Laura E. Kugler is a Partner in the Dallas office of GRSM and is a member of the Environmental/Toxic Tort practice group. She brings nearly 30 years of experience in products, premises, employment, and professional liability litigation. She also assists clients with governmental relations and advocacy. She has served as the coordinating counsel for the liaison committee of the Texas asbestos MDL since its inception 15 years ago and has been integrally involved with the evolution of the litigation. As a legislative consultant, she was involved in passing tort reform legislation that changed the landscape of Texas from the “lawsuit capital of the world” to one of the most business-friendly environments and robust economies in the U.S.

Over her career as a litigator, Laura has been at the forefront of Havner/Daubert issues, motions for summary judgment involving unique causation standards, responsible third-party motions as well as participating in all facets of fact and expert discovery and depositions, other motion practice and pre-trial preparation and hearings. She has extensive experience in the development of expert witnesses in the areas of industrial hygiene, medical causation, epidemiology and naval expertise on a national level. She coordinates all aspects of litigation for clients, including implementing strategies for discovery and managing large trial dockets. Laura is an experienced negotiator and has negotiated settlements in thousands of cases nationwide. Additionally, she is a certified mediator with an expertise in tort litigation.

Outside of her legal practice, Laura is an active volunteer in the Dallas community and the mother of two daughters.

Admissions

• Oklahoma
• Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Northern, Eastern and Southern District of Texas

Memberships

• SLiaison Steering Committee Texas MDL Asbestos Litigation (2004-present)
• DRI
• National Association of Women Lawyers
• Dallas Bar Association
• State Bar of Texas
  • Chronologist, Women and the Law Section

Community Involvement

• National Charity League, Past Board Member
• La Fiesta Guild, Past Board Member
   

Presentations

• Business Development Workshop, Women and the Law Section of the State Bar of Texas (June 2021)
• "Evidentiary Issues and the Admissibility of Digital Evidence: Text, E-Mail, Websites and Social Media," Annual Meeting, Texas Association of Defense Counsel, San Antonio, Texas (2019)
• “Phantom Damages,” Annual Legislative Conference, American Tort Reform Association, Austin, Texas (2017)