Paula Hughes |

Tough Law Firm, PLLC

Paula Hughes | Tough Law Firm, PLLC

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Firm Summary

Paula Hughes grew up in Southwest Houston, before moving to the small East Texas town of Crockett, where she graduated from high school second in her class. Paula attended college at a small Christian college based in Pasadena, California before returning to Texas to complete her degree in Business Management at Texas A&M University.

Following graduation, Paula worked in Houston for a real estate development company, and quickly developed a fascination with the legal aspects of the transactions she was witnessing. She made the decision to attend law school at South Texas College of Law, and continued to be associated with the real estate industry as a law clerk with Covington & Reese, P.C., a real estate and tax firm, and later with Williams, Birnberg & Anderson of Houston.

Not long after being admitted to the practice of law in Texas, Paula opened her own practice based in Southwest Houston. She served a diversity of clients in all areas of civil practice, including family law, wills and probate, estate planning and trust work, contracts, business formations and acquisitions, real estate law, and commercial litigation.

Following a long, though informal, association with the Law Offices of Bruce C. Tough, Paula joined Tough Law Firm, PLLC as a senior associate attorney in 2016. Throughout her career, Paula’s focus has been to prepare thoroughly and work hard to understand and achieve her clients’ goals. Now she brings that commitment, and more than 30 years of legal experience, to Tough Law Firm, PLLC and its clients.

Paula enjoys music and singing, and maintained a membership in performing choral groups in Houston and East Texas throughout her career. She’s an animal lover and an accomplished horsewoman.

Practice Areas

Bar Admissions & Licenses

The U.S. District Court – Southern District of Texas
The U.S. District Court – Eastern District of Texas
Texas State Bar

Legal Associations & Memberships

The Woodlands Bar Association
Northwest Bar Association

Community Associations & Activities

2016 – Present The Woodlands Chorale. Performing member.
2009 – 2014 Tyler Civic Chorale. Performing member. President 2014.
1993 – Present Houston Choral Showcase. Performing member through 2008. Advisory Board member. The mission of this jazz show choir is to bring dynamic musical entertainment to Houston and surrounding areas. Board of Directors 1994 – 1996, 1998 – 2010. Served as public relations chair, fundraising chair, and vice president. As fundraising chair, responsible for annual auction and dinner fundraiser and grant writing. As Vice President, responsible to obtain community performance opportunities for group and coordinate group sales to semi­ annual ticketed shows. Maestoso Award 2008 (Member of the Year).
1992 – 2001 American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Bellaire Chapter. Served as Vice President and President. Attended Regional Conferences 1999 and 2000.

Legal Employment Experience

Christian Educational Ministries
Assistant editor responsible for printed publications. Schedule radio programming. Coordinate Feast of Tabernacles celebration annually for 300-600 attendees.

Paula E. Hughes, Attorney at Law
General civil practice includes family law including termination and adoption, divorce, custody and modification of child support and appeals; estate planning, wills and probate of estates; commercial litigation involving secured transactions, deceptive trade practices, and contract law issues; real estate law, including transactions, landlord/tenant litigation and appeals, property tax litigation, and condominium act litigation; corporate law, including formation of corporations and related documentation.

Law Offices of Gary J. Derer
Coordinate high volume estate planning documentation for senior citizens; Responsible for verifying documentation/information for all clients in Harris and Southwest Texas counties and coordinating preparation and delivery of estate planning packages.

William, Birnberg & Anderson, LLP
Staff Attorney. Assigned to real estate department; primarily responsible for real estate foreclosures for residential lenders. Coordinate high volume monthly foreclosure proceedings, including verifying default notice and acceleration documentation and lien checks.

Law Clerk. Legal research on premises liability, real estate title documentation, sequestration, commercial transactions issues, and other subjects, including civil and criminal appeals. Drafted pleadings and discovery documents. Assisted with foreclosures of real property.

Law Clerk. Extensive research of county records of assumed names, real property, and tax records. Supervised summer law clerks. Legal research including federal tax matters and bankruptcy issues. Assisted in corporate client defense of audit by Internal Revenue Service.