Mr. Irelan is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. He is admitted to practice before all Districts of the United States District Courts of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Irelan is board certified in Civil Trial Law and Residential Real Estate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, State Bar College, Texas Land Title Association, Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists, the Houston Bar Association and the Houston Bar Foundation. He has also served three terms (2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09) on the Judiciary Committee of the Texas Land Title Association and is currently serving on the Institute and Legal Issues Committees. Mr. Irelan was recently elected to the George Washington School of Law Alumni Board of Directors.
Mr. Irelan has concentrated his practice on the defense of a wide variety of casualty claims, including automobile, trucking, premises liability, arson, products liability, surety (including bail bond and immigration bond) claims, employment liability, title insurance and general real estate matters. He also devotes substantial time to recovery of claim payments through subrogation on behalf of his insurer clients and their policyholders.
Mr. Irelan also concentrates on the representation of insurance companies in first-party "bad faith" claims, policy coverage issues, analysis, disputes, group health and accident insurance disputes, as well as the defense of insurance agents' "errors and omissions" claims. Mr. Irelan has in excess of 50 first-chair jury trials and has successfully represented clients in over 20 appeals in both state and federal appellate courts.
Mr. Irelan is also a certified continuing education provider by the Texas Department of Insurance. He has conducted seminars for many of his insurance carrier clients, their adjusters, managers and agents on a wide variety of legal issues, claims handling practices, litigation strategy and consumer protection topics. He has also presented courses related to claims arising out of real estate closings. Mr. Irelans most recent presentation was to the Texas Land Title Association on mortgage fraud. In July 2005, Mr. Irelan was named one of Houston's top insurance law lawyers by H Texas Magazine and was selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers 2008 and Texas Super Lawyers 2009 in Civil Litigation Defense.
Supreme Court of Texas
PKG Contracting, Inc. v. City of Mesquite, 197 S.W.3d 388 (Tex. 2006) (per curiam)
Texas Courts of Appeals
Published Opinions
Patterson v. Holub, _____ S.W.3d _____ , No. 01-04-00108-CV (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] Jan. 10, 2008 pet. filed)
Hong Kong Dev. Inc. v. Nguyen, 229 S.W.3d 415 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 2007, no pet.)
Grace v. Titanium Electrode Prods, Inc., 227 S.W.3d 293 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 2007, no pet.)
Chubb Lloyds Ins. Co. v. H.C.B. Mech., 190 S.W.3d 89 (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 2006, no pet.)
In re Foremost County Mut. Ins. Co. and Jim Doland, 172 S.W.3d 128 (Tex. App. Beaumont 2005, orig. proceeding)
City of Mesquite v. PKG Contracting, Inc., 148 S.W.3d 209 (Tex. App. Dallas 2004), revd, 197 S.W.3d 388 (Tex. 2006) (per curiam)
Lexington Ins. Co. v. Buckingham Gate, Ltd., 993 S.W.2d 185 (Tex. App. Corpus Christi 1999, pet. denied)
Miller v. Galveston/Houston Diocese, A.M., 911 S.W.2d 897 (Tex. App. Amarillo 1995, no writ)
Unpublished Opinions
Coastal Signs, Inc. v. City of Houston, No. 01-07-01022-CV (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] 2008) (settled on appeal)
Potter v. Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc., No. 01-07-00578-CV (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.]) (decision pending)
City of Mesquite v. PKG Contracting, Inc., No. 05-07-00627-CV (Tex. App. Dallas) (decision pending)
Natl Adver. Co. v. Potter, No. 01-06-01042-CV (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.]) (decision pending)
Salyers v. Eastex Waste Sys., No. 09-01-00390-CV (Tex. App. Beaumont 2002) (settled on appeal pending decision)
Evans v. Wilkins, No. 14-00-00831-CV (Tex. App. Houston [14th Dist.] Nov. 1, 2001, no pet.) (not designated for publication)
Mejia v. Farmers New World Life Ins. Co., No. 01-99-00307-CV (Tex. App. Houston [1st Dist.] Feb. 17, 2000, no pet.) (not designated for publication)
Moyer v. Rosenzweig, No. 14-94-00481-CV (Tex. App. Houston [14th Dist.] June 1, 1995, no writ) (not designated for publication)
Shearson Lehman Bros. v. Resolution Trust Corp. as Receiver for Sandia Fed. Sav. Assn, No. 05-93-00527-CV (Tex. App. Dallas Feb. 23, 1994, no writ) (not designated for publication)
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Penton v. Am. Bankers Life Ins. Co., No. 04-20121 (5th Cir. 2004) (unpublished opinion)
Am. Bankers Life Ins. Co. v. Penton,. No. 04-20013 (5th Cir. 2004) (unpublished opinion)
Parsaie v. United Olympic Life Ins. Co., 29 F.3d 219 (5th Cir. 1994)
Am. Gooseneck, Inc. d/b/a AG Prods. v. Watts Trucking Serv., Inc., No. 97-50969 (5th Cir. Sept. 16, 1998) (unpublished opinion)
Miscellaneous
Old Republic Title Ins. Co. v. Wright (In re Wright), Civil Action No. H-03-1837-CV (S.D. Tex. Feb. 13, 2004) (bankruptcy appeal)