Victor Makris |

Makris Law Firm

Victor Makris | Makris Law Firm

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Firm Summary

Victor began his legal career at the age of 24. He gained experience in Washington, D.C., as a Congressional Intern during college, worked for a big firm litigation department in New York during law school and, upon graduation, at a CPA/Attorney firm in Houston. He started Makris Law Firm at age 26.

It is the longest-operating Makris family law firm for disability, injury, and other legal matters in Houston. Victor has now been helping Texans for over 44 years.

Throughout his career, he has handled business litigation (defense and plaintiff), injunctive relief, personal injury (defense and plaintiff), Social Security Disability and SSI, worker’s compensation, auto accidents, trademark litigation, contract litigation, child custody trials, and divorce property dispute trials.

In addition to bench and jury trials, he has taken over 20 cases to the Supreme Court of Texas, Texas Court of Appeals and Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals combined. He is board certified in Personal Injury trial law, a distinction shared by only three percent of Texas attorneys.

Victor is a frequent lecturer at law school programs, State Bar-approved seminars, colleges, health interest and other groups. He is a fluent speaker of Spanish and modern Greek.

Representative Experience

Filed or has represented a party as attorney of record in over 500 actions in federal court.

Successfully obtained federal court Judgments in numerous Social Security Disability cases;

Successful direct representation or supervision of several thousand favorable Social Security Disability decisions;

Successfully obtained several SOAH hearing decisions and settlements in Texas Employee Retirement System disability claims.

Successfully obtained numerous total and permanent disability workers compensation jury verdicts;

Successfully structured and formed three medical imaging limited partnerships and registered their initial partnership unit securities offering;

Successfully formed and served as attorney and registered agent for over 100 business entities;

Successfully prosecuted a Deceptive Trade Practices case against a home builder resulting in a verdict of over $300,000;

Successfully settled an air crash victim’s case providing for over $1.3M in total lifetime benefits;

Obtained a $1.2M Judgment in a trademark infringement case;

Successfully obtained a gross $3.2M settlement with a team of attorneys for a family in a wrongful death case from an 18 wheeler accident;

Co-counsel with a team of attorneys that obtained a $50M gross negligence judgment for a family in a third party liability work accident case;

Successfully obtained an $800,000 gross settlement for a family in a wrongful death case resulting from an 18 wheeler accident;

Successfully obtained combined settlement of $1M in the form of Judgment and cash payments in a securities fraud case;

Six figure settlements in several dangerous dock, hotel building and apartment building cases;

Successfully defended a Hong Kong financial institution in complex litigation in three different states resulting in foreclosures on three multi-hundred unit apartment complexes;

Represented the government of Puerto Rico in a jurisdictional dispute heard in the Texas state district court.

Represented the French multinational, Total Energies, in a damage suit in the Texas state district court.

Successfully prosecuted numerous contested child custody cases to Judgment;

Successfully represented an insurance agent accused of ethical violations; and,

Successfully represented an attorney accused of ethical violations.

Professional Experience

• Congressional Intern, Washington D.C. 1973, U.S. Representative Bob Eckhardt
• Lorance, Thompson & Wittig, Houston, Texas, 1975 – 1976, Law Clerk, Insurance Defense
• Rogers & Wells, New York, New York, Houston, Texas, 1976, Summer Associate, Business Litigation and Appeals
• Covington & Reese, Houston, Texas, 1977-1978, Associate, General Practice
• Makris Law Firm, PC, Houston, Texas, 1978 through present

Educational and Professional Background

• Doctor of Jurisprudence 1977, University of Houston Law Center
• Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Political Science, 1974 University of Houston, Central Campus
• Admitted to Practice: Texas; 5th Circuit Court of Appeals; Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
• Board Certification: Personal Injury Trial Law

Associations

• Texas Bar Association
• Former Member College of the State Bar of Texas 1995
• Houston Bar Association
• Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity
• Order of the Barons, Legal Honor Society

Personal
Concert classical guitarist, former Nation Chief of YMCA Indian Guide Program, former Board Member YMCA, Assistant Scoutmaster Boy Scouts of America, Year 2000 Volunteer of the Year Award Southwest YMCA, Year 2002 Partners of Youth Chairman Southwest YMCA, Year 2004 Board Member Weekley Family YMCA; Boy Scouts of America Troop 55 2005 Service Award.

Treks

• Backpacked 35 miles through Teton Mountain range 2002;
• Summited Mt. Shavano, Colorado 2003;
• Backpacked and rafted 30 miles Idaho retracing portion of Lewis and Clark Expedition on the Salmon River in Idaho 2004;
• Backpacked 10 miles through Pecos Wilderness, New Mexico to an altitude of over 12,000 feet and back without a guide 2005.