John Michael Frick

John has been representing businesses and business people in the North Texas area for more than thirty years. He has tried numerous cases at various levels of the judicial system, including federal district court and state district court. He has presented appeals to the Supreme Court of Texas, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and ten of the fourteen intermediate courts of appeal in Texas. He has arbitrated cases before the American Arbitration Association and JAMS, Inc. In addition to his trial practice, John is a trained mediator and summary jury trial judge. As a result of displaying a high degree of skill, competence, and professionalism, he has earned an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

John received his law degree from SMU School of Law in 1988, where he served as an Associate Editor for the Southwestern Law Journal. While still in law school, he successfully presented an appeal to the Supreme Court of Texas through the school’s civil clinic program, resulting in a published opinion reversing the lower court. He also completed his first jury trial through the school’s clinic program.

After graduating from law school, John served a judicial clerkship as briefing attorney for the Honorable Gordon H. Rowe, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas. There, John had the pleasure of working with future Supreme Court of Texas Justices Nathan Hecht, Craig Enoch, and James Baker.

As a seasoned trial lawyer, John continues to maintain a high level of practice. He has represented clients in cases reported in the Wall Street Journal and Dallas Morning News, as well as ones featured on local news broadcasts and the national news program, Nightline. His civil trial practice includes representation in both state and federal court and encompasses a wide range of areas.

• Civil Litigation
• Contract Litigation
• Commercial Litigation
• Real Estate Litigation
• Professional Liability

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• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  Provides 90-minute initial consultation for a flat fee of $500. Does not typically work on a contingency fee. Usually requires a retainer.

Texas

State Bar of Texas

ID Number: 07455200

Since 1988

5th Circuit

Since 1992

Partner

Reid, Dennis & Frick, PC

2022 - Current

Member

Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC

2021 - 2021

Partner

Bennett, Weston LaJone & Turner, P.C.

2017 - 2021

Senior Attorney

Reid & Dennis, PC

2010 - 2017

Solo Practitioner

Law Offices of John M. Frick

2001 - 2010

Partner

Mills, Presby & Associates, L.L.P.

1995 - 2001

Associate

Godwin & Carlton, P.C.

1989 - 1995

Briefing Attorney

Court of Appeals, Fifth District of Texas at Dallas

1988 - 1989

SMU Dedman School of Law

Doctor of Jurisprudence/Juris Doctor (J.D.)

1988

Southern Methodist University

B.S. (1985) | Political Science

1981 - 1985

Honors: Summa Cum Laude

Southern Methodist University

B.A. (1985) | Psychology

1981 - 1985

Honors: Summa Cum Laude

AV-Preeminent

Martindale-Hubbell

2004

For over 100 years, the Bar Register has been a unique guide to the legal community's most eminent professionals. It includes only those select law practices that have earned the highest rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and have been designated by their colleagues as preeminent in their field. The 2022 Bar Register contains over 14,000 member listings out of more than 1.3 million attorneys in the United States.

Texas State Bar  # 07455200

Member

1988 - Current

Board-Certified, Civil Trial Law

Texas Board of Legal Specialization

2010

Q. Falsely arrested and charged; want to file a lawsuit after charges dismissed.

May 9, 2025

A: Your fact pattern implicates a legal doctrine called "qualified immunity." In most cases, police officers are protected from lawsuits for wrongful arrest under this doctrine. They cannot be successfully sued for wrongful arrest unless they violate a "clearly established constitutional right." If a reasonable officer could have believed the arrest was lawful, they are immune from a subsequent civil lawsuit even though you ultimately won your criminal case.

The success of a plaintiff's case often depends on evidence of personal ill will or animus by the officer toward the plaintiff. Usually, this is a product of some sort of prior interaction unrelated to law enforcement, for example the officer is dating or married to the plaintiff's ex-spouse or the two knew each other and were rivals in high school or college, etc. Sometimes, this can be shown through recordings of the interaction at the time of the arrest, for example if the officer repeatedly uses racial slurs. Be very certain to carefully preserve the dashcam and bodycam footage you got during your criminal case and do not count on the police department to preserve such evidence now that your criminal case is over.

These are complicated cases that require the services of a very experienced attorney who practices in the area of civil rights law handling cases that involve law enforcement. F. Lee Merritt, who recently ran against Ken Paxton for Attorney General, is one such attorney in Texas. Given the limited number of attorneys with the appropriate experience and expertise, make appropriate financial arrangements to compensate any attorney you hire. I recommend setting aside a minimum of $100,000 for legal costs. ... Read More

Q. Who repairs water-damaged breaker box from landlord's leaking roof?

May 9, 2025

A: The answer to your question depends on the exact language of your lease agreement and possibly local ordinances where the premises are located. It is very important to read and understand the lease as a whole, and not to focus on single paragraphs or sections of the leases.

It is extremely common in leases and other agreements to include a waiver of what the law calls "incidental and consequential damages" (e.g. Neither party shall be liable in any event for consequential or incidental damages or losses which may be suffered by the other"). Given your description, the damage to the breaker box would likely constitute such damages. So, if you are responsible to maintain and repair problems with the electrical system, you likely cannot shift that responsibility back to the landlord even if the landlord did not fulfill its maintenance and repair obligations with respect to the roof.

Generally, in a commercial lease, the landlord is responsible for ensuring the electrical system within the building is safe and functional, including repairs and replacements. This responsibility typically extends to structural components like wiring, circuits, and outlets that power the premises. However, the exact scope of responsibilities can vary based on the terms of the lease agreement and the specific nature of the electrical problem.

Many local building codes require a property owner to maintain the safety and operability of a building's electricity service. In most commercial leases I have seen, the lease contains provisions reserving maintenance responsibility for the electricity, water, and HVAC to the landlord because local authorities will fine a landlord for violating these code requirements. The exceptions I have seen generally involve full building leases to a single tenant, such as fast food restaurants on outparcels or single-occupant office buildings.

Fortunately, your own insurance likely will cover the damage to the electrical breaker box (subject to your deductible) regardless. A commercial tenant occupying leased premises would be foolish not to have such insurance. Most business owners secure a BOP (business owner's policy) that bundles commercial general liability insurance with property & casualty insurance. This is probably the most common type of insurance for business owners. Such a policy almost certainly covers water damage to an electrical breaker box caused by a leaky roof. ... Read More

Q. How can I dispute my divorce settlement due to attorney misconduct and conflict of interest?

May 9, 2025

A: You likely cannot dispute the divorce settlement at this time.

Within two years of the conclusion of your divorce case, you can file a legal malpractice case against your former attorney. In order to recover damages for legal malpractice, you must prove that you would have more in your divorce case but for your attorney's malpractice. That requires you to prove what you would have received in your divorce case if you had presented all of the evidence you had at that time. It likely will require expert testimony from another attorney who practices in the same area and who is familiar with your divorce judge.

Because judges in divorce actions have broad discretion in making a "just and right" division of your marital estate, this type of legal malpractice is very hard to make. You will need to show you objected and complained about the divorce settlement immediately upon learning that your attorney signed the divorce settlement without your permission and without telling you about it. You will also want to demonstrate that you did not accept the benefits of the divorce settlement until you could no longer protest your attorney's actions in signing the settlement without your permission. For example, if you were awarded property like money in a bank account or tangible personal property that was not already in your possession, custody or control, you will need to show that you did not receive or accept those items. ... Read More