Member
Frisco Station, 6633 John Hickman Parkway, Suite 2312, Frisco, Tx. 75034
Phone: 972.922.8866
E-Mail: tsoefje@realclearcounsel.com
Timothy B. Soefje
For more than 26 years, Timothy B. Soefje has represented professionals in malpractice claims, including architects, engineers, design professionals, land surveyors, lawyers and law firms, accountants, medical professionals, insurance agents/brokers, real estate agents/brokers, title companies, directors and officers, and other professionals. He regularly represents professionals in high-stakes litigation.
Tim is admitted to practice law in the states of Texas, New York, and Oklahoma. He also is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and numerous federal district courts. Mr. Soefje recently has represented clients and handled matters in California, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Washington, D.C.
Tim regularly represents general contractors, subcontractors, governmental entities, HOAs, and individual clients in large, complex construction defect claims. He represents both defendants and plaintiffs in complex business, commercial, and partnership litigation, and clients involved in catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and property loss, premises, dram shop, trucking and auto, crime, product liability, and federal and state class actions.
Tim also regularly counsels lawyers and law firms nationwide on a wide range of serious ethical issues, client fee disputes, grievances, applications for admission, claims avoidance, and risk management matters. He represents law firms and attorneys wrongfully sued for barratry.
Tim also represents college-level coaches in contract negotiation, employment consultation, NCAA compliance assistance, and business development. He has developed an active Title IX practice, representing college-level coaches and athletes in the defense of Title IX claims. He also assists coaches with NCAA and Title IX internal investigations, social media training, and crises management. Tim is an active member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).
Tim has served on the Texas board of directors for the Professional Liability Underwriters Society (PLUS) and was featured as one of the #30For30 for PLUS' 30th Anniversary. He also has served the Co-Chair of the Professional Liability Defense Federation (PLDF) Miscellaneous Professional Liability Committee.
Tim is a Texas mediator, completing his certification at the nationally-recognized University of Texas School of Law Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution Center. He focuses his mediation practice on the resolution of professional liability, fee dispute, personal injury, construction defect, real estate, and commercial matters.
Tim currently serves as an outside consultant to OmniSure Consulting Group, LLC, a national leader in risk management and loss control services in architectural, engineering, and design professionals and medical negligence space. He is a regular contributor and speaker for seminars, webinars, and educational training programs, as well as a contributing writer and editor to industry publications. He also writes a blog Professional Liability Update, which has been featured numerous times as a top blog by the Texas State Bar.
Tim has developed a 10-part video series on risk management and claims avoidance for anyone involved in the construction industry, including contractors, architects, engineers, and other design professionals that is available HERE.
As a former public relations professional and daily newspaper news editor, Tim is uniquely qualified to defend media liability and defamation claims. He also effectively provides large and small clients with crisis and disaster management leadership when dealing with the press.
Before founding the firm, Tim practiced with Dallas-based Campbell & Chadwick, P.C.; San Antonio-based Thornton, Beichlin, Segrato, Reynolds & Guerra, L.C. and New York-based Atkins & O'Brien, LLP. He also formerly worked as a public relations professional for a major, public research university, as a governmental and major events reporter, and as one of the youngest news editors of a daily newspaper in the State of Texas. He was born and raised in a small town in South Texas where he met and married his childhood sweetheart 32 years ago.
Classes & Seminars Presented
-
UT Law CLE - The Supreme Court is Poised To Make a Right Turn: What Does This Mean for Professional Liability? (2020)
-
Five Ways Social Media Will Get You Disbarred (2017)
-
Current Issues In Legal Reporting, Texas State University, Department of Mass Communications (2015)
-
Professional Liability Insurance: Why You Need It & What to Watch Out For: 64th Annual Convention & Tech Expo Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (2015)
-
Third-Party Liability Claims Against Design Professionals, Admiral Delta Pro Insurance (2015)
-
Risk Management for Engineers, KSA Engineers, Inc. (2015)
-
LEEDS Litigation, Admiral Delta Pro Insurance (2015)
-
Pathology of Mistakes, OmniSure Consulting Group/Merica Life Sciences (2014)
-
Law of Construction Defects & Failures, HalfMoon Education Seminar (2013)
-
Subprime Crises – Understanding Liability & Impact On Underwriting (2009)
-
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Monitor Liability Managers (2009)
-
Construction Litigation – What Happened While You Weren’t Looking, Monitor Liability Managers, (2008)
Representative Cases
-
Lead counsel in successful defense of legal malpractice claim involving sale of Brazilian naptha plant, where plaintiffs alleged $90 million in lost profits.
-
Lead counsel in successful defense of architectural malpractice claim where alleged negligent design and construction of commercial landfill in 100-year flood plain caused flooding in more than 140 homes and business in South Texas community.
-
Lead counsel in successful defense of nationally-prominent architectural firm where alleged negligent design and construction of a retention pond caused flooding of residential neighborhood.
-
Lead counsel in successful defense of federal class action lawsuit where more than 65,000 policy holder claimed more than $20 million in damages as a result of the sale of health insurance policies.
-
Lead plaintiff counsel for prominent owner of fast food franchise in significant federal civil rights claim, resulting in $3.5 million jury verdict in favor of client. Argued before en banc panel of 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and filed writ of certiorari in United States Supreme Court. Case settled for mid-six figures after remand to trial court.
-
Lead defense counsel in multi-million dollar, complex contract claim brought by kidney dialysis provider against third-party administrator of Medicare Plus Choice health insurance plan.
-
Lead defense counsel in 2-week class certification hearing, obtaining denial of class certification in case involving national law firm’s participation in marketing of long-term disability insurance policies to thousands of Texas school teachers.
-
Co-lead counsel in successfully resolving one of first medical negligence lawsuits in the country for negligent use of stereotactic radiosurgery (x-knife) on a brain stem tumor in 25-year-old plaintiff, who suffered permanent brain damage.
-
Lead counsel in 2-week jury trial against orthopedic surgeon who allegedly performed arthroscopic surgery on the wrong knee of his patient.
Practice Areas
-
Commercial Litigation
-
Homeowners Associations
-
Insurance
-
Media Liability/Defamation
Admissions
-
State of Texas
-
State of New York
-
State of Oklahoma
-
U.S. Supreme Court
-
U.S. District Courts, Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas
-
U.S. District Court, Western District Oklahoma
Professional Honors
-
AV Preeminent - Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™
-
Member, College of the State Bar Of Texas
Professional Associations
-
American Bar Association
-
State Bar of Texas, New York & Oklahoma
-
Dallas Bar Association
-
Collin County Bar Association
-
Oklahoma County Bar Association
-
Professional Liability Defense Federation (PLDF)
-
Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
-
Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
Education
-
J.D., South Texas College of Law (1994)
-
B.A., Texas State University (1987)
-
Mediator Certification, University of Texas School of Law (2016)
-
Honors: Order of Barrister; American Jurisprudence Award - Appellate Advocacy; Mock Trial-National Tournament Champions; ATLA National Finalist; 1L Moot Court Finalist.
Community Involvement
-
American Freedom Softball Club, Founder
-
Sigma Chi, Life Loyal Sig