JOE LOVELL

Joe Lovell is an experienced trial lawyer and one of the founding partners of Make Right Law. He focuses his practice on complex civil litigation, including catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, fire damage claims, and a wide variety of civil and business claims. He is licensed to practice law in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. A second-generation trial lawyer, he began his legal career in Amarillo, Texas in 1987 after working in commercial banking. He was a founding partner of Lovell, Lovell, Newsome & Isern, L.L.P. which was succeeded by Lovell, Lovell, Isern & Farabough, L.L.P. With over 35 years of trial experience, Joe is one of a very small number of Texas lawyers who are double Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In addition to his trial experience, Joe has also had an extensive civil appellate practice, with many published opinions from state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Joe graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, magna cum laude, in 1980. After working four years as a commercial banker, he returned to school, and earned his law degree from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1987, cum laude. During law school, Joe earned numerous accolades, including representing his law school on two intercollegiate mock trial competition teams, one of which was regional tournament champion and national tournament quarterfinalist. Joe was also a three-time champion of intra-school advanced mock trial competitions, served as Associate Editor of the Texas Tech Law Review, selected to the invitation-only Order of Barristers and the Order of the Coif, and earned several other awards for writing, advocacy, and academic excellence.

Joe loves to try cases. About his work, his peers respect his tenacity and his ethics, saying, “Joe always provides his clients with outstanding representation,” and “he is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community.” He has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers every year since 2006 and earned a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating. Texas Watch honored him as a “Champion of Justice” from 2005-2006. His professional affiliations include membership in the State Bar of Texas, American Board of Trial Advocates, Amarillo Area Bar Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association, American Association of Justice, and the Panhandle Trial Lawyers Association.

Outside of work, Joe is a devoted family man who is married and has two sons. He is committed to the Amarillo area community and proudly supports a variety of local causes, including serving on the boards of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch and the Armstrong County Museum and Goodnight Historical Center.

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Education

Texas Tech University School of Law, Juris Doctorate, Cum Laude – 1987

• National Mock Trial Team, Regional Champion, National Quarter Finalist – 1987
• Association of Trial Lawyers of America Mock Trial Team – 1986
• Three-time Champion, Intra-School Advance Mock Trial Competiton – 1985-87
• Texas Tech Law Review, Associate Editor – 1985-87
• Order of Barristers – 1987
• Order of the Coif – 1987
• Multiple awards for legal writing and academic excellence, including an award for law review article

Texas Tech University, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, Magna Cum Laude – 1980

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Bar and Court Admissions

Texas – 1987
Colorado – 2016
New Mexico – 2018
U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico
U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota
The Board of U.S. Immigration Appeals

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Professional Awards

Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating

Texas Super Lawyers, General Litigation and Personal Injury – 2006-2024

Texas Watch Champion of Justice – 2005-2006

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Speaking Engagements

A Practical Guide to Fee Shifting for Texas Lawyers, Texas Trial Lawyers Association Midyear Conference – 2017

Texas A&M AgriLife Western Anadarko Energy Conference – 2015-16, 2018

The Thomas Jefferson Hour radio program and podcast (guest host for two episodes) – 2016

Theodore Roosevelt Symposium, Bismarck State College, Prosecutor – 2015

The Hemphill County Mini Ag Conference – 2015

Paid or Incurred Medical Expense Recoveries, State Bar of Texas 23rd Annual Advanced Personal Injury Law Course – 2007

Proving Gross Negligence/Malice, Texas Trial Lawyers Association Annual Meeting – 2005

Litigating Cessations of Production Lease Termination, Back to the Basics, State Bar of Texas 18th Annual Advanced Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Course – 2000

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Professional Associations

TEX-ABOTA, Inc., Texas Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates

• Amarillo Chapter Past President – 2020
• Amarillo Chapter Treasurer – 2018

American Board of Trial Advocates Associate Member

Texas Trial Lawyers Association

• Amicus Committee
• Former Member of Board of Directors
• Former CLE Committee Member
• Former Nominating Committee Member
• Former Membership Committee Member

Panhandle Trial Lawyers Association Past President

South Plains Trial Lawyers Association Member

American Association of Justice Member

State Bar of Texas Member

Amarillo Area Bar Association Member

State Bar of New Mexico Member

New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association Member

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Community Involvement

Los Barrios de Amarillo

Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch Board of Directors

Armstrong County Museum and Goodnight Historical Center Board of Directors

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Appellate Opinions
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Personal Injury

Gore v. Faye, 253 S.W.3d 785 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2008, no pet.).

Diamond Shamrock Refining Co. v. Hall, 168 S.W.3d 164 (Tex. 2005).

Hall v. Diamond Shamrock Refining Co., 82 S.W.3d 5 (Tex. App.–San Antonio 2001), rev’d, 168 S.W.3d 164 (Tex. 2005).

Lee Lewis Const., Inc. v. Harrison, 64 S.W.3d 1 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 1999), aff’d, 70 S.W.3d 778 (Tex. 2001).

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Medical Negligence
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In re Covenant Health System, 223 S.W.3d 423 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2006, orig. proceeding).

In re Covenant Med. Center, 167 S.W.3d 919 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2005, orig. proceeding).

In re Woman’s Hosp. of Texas, Inc., 141 S.W.3d 144 (Tex. 2004).

In re Barker, 110 S.W.3d 486 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2003, orig. proceeding).

Kimber v. Sideris, 8 S.W.3d 672 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 1999, no writ).

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Oil & Gas Disputes

• B.P. Am. Prod. Co.v. Laddex, Ltd., 513 S.W.3d 476 (Tex. 2017).
• Crawford v. XTO Energy, Inc., 509 S.W.3d 906 (Tex. 2017)
• Crawford v. XTO Energy, Inc., 455 S.W.3d 245 (Tex. App. –Amarillo 2015), rev’d, 509 S.W.3d 906 (Tex. 2017)
• BP Am. Prod. Co. v. Laddex, Ltd., 458 S.W.3d 683 (Tex.App.–Amarillo February 17, 2015) aff’d, 513 S.W.3d 476 (Tex. 2017).
• BP Am. Prod. Co. v. Red Deer Res., LLC, 466 S.W.3d 335 (Tex. App. 2015), rev’d, BP Am. Prod. Co. v.Red Deer Res., LLC, 526 S.W.3d 389 (Tex. 2017)
• Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Yarbrough, 12-0198, 2013 WL 3119574 (Tex. June 21, 2013)
• Petro Pro, Ltd. v. Upland Resources, Inc., 279 S.W.3d 743 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2007, pet. denied).
• Natural Gas Pipeline Co. v. Pool, 124 S.W.3d 188 (Tex. 2003).
• Anadarko Petroleum Corp. v. Thompson, 94 S.W.3d 550 (Tex. 2003).
• Natural Gas Pipeline Co. v. Law, 65 S.W.3d 121 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2001, pet. denied).
• Anadarko Petroleum Corp. v. Thompson, 60 S.W.3d 134 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2000), rev’d, 94 S.W.3d 550 (Tex. 2003).
• Krabbe v. Anadarko Petroleum Corp., 46 S.W.3d 308 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2001, pet. denied).
• Natural Gas Pipeline Co. v. Pool, 30 S.W.3d 639 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2000), rev’d, 124 S.W.3d 188 (Tex. 2003).
• Natural Gas Pipeline Co. v. Pool, 30 S.W.3d 618 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 2000), rev’d, 124 S.W.3d 188 (Tex. 2003).
• Axelson v. McIlhaney, 798 S.W.2d 550 (Tex. 1990).
• Axelson v. McIlhaney, 755 S.W.2d 170 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 1988, orig. proceeding).

‍Real Property Disputes
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Abraham Inv. Co. v. Payne Ranch, Inc., 968 S.W.2d 518 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 1998, writ denied).
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Other
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McMorde v. Sanchez, 2021 WL 5137552 (Tex.App—Amarillo 2021, pet pending)

Sullivan v. Abraham, 472 S.W.3d 677 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 2014, pet. granted).

Abraham v. Greer, 07-12-00494-CV, 2014 WL 3732893 (Tex. App.—Amarillo July 25, 2014, pet. granted)

Sullivan v. Abraham, 07-17-00125-CV, 2018 WL 845615 (Tex. App.—Amarillo Feb. 13, 2018, no pet.)

Greer v. Abraham, 489 S.W.3d 440 (Tex. 2016), reh’g denied (June 3, 2016)

Sullivan v. Abraham, 488 S.W.3d 294 (Tex. 2016)

Guest v. Phillips Petroleum Co., 981 F.2d 218 (5th Cir. 1993).

In re SAV and KEV, 837 S.W.2d 80 (Tex 1992).

In re SAV, 798 S.W.2d 293 (Tex. App.–Amarillo 1990), aff’d in part, rev’d in part, 837 S.W.2d 80 (Tex. 1992)

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