About Our Staff
James E. Girards
James Girards grew up in Houston, Texas, where he graduated from Stratford High School in 1981. Upon graduation, he attended Baylor University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He went to St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, Texas where he received a J.D. While at St. Mary's, Girards made the Dean's List and was awarded the AmJur Award in Contracts.
Girards began his legal career in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, where he went to work as a medical negligence attorney for one of the largest plaintiff's firms in the southwest. He won his very first medical negligence trial, in a case against a North Dallas diagnostic facility that injected a lady with a dye that she wasn't supposed to have. The verdict included a significant punitive damages award. "That case was instructive on many levels," says Girards, "but, the most important lesson I learned in that trial is that the case is about the client and the focus must never stray from that."
Within a few years, Girards became Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. This is a distinction that only 3% of attorneys in Texas have achieved. In order to become Board Certified, an Attorney must have extensive trial experience, and must demonstrate an extensive knowledge of the law of evidence, procedure, and other substantive law involved in the trial of personal injury cases. The attorney must also pass a rigorous examination and is subjected to scrutiny by his peers. Upon achieving Board Certification, the attorney is presented with a Certificate of Special Competence.
Girards was named a Texas Super Lawyer each year since 2004. This is a distinction presented by Texas Monthly magazine, after subjecting attorneys to a peer review process, as well as review by a blue ribbon panel of evaluators.
Throughout his career, Girards has been involved with the American Association for Justice [formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America], as well as the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association. In each of these organizations, Girards has been involved in legislative and political issues on both a national and local level. Girards is the Chairman of the State Delegates Committee of AAJ, and is a member of the Medical Negligence Information Exchange Group. He is the Chairman of the Interventional Cardiology Litigation Group of AAJ, which is the premier nationally recognized group of lawyers who handle cases involving catastrophic injury or death resulting from cardiology malpractice. He is also Co-Chair of the Pharmacy Liability Litigation Group, which is the premier nationally recognized group of attorneys who handle cases involving catastrophic injury or death resulting from pharmacy malpractice. Locally, he is a Director of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and was President of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association in 2007.
Girards is a frequent speaker to attorney groups on issues of trial advocacy and trial presentation and he is a graduate of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College. Girards is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an organization for attorneys who have proven success in recovering damages in excess of one million dollars. And, he is a member of American Mensa, the international high IQ society.
Some of Girards' cases have been the focus of local or national media attention. For example, the case of Hernandez v. Altenberg was covered by NBC's Dateline. "When Dateline called regarding the Hernandez case, I thought it was important to help bring the tragedy of that case to the public's attention," says Girards. In the Hernandez case, a metal guide wire was inserted into an artery in an elderly patient's neck in order to place a catheter, but the guide wire was lost by the physician. According to the Texas Appellate Court that considered the case, "the patient and her family were given false information about the need for another fictitious operative procedure as an excuse for removing the wire." An anonymous letter to the family first disclosed the problem and the resulting injuries. "The case exemplifies so much of what is wrong in the hospital industry today," Girards said. "It is the only industry that is allowed to keep such things secret from patients and their families," said Girards, "but we were able to expose what happened to Ms. Hernandez and change a number of processes at that hospital. We also achieved an important development in the law of spoliation of evidence in Texas.
Girards is licensed on Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The firm has transitioned from a regional to a national focus.
Samuel De Maio
Dr. De Maio joined the Girards Law Firm as Of Counsel in July 2002.
Dr. De Maio received a BSEE with High Honors from Rutgers College of Engineering in New Brunswick, NJ, in 1979.
He received his M.D. from New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ, in 1983.
Intership in Internal Medicine was with Baylor University in Dallas, TX, John S. Fordtran, M.D., Chief from 1983-84. Residency was also in Internal Medicine at Baylor University in Dallas, TX, John S. Fordtran, M.D., Chief, from 1986-89.
Fellowships
- 1986-89 - Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, R. Wayne Alexander, M.D., Ph.D. Chief
- Jan. 1989 - June 89 - Electrophysiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga, Paul F. Walter, M.D.
- 1989-1990 - Interventional Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, FA, Spencer B. King, III, M.D., Chief
- July 1990 - Interventional Cardiology, Peripheral Vascular Disease, University of Munich, Germany, Berthold Hoefling, M.D., Chief
- 1994 - May 1999 - J.D., Southern Methodist University School of Law, Dallas, TX,
Medical Employment
- 2001 - Present - Austin Cardiovascular Associates
- 1990-2001 - Texas Cardiovascular Consultants
- 1993-94 - Assistant Editor, American Journal of Cardiology
Law
- 1999-Nov. 2001 - Buchholz, Sassin & DeMaio
- July 2002 - Present - Girards Law Firm, Of Counsel
Hospital Affiliations
- South Austin Hospital, Austin, TX
- Daughters of Charity Health Services of Austin, Austin, TX
- Heart Hospital of Austin, Austin, TX
- Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX
- St. Paul Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Honors
- 1977 - Tau Beta Pi - National Engineering Honor Society
- 1977 - Eta Kappa Nu - National Electrical Engineering Honor Society
- 1983 - Alpha Omega Alpha - Medical Honor Society
- Phi Delta Phi - Law School Honor Fraternity
Fellowships
- Fellowship - American College of Cardiology
- Fellow - American College of Physicians
- Fellow - American Society of Cardiovascular Interventionalists
- American Medical Association
- American Heart Association
- American College of Chest Physicians
- North Texas Cardiovascular Society - President 1993
Certification
- Diplomate - National Board of medical Examiners, #274922, March 1984
- Diplomate - American Board of Internal Medicine, #106453, September 1986
- Diplomate - ABIM - Cardiovascular Disease, #106453, September 1986
- North American Society of Pacing & Electrophysiology - Sepecial Competency, Cardiac Pacing, September 1991
- Diplomate - ABIM - Interventional Cardiology, 1999
Licenses: Legal
- State of Texas Bar, #24012519
- State of Arkansas Bar, #200006
Licenses: Medical
- State of Texas, #G 6655
- State of Geogia, #028157 (inactive)
Bibliography & Research Information
- Haft, JI, DeMaio SJ, Bartoszyk OB: The coronary arteriographic finds in symptomatic patients with right bundle branch block. Am J Cardiol 1984; 53:770-773.
- DeMaio SJ, Kinsella SH, Silverman ME: Clinical course and long-term prognosis of spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Am J Cardiol 1989:64:471-474
- DeMaio SJ, Walter PF, Crawley SI: Cardiac arrhythmias: Their identification & management. In: The Emory University Comprehensive Board Review in Internal Medicine. Presented in Atlanta, GA on August 3, 1989.
- DeMaio SJ: Sudden cardiac death. In: Scblan:RC, Hurst JW (eds), The Heart, 7th Companion Handbook, New York, McGraw Hill Inc., 1990; 6:56-60.
- DeMaio SJ, Welter PF, Douglas JS: Treatment of ventricular tachycardia induced cardiogenic shock by percoronary chemical ablation. Cath & Cardiovasc Diag 1990; 21:170-176.
- DeMaio SJ: Surgical & catheter abiative therapy of ventricular arrhythmias. In: Hurst JW (Ed), Current Therapy in Cardiovascular Disease - 3, Philadelphia, B.C. Decker, Inc., 1991.
- DeMaio SF: Surgical & catheter ablative terapy of supraventricular arrhythmias. In: Hurst JW (Ed), Current Therapy in Cardiovascular Disease - 3, Philadelphia, C.B. Decker Ind., 1991.
- Hearn JA, DeMaio SJ, Roubin GS, Hammarstrom M, Sgoutas DS: Predictive value of lipoproteins in the angiographic diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol 1990; 66:1176-1180
- Bauriedel G, DeMaio SJ, Hoefling B: The role of angioscopy in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease with percutaneous atherectomy. Am J Cardiol 1991; 68:226-231.
- Bauriedel G, Windsetter U, DeMaio SF, Kandolf R, Hoefling B: Human coronary and peripheral arterial smooth muscle cell activity in primary and restenotic lesions obtained by percutaneous atherectomy. Circulation 1992; 85:554-564.
- DeMaio SJ, King III SB, Lembo NJ, Roubin GS, Hearn JA, Bhagavan Hn, Sgoutas DS: Vitamin E supplementation, plasma lipids and incidence of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). J of the Am Col of Nutrition 1992; Vol. II, No. 1, 68-73.
- Bauriedel G, DeMaio SJ, Hoefling B: Sheath introducer technique for recanalizing total occlusions of the superficial femoral artery. Cath and Cardiovase Diag 1992; 25:66-70.
- DeMaio SJ, Stocker E: Surgical and catheter ablative therapy of ventricular arrhythmias. In: Hurst JW (Ed), Current Therapy in Cardiovascular Disease - 4, Philadelphia, B.C. Decker, Inc., 1994.
- DeMaio SJ, Stocker E: Surgical and catheter ablative theapy of supraventricular arrhythmias. In: Hurst JW (Ed), Current Therapy in Cardiovascular Disease - 4, Philadephia, B.C. Decker, Inc., 1994.
- Weintraub WS, Boccuzzi SJ, Klein JL, Kosinski AS, King SB, Ivanhoe R. Cedarholm JC, Sttabower ME, Talley JD, Robbins DC, Brown CL, Alexander RW, and the Lovastatin Restenosis Trial Study Group: Lack of effect of Lovanstatin on restenosis after coronary angioplasty. N Engl J Med 1994; 331:1331-7.
- Harvey, LAC, DeMaio SF, Roberts, WC: Radiation-induced cardiovascular disease including stenosis of coronary ostium, coronary and carotid arteries, and aortic value. BUMC Proceedings 1994:7(3):33.
Michael Ramey
In 1994, J. Michael Ramey earned his B.A. in Business Administration from Schreiner College in Kerrville, Texas, where he graduated with honors.
He subsequently attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where he attained a law degree and a MBA degree. Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas in 1998, he has since worked exclusively on behalf of plaintiffs.
Ramey is also licensed to practice law by the State of Arkansas. He is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Texas Trial Lawyers' Association and the Dallas Trial Lawyers' Association. Ramey is licensed to practice before numerous federal courts in both Texas and Arkansas.
His primary areas of practice include medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and catastrophic personal injury. Ramey joined the Girards Law Firm in 2002.
Why Choose Us?
- Voted Texas Super lawyer From 2004-Present by Texas Monthly
- Board Certified In Personal Injury
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association