Laura A. Cavaretta
Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
cavarettal@ckl-lawyers.com
Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization Ms. Cavaretta has successfully combined an appellate practice with medical malpractice defense litigation. In her 20 plus years of practice, she has defended nurses, physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers in both the trial and appellate courts, and before state licensing boards.
Ms. Cavaretta grew up in El Paso. In her senior year at the University of Texas at El Paso she was the editor of the student newspaper. Later she served on the St. Mary's Law Journal as an associate editor and was a legal research teaching assistant at St. Mary's University School of Law. Following law school, she served as a briefing attorney for then Chief Justice Carlos Cadena at the Fourth Court of Appeals.
Ms. Cavaretta believes that the lawyer's duty to zealously represent a client does not abrogate the responsibility to treat others with respect and professional courtesy. She is pleased to be able to practice law with people she considers to be amongst the best lawyers in San Antonio.
She has completed 1 full marathon and at least 5 half-marathons (and counting...); multiple 5K runs (including the Komen Race for the Cure at least 10 times in 3 cities) and the LiveStrong 10K.
She regularly represents individual nurses and physicians, as well as hospitals and other health care providers in state and federal court and before licensing boards. She is often retained by other lawyers and law firms to prepare and argue summary judgments and jury charges in the trial court; she also handles appeals and mandamus proceedings in state and federal appellate courts.
EDUCATION
| 1987 | J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence, with distinction, Top 10% St. Mary's University School of Law, San Antonio. |
| Honors: | Phi Delta Phi |
| John M. Harlan Society | |
| Associate Editor, St. Mary's Law Journal |
COURTS OF PRACTICE
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States District Courts for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas
- State and County Courts of the State of Texas
SEMINARS AND PUBLICATIONS
| Planning Committee, Advanced Medical Malpractice Course, State Bar of Texas March 2008 |
| Planning Committee, Advanced Medical Malpractice Course, State Bar of Texas March 2010 |
| Speaker: The Experts Analyze Obstetrics and Gynecology Malpractice Cases, RDI October, 1997 |
| Speaker: Texas Tort Claims Act, St. Mary’s/Texas Tech University Law Schools Medical Malpractice Conference, November 2002 |
| Speaker: Anatomy of a Lawsuit, San Antonio Chapter American Association of Critical Care Nurses, June 2002 |
| Speaker: Hospital Privileges, Charting in Medical Records, Presenting yourself for deposition, Local Hospital in-house presentations to nursing staff |
| Speaker: What exactly is a health care liability claim? State Bar of Texas 15th Annual Medical Malpractice Course, March 2008 |
| Speaker: Health Care Liability Claims, Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar, September 2008 |
| Speaker: The Litigation Process: What to expect when a lawyer comes calling, Grand Rounds, General Surgery and Anesthesiology, UTHSC-San Antonio, February 2010 |
| Speaker: Avoiding Grievances and Legal Malpractice, State Bar of Texas 18th Annual Medical Malpractice Course, March 2011 |
REPORTED CASES
- In re Guardianship of Hood, 04-11-00103-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio, Feb. 15, 2012, no pet)
- In re Smile Center, PA, 04-12-00122-CV (Tex. App. –San Antonio, March 7, 2012, original proceeding)
- Pileggi v. Maverick, 04-10-00537-CV (Tex. App.—San Antonio, Sept. 14, 2011, no pet)
- In re Bexar County Hospital District, 04-11-00145-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio, March 2, 2011, original proceeding)
- In the Estate of Dennis M. Vackar, 354 S.W.3d 588 (Tex. App.--San Antonio, 2011, no pet.)
- Leonard v. Glenn, 332 S.W.3d 403 (Tex. 2011)
- Garza v. Villareal, 345 S.W.3d 473 (Tex. App.--San Antonio, 2011, pet. denied)
- Nail v. Godwin, No. 04-10-00193-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2010, pet. denied)
- Irma Roldan Walz et al v. Construcciones Modernas de Mexico, 307 S.W.3d 374 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2009, no pet.)
- In re Godwin, 293 S.W.3d 742 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2009, original proceeding)
- Flack v. Hanke, No. 334 S.W.3d 252 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2009, pet. dism’d)
- In re Crandall, No. 04-09-00067-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2009, original proceeding)
- Leonard v. Glenn, 293 S.W.3d 669 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2009, pet. filed)
- City of San Antonio v. Pollock, 284 S.W.3d 809 (Tex. 2009)
- Aguilar v. Bexar County Hospital District, 04-08-00872-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2009)
- Hochhiem Prairie Cas. Co. v. Appleby, 255 S.W.3d 156 (Tex. App.-- San Antonio 2008, pet. dism’d)
- Parenti v. Moberg, No. 04-06-00497-CV (Tex. App.-- San Antonio 2007)
- Brzozowski v. Southeast Baptist Hosp., No. 04-06-00497-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio, 2007)
- Cuellar v. Warm Springs Rehab. Found., No. 04-06-00698-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2007)
- In re Sun Flynn, LP, 04-07-00596-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2007, original proceeding)
- N.P. v. Methodist Hosp., 190 S.W.3d 217 (Tex. App.--Houston [1st Dist.] 2006)
- Cox v. Vanguard Health Systems, Inc., No. 04-04-00762-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2005)
- Alexander v. University Health System, No. 04-04-00499-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2004)
- City of San Antonio v. Pollock, 155 S.W.3d 322 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2004)
- Hutchinson v. Montemayor, 144 S.W.3d 614 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2004)
- Costello v. Christus Santa Rosa Health Care Corp., 141 S.W.3d 245 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2004)
- Olveda v. Sepulveda, 141 S.W.3d 679 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2004)
- Bustillos v. Bexar County Hosp. Dist., No. 04-03-00664-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2004)
- In re Evans, 130 S.W.3d 472 (Tex. App.--Houston [14th Dist.] 2004)
- Zuniga v. University Health System, No. 03-50286, 82 Fed.Appx. 385 (5th Cir. 2003)
- Herse v. Jimenez, No. 04-02-00222-CV (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2003)
- In re Center for Health Care Services, No. 14-03-00819-CV (Tex. App.--Houston [14th Dist.] 2003)
- Luensmann v. Zimmer-Zampese & Associates, Inc., 103 S.W.3d 594 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2003)
- Wickware v. Sullivan, 70 S.W.3d 214 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2001)
- Karagounis v. Bexar County Hosp. Dist., 70 S.W.3d 145 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2001)
- Hanzi v. Bailey, 48 S.W.3d 259 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2001)
- Hendrix v. Bexar County Hosp. Dist., 31 S.W.3d 661 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 2000)
- Silvas v. Ghiatas, 954 S.W.2d 50 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 1997)
- Reynosa v. Bexar County Hosp. Dist., 943 S.W.2d 74 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 1997)
- Montalvo v. Fourth Court of Appeals, 917 S.W.2d 1 (Tex. 1995)
- City of San Antonio v. Winkenhower, 875 S.W.2d 388 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 1994)
- Peek v. DeBerry, 871 S.W.2d 520 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 1994)
- Bard v. Charles R. Myers Ins. Agency, Inc., 839 S.W.2d 791 (Tex. 1992)
- John v. State, 826 S.W.2d 138 (Tex. 1992)
- Resolution Trust Corp. v. Thurlow, 820 S.W.2d 51 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 1991)
- Bard v. Charles R. Myers Ins. Agency, Inc., 811 S.W.2d 251 (Tex. App.--San Antonio 1991)
MEMBERSHIPS AND ORGANIZATIONS
| Past/Present Affiliations: | Member San Antonio Bar Association (Chair Medical-Legal Liaison Committee, 2000-2001, 2007-2009, 2011-2012); State Bar of Texas; Texas Association of Defense Counsel; Defense Research Institute; International Association of Defense Counsel; Mentor Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Women in Medicine and Law for the Cure; Board Member, Family Violence and Prevention Services (Battered Women and Children's Shelter); Women Lawyer's Alliance. |
PRACTICE AREAS
- Medical Malpractice litigation, Defense of Governmental Entities litigation, Civil Appeals.
- Defense of premises liability claims; Defense of §1983 Claims; Appellate Consulting; Representing healthcare professionals in Board Actions
HONORS AND AWARDS
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