ABOUT

Deron Wade serves clients as lead counsel in complex product liability, warranty, and other civil litigation matters. His practice includes defending major automobile and heavy truck manufacturers in wrongful death and catastrophic injury lawsuits, with particular emphasis on vehicle dynamics, rollover crashworthiness, and restraint system claims. In addition, Mr. Wade represents a national utility services company in cases arising from its operations in Texas. Finally, he counsels clients on successfully negotiating Texas statutory indemnity laws.

Mr. Wade has been working with products for his entire professional career. Prior to law school, he spent four years progressing through a series of sales and marketing positions within the Black & Decker Corporation, including working at the company’s corporate headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The lure of returning to Texas to pursue a career in law, however, surpassed Deron’s affection for power tools and watching the Orioles at Camden Yard.

Upon returning to his native Texas, Mr. Wade enjoyed a successful law school experience, during which he worked for two years as a law clerk for a Texas state district judge. Deron began his practice in the Product Liability Practice Group at Strasburger & Price, LLP. At Strasburger, Deron worked on automotive products litigation, construction and commercial law matters, and became involved in the firm’s mass tort practice. When the opportunity arose to join HDBDK’s national products liability practice in late 2001, Deron could not resist.

CASE EXPERIENCE

• Obtained summary judgment for a major automobile manufacturer in a rollover crashworthiness case in the Western District of Texas, Lubbock Division.
• Obtained summary judgment for a major automobile manufacturer in a seven-fatality crashworthiness case pending in the Starr County, Texas.
• Obtained complete dismissals for a heavy truck manufacturer in product liability cases pending in Harris County, Texas and Bexar County, Texas .
• Lead counsel who has authored, and been an invited speaker about, extensive conflict of laws briefing for a major automobile manufacturer in pattern litigation involving domestic lawsuits arising from vehicle crashes outside of the United States.
• Currently representing major automobile manufacturer in first impression indemnity case involving statutory obligations between manufacturers and component suppliers.

NOTEWORTHY

First Baptist Church, Arlington, Texas

Board chair for two non-profit entities

Texas Longhorn Athletics

Snow Skiing