Doyle, faculty member, THE PERSUASIVE EDGE: The Art of Communication and Influence with Eric Oliver, AAJ Headquarters, Washington DC, October 2010, American Association for Justice (AAJ)
- Insurance Update and Bad Faith Litigation, Michael Doyle, Chris Martin, Harris County Judicial Education Conference, Houston, Texas, August 9, 2010
- “Papering your Damages”, Damages and Attorneys Fees Seminar, State Bar of Texas, February 18, 2010
- Michael P. Doyle and Darryl Silvera, Directing, Crossing and Challenging Experts, State Bar of Texas Sixth Annual Advanced Workers’ Compensation Course, Austin, Texas, August 13, 2009 – August 14, 2009
- Sequencing, Point of View, and Other Ways to Make your Case from the Start, Kansas Trial Lawyer Association Annual Crown Center Meeting, 2004
- Speaker, “Essentials of Civil Litigation”, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, National College
- “Essentials of Civil Litigation”, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, October 13, 2004 – October 17, 2004
- The Potential Costs When “Case Management” Crosses the Line: The Law on the Penalties and Pitfalls for Improper Handling of a Claim for Benefits by an Injured Worker, The Barnes Law Firm Workers Compensation Seminar, September 28, 2004
- The Potential Costs When Case Management Crosses the Line: The Law on the Penalties and Pitfalls for Improper Handling of a Claim for Benefits by an Injured Worker, Workers Comp Update 2003, July 24, 2003 – July 25, 2003
- The Medical Perspective, Claims Management, and Confidentiality Issues, Texas Workers Compensation Update 2002, June 4, 2002
- Current Frontiers in Maritime Fatal Injury Litigation: A Plaintiff Attorneys Perspective on Maximizing Your Clients Recovery by Your Choice of Available Legal Remedies, 9th Annual University of Texas School of Law Maritime Law Conference, September 22, 2000
Honors and Awards
- Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, 2005-2017
- Best Lawyer (Personal Injury Litigation), a Woodward White business, 2009-2011, 2013
- Best Lawyer (Transportation Law), a Woodward White business, 2010, 2011, 2013
- Best Lawyer (Admiralty & Maritime Law), a Woodward White business, 2009, 2013
- Martindale-Hubbell, 2017 AV Preeminent Attorney
- Highest Possible Rating in Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards
Awards/Qualifications
- Avvo
- Super Lawyers
- Best Lawyers in America (US News and World Report)
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- American Association for Justice
VICTORIES
$7.86 Million
Gillies V. Valaris PLC
On January 12, 2022, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP secured a $7.86 million verdict on behalf of Gordon Gillies, a drill ship operations adviser, who was injured while working on a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico.
$1.22 Million
Hamilton V. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company
$1.22 million (Attorneys’ Fees: $400,000; Litigation Expenses: $47,276.54; injury – operated lumbar spine injuries).
$2.16 MILLION
Pace V. Houston Helicopters, Inc.
$2.16 million (Attorneys Fees: $820,000; Expenses: $117,502.70; injury – lumbar injuries requiring surgery
$2.14 Million
Pike V. SeaRiver Maritime, Inc.
$2.56 million (Reduced on appeal to $2,141,716.75 – Attorneys Fees: $936,772.52; Expenses: $77,625.97
$1.75 Million
Roberts V. Rigdon Marine
$1.5 million, increased to $1,752,767.44 with interest (Attorneys Fees: $788,745.35; Expenses $49,603.52;
$1.6 Million
Darold Burch V. Westerngeco Resources
$1.6 million (Attorneys Fees: $472,500; Expenses $61,135.03; injury – cervical injuries requiring surgery
NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HOUSTON MARITIME LAWYERS
