Profile
Mr. Sikes is a Brownsville native and an AV rated attorney with a broad civil trial practice. Mr. Sikes’ practice has a special emphasis on personal injury, construction, and labor/employment issues.
Mr. Sikes’ litigation experience not only includes the state and federal courts, but also includes handling cases before hearing examiners and administrative law judges.
Prior to joining Royston Rayzor, Mr. Sikes served as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Filemon V. Vela, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Brownsville Division.
Languages: English & Spanish
Experience
Lead Counsel representing contractors, in both personal injury and construction defect cases throughout the State of Texas. Some of these cases include the following:
Cause No. DC-06-74; San Diego ISD v. Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.; before the Honorable Judge Alex Gabert
Cause No. 8,030; Zapata County ISD v. Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.; before the Honorable Judge Jose Antonio Lopez
Cause No. C-2045-05-E; La Joya I.S.D. v. Commercial Roofing Systems, Inc.; before the Honorable Judge Juan Partida
Publications & Speeches
Publications
- Employee Misconduct and Workplace Tortspresented for Continuing Education credit at various insurance companies
- Authored a chapter Deposing Design Professionals in the DepositionManual published by the DRI February 23, 2016, February 23, 2016
- Prosecuting and Defending Risk Transfer Agreements and Related Provisionspublished in the October 2014 issue of the "DRI for the Defense" magazine, October 1, 2014
- Dealing with Letters of Protection in"Paid or Incurred" Statespublished in the DRI The Voice published February 6, 2013, February 6, 2013
- Dealing with Design Professionals in Construction Defect Casespublished in the DRI The Voice published July 11, 2012, July 10, 2012
Honors & Distinctions
Fluent in English and Spanish.
AV rated by Martindale Hubble
2013 Texas Super Lawyer
2014 Texas Super Lawyer
2015 Texas Super Lawyer
2016 Texas Super Lawyer
2017 Texas Super Lawyer
2018 Texas Super Lawyer
Vice Chair for the Commercial Transportation Litigation Committee for the American Bar Association 2015 – 2017 fiscal year
Member of the DRI Trial Tactics steering committee
Publications Chair of the DRI Trial Tactics Committee from November 2013 – March 2016
Vice-Chair of the DRI Trial Tactics 2017 Annual Seminar
Program Chair of the DRI Trial Tactics 2018 Seminar
Practices
- Admiralty and Maritime
- Business and Commercial Litigation and Counseling
- Construction Litigation
- Insurance Coverage and Litigation
- Labor, Employment, OSHA, and Discrimination Disputes and Counseling
- Longshore Act and Other Federal Compensation Claims
- Personal Injury Defense: General Liability, Product Liability, and Insurance Defense
- Trucking and Transportation
Education
- Southern Methodist University School of Law, J.D., 1995
- University of North Texas, B.A. 1992
- Law Clerk to United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Judge Filemon B. Vela, 1995-1996
Bar/Court Admissions
Texas, 1995 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Memberships & Affiliations
- Cameron County Bar Association
- Hidalgo County Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas, Member of the Construction Law Section
- Defense Research Institute
- Member of the Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee
Community Activities
Member of the Cameron County Space Port Development Corporation
Member of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation (GBIC) from October 2012 – December 2015; Vice- Chairman 2015
Member of the Rotary Club of Brownsville, Texas est. 1916