Practice Areas

Business and Corporate Matters

The Firm handles business and corporate matters from start to finish. From forming business entities, developing complex business agreements, negotiating terms of purchases of businesses, handling commercial leases, and finally everything involving dissolution of business entities whether handled through or outside the litigation process. Contracts are the key to business matters, and the firm has drafted contracts addressing real estate, commercial development, employment, partnership, litigation settlement, professional services, technical services, management services, franchises, licensing, environmental remediation, acquisitions and much more.

Insurance

The Firm has provided legal services in the areas of declaratory judgment actions, bad faith, coverage issues, representation of insureds and complex insurance litigation. Click Here for more detail.

Transportation

The Firm has litigated highly complex transportation disputes. William J. Brotherton is very familiar with the transportation industry, having worked for nearly four years in the operating department of the Burlington Northern Railroad as a brakeman, conductor and trainmaster. Further, he is a frequent contributor to Trains Magazine, the premier publication addressing national/international rail and transit issues. Besides writing frequently for Trains Magazine, he has also consulted with Trains Magazine on various legal issues associated with transit operations. In addition to rail transportation issues, the Brotherton Law Firm has handled transportation issues associated with trucking. The Brotherton Law Firm recently represented a client who over a four-year period, was a defendant in 32 separate lawsuits concerning insurance coverage for long-haul truckers involved in major accidents. This required a high level of detail in handling these very complicated lawsuits, involving regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the US Department of Transportation and similar federal agencies.

Environmental

The Firm provides environmental defense for businesses and individuals. William J. Brotherton of the Firm has taught environmental law at Texas Christian University since 1993 in the graduate environmental sciences program, and has also taught environmental law programs at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, The Center For Environmental Research And Training at the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, and Lamar University. The Firm has provided representation related to the Clean Water Act, Superfund, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Air Act, and many other environmental regulatory arenas. For more detail on environmental experience, click here

Construction

The Firm handles all construction matters, including contracts, disputes, mechanic's liens, and litigation. The Firm has represented general contractors, owners, subcontractors and vendors in a variety of transactional issues and litigation, including cases where a death occurred. The Firm has also represented clients cited by OSHA and other federal or state agencies.

Labor and Employment

More and more, employers are being sued by their employees over hiring, firing, promotion and discipline decisions. We will defend you if you are sued, and advise and guide you through the maze of employment laws and regulations to help prevent lawsuits. Preparing employee handbooks, drafting employment agreements, protecting trade secrets, enforcing covenants not to compete and dealing with federal and state regulatory administrative agencies are all part of the services provided by the Firm.

Civil Litigation

Every practice area the Firm engages in has the potential to become embroiled in litigation. The Firm believes in offering its clients the opportunity, through proactive measures, to avoid litigation if at all possible. Many times, that is not possible. In those cases, the Firm utilizes its significant experience in litigation to work towards achieving a prompt resolution of the issues, either through early motion practice, summary judgment, mediation or final adjudication.

Real Estate/Land Use

The Firm handles all real estate matters, including sales, leasing, title issues and insurance, and all zoning matters, including special use permits. On many occasions, the purchase of a business involves the acquisition of real estate, and this provides just one example of where multiple disciplines work together within the Firm. William J. Brotherton served as a Flower Mound, Texas planning & zoning commissioner for over five years, and is very familiar with the intricacies of land development and zoning issues. The Firm also is affiliated with Fidelity National Title, Inc., and can handle all land title issues for both commercial and residential properties, developed or undeveloped.

Family Law

Family law can be the most emotional area of the law. The Firm handles family law matters with special sensitivity, and provides representation in such areas as: divorce, child custody issues, paternity, adoption and family disputes.

Estate Planning/Probate

The Firm handles all estate planning matters, including the development of wills, trusts, including living trusts and all documents necessary to provide peace of mind for the family. When a loved one dies, it is often necessary to probate or administer the estate planning documents, and this sometimes, unfortunately, leads to litigation when family members cannot agree on matters such as distribution. The probate section works closely with the civil litigation group in this regard.