John H. Martin of Thompson & Knight Named Vice President of Lawyers for Civil Justice

WASHINGTON, May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- John Martin, a veteran mass tort and aviation lawyer, was elected Vice President of Lawyers for Civil Justice, a national organization of defense lawyers and corporate counsel dedicated to fairness and improvements within the civil justice system. Martin, a partner at the Dallas office of the law firm Thompson & Knight, will join the senior officers of the organization and become its President in 2010.

"It is a truly an honor to accept the position of Vice President of Lawyers for Civil Justice," said Martin. "There have been numerous reports of imbalance in our system of civil justice, which presents the need to maintain vigilance. Lawyers for Civil Justice serves as a watchdog to ensure balance, and make sure that defense attorneys and their clients have a fair say in our nation's courtrooms."

John Martin is widely recognized for his legal work and public speaking on the subjects of catastrophic injury, mass tort and aviation litigation. His client base includes major commercial air carriers, aviation product manufacturers and general aviation interests in accident litigation including federal and state court cases arising out of accidents involving fatalities and other injuries. He also practices extensively in the areas of professional liability, healthcare, and general business and commercial litigation. In addition to his position with Lawyers for Civil Justice, Martin also serves as President of one of the organization's affiliates; DRI -- the Voice of the Defense Bar.

"I've known John for a long time, as we were both officers for DRI -- the Voice of the Defense Bar," said David Dukes, President of Lawyers for Civil Justice. "He has always had the best interests of the defense bar in mind, and I know he will serve admirably as the new Vice President of the Lawyers for Civil Justice."

ABOUT LAWYERS FOR CIVIL JUSTICE

Created by defense trial lawyers and corporate counsel, Lawyers for Civil Justice is a national coalition supporting excellence, fairness and improvements within the civil justice system. It supports activities at both the state and national level designed to achieve reforms, which will ensure balance in the civil justice system. Greater predictability in damage awards, streamlining the discovery process, and improving the management of litigation and scarce judicial resources are all long range goals of Lawyers for Civil Justice. The organization can be reached at http://www.lfcj.com.

ABOUT DRI

DRI -- The Voice of the Defense Bar, is the national organization of more than 22,000 defense trial lawyers and corporate counsel. DRI provides numerous educational and informational resources to members and offers many opportunities for liaison among defense trial lawyers, Corporate America, and state and local defense organizations. DRI also has an international presence, seeking to enhance understanding of the law among members of the defense community who have reason to be concerned with the expanding globalization of litigation defense. The organization can be reached at http://www.dri.org.