aliciammatsushima professional corporation Alicia M. Matsushima, Esq., Shareholder Texas Insurance and Commercial Attorney 440 Louisiana Street Suite 900 Houston Texas 77002 713.236.7792 phone 832.408.7518 fax 713.533.8150 skype alicia@ampclaw.com www.insuranceattorneytexas.com
aliciammatsushima professional corporation Alicia M. Matsushima, Texas Insurance Attorney Outside Counsel for Insurance Litigation in Texas Alicia M. Matsushima, P.C. is a 100% woman-minority owned boutique law firm specializing in insurance defense and commercial litigation. Ms. Matsushima has practiced law in Texas since 1997 handling insurance cases in trial and appellate courts. Ms. Matsushima has handled claims for commercial general liability, commercial property, automobile, homeowners, products liability, title, health, life, and disability insurance policies. Ms. Matsushima s insurance experience includes: ERISA plan administrator and underwriter defense. Prosecution of life insurance company rescission claims. Interpleader and declaratory judgment proceedings. Defense of policyholder breach of contract claims. Insurer, broker, and agent defense of claims of Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations, bad faith insurance practices, Texas Insurance Code violations, and other extra-contractual claims. Insurer defense of Stowers doctrine claims. Insurance coverage issues, including reservation of rights letters, declination letters, and policy coverage litigation. Third-party defense of the insureds in claims of bodily injury and property damage covered by personal and commercial coverage. Subrogation claims and recovery. In short, there is no insurance issue that Ms. Matsushima is not prepared to take on. Ms. Matsushima s goal is to provide aggressive, cost-effective and thorough representation in every matter she handles.
2 Alicia Matsushima s Biography Alicia M. Matsushima has spent her entire professional career representing insurance companies in Texas courts. Ms. Matsushima has handled cases in the following Texas counties: Aransas, Cameron, Collin, Dallas, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Hidalgo, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Liberty, Montgomery, Nueces, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Starr, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson. Matsushima handles federal and state cases, in trial and on appeal. Ms. Matsushima is also licensed as a Solicitor to the Senior Courts of England and Wales. Ms. Matsushima received her Juris Doctor in 1997 from Notre Dame Law School and participated in the Concannon Programme of International Law in London, England during her second year of study. Prior to law school, Ms. Matsushima received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Baylor University in 1994, where she was a member of the Psi Chi National Honor Society. Ms. Matsushima is admitted to practice law before the State Bar of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas. Ms. Matsushima has represented the following insurers: Aviva Life and Annuity Company f/k/a AmerUs Life Insurance Company Indianapolis Life Insurance Company Stewart Title Guaranty Company Farmers Insurance Group CIGNA/Life Insurance Company of North America Connecticut General Life Insurance Company Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company Kemper Investors Life Insurance Company John Hancock Life Insurance Company Allstate Insurance State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company State Farm Fire and Casualty Company Mid-Continent Insurance Company CNA
3 Ms. Matsushima s admissions: The State Bar of Texas The Law Society of England and Wales The Solicitors Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas The United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Ms. Matsushima s education: Juris Doctor, Notre Dame Law School, 1997 Concannon Programme of International Law, Notre Dame London Law Centre, London, England, 1996 Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Baylor University, 1994 Ms. Matsushima has participated in or is a member of: Defense Research Institute State Bar of Texas Insurance Section Houston Bar Association Association for Women Attorneys Women s Energy Network Women s CEO Project Notre Dame Alumni Club of Houston Diversity Coordinator Notre Dame Alumni Board of Directors Regional Coordinator for Asian Pacific Alumni of Notre Dame Notre Dame Alumni Board of Directors Student Recruitment Director for Asian Pacific Alumni of Notre Dame Second Baptist Church Houston Tornadoes Women s Semi-Professional Soccer Team Election Clerk for River Oaks Precinct 217 Psi Chi National Honor Society Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity Christian Legal Society Business Network International
4 The Firm s Approach to High Quality Legal Services Ms. Matsushima has defended insurers since 1997. Ms. Matsushima personally handles every aspect of the case, from the initial case assessment to trial. Ms. Matsushima has first chair trial experience, has taken hundreds of depositions, including expert depositions, and has participated in mediations and arbitrations. Ms. Matsushima has worked closely with insurance companies throughout her career and understands the specific needs of their in-house litigation counsel and adjusters. The attorneys/adjusters often oversee hundreds of cases all over the country in which the insurance company is a party (most often the deep pocket defendant) a tremendous responsibility. It is not uncommon for a large insurer to employ only a handful of attorneys or adjusters in their litigation department. Due to the large volume of litigation files, the need for the attorneys/adjusters to hire outside law firms to handle the cases is essential. Ms. Matsushima truly appreciates and understands the needs of the company, as well as the significance of the trust that has been placed in her. Ms. Matsushima is mindful of, and will accommodate, the following specific needs of the insurers: To keep the insurer advised of the current status of the case with regular status reports (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly or monthly). The insurer should know what is going on with the file at all times. To provide the insurer with a detailed liability assessment of the case with respect to the applicable statutes and case law, the venue and the court. To be pro-active with respect to the insurer s needs and to maintain effective communication at all times. Ms. Matsushima understands that it is her job to make sure the insurance counsel/adjuster is in control so that informed decisions can be made. To provide the insurer with a detailed litigation budget so that the insurer is fully apprised as to the costs of each step of the litigation. Ms. Matsushima understands that insurers hire outside counsel for efficiency reasons and that her job is to control costs, not to increase costs. To adhere to the litigation budget. The invoices the insurer receives should never be a surprise. To be flexible with respect to the fees charged. For example, Ms. Matsushima is happy to work out a fixed fee arrangement or to adjust her hourly rate depending on the task(s) performed.
5 To never nickel and dime the insurer. For example, Ms. Matsushima will never charge.10 for simply leaving a voicemail message! To respect the insurer s specific requests. For example, should the insurer request to review and approve all pleadings before they are filed, Ms. Matsushima will provide the draft in advance so that the counsel/adjuster has enough time to review and comment. To provide the insurer with detailed invoices so that it is clear which services were performed and charged. To be available to the insurer as needed. Ms. Matsushima s clients are welcome to call her cell number (832.457.0559) and her Skype number (713.533.8150) at any time. My goal is to serve you and meet your needs. I know you have a choice in law firms. I am honored to serve as your counsel. Alicia M. Matsushima
6 The Firm s Approach to Reasonable Fees Ms. Matsushima understands the insurer s need to receive aggressive, high quality and experienced services at a reasonable cost. For this reason, Ms. Matsushima takes on a cost-effective approach in every aspect of the case. Ms. Matsushima handles all tasks personally and is extremely efficient due to her extensive experience as an insurance litigator. Due to her efficiency and her ability to keep her overhead costs low, Ms. Matsushima is able to provide high quality services at very reasonable rates. Insurers will be pleasantly surprised when comparing Ms. Matsushima s rates with those of other, similarly experienced insurance attorneys. Insurers represented by Ms. Matsushima can rest assured that every case Ms. Matsushima handles will receive the personalized attention it deserves. Ms. Matsushima is mindful of the needs of the litigation counsel and adjusters to be kept fully informed of the legal matters for which they are in charge. Ms. Matsushima provides a detailed assessment of each and every case so that her clients are kept well-informed of the issues, the applicable law, the status of the case, and of course, the litigation budget.