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

• Zoom
• Microsoft Teams
• WebEx

• Credit Cards Accepted
  Visa & Mastercard Only
• 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. Can I transfer my ongoing California custody case to Texas?

April 24, 2025

A: Because there is no procedure or mechanism for transferring a pending civil case from one state court to a court of another state.

If you filed the pending case and your ex-husband did not file a counterclaim, you might be able to dismiss your pending California case without prejudice (depending on whether that is allowed under California law) and then refile a brand new case in Texas.

If your ex-husband is involved in a pending custody case with you that began in 2018 with no final custody determination having been made, it is curious that a final custody order was not entered in your divorce case. Usually, if a married couple have or adopt a child and then get divorced, the divorce court enters a custody order as part of the divorce decree. When that happens, the divorce court has continuing exclusive jurisdiction to modify the terms of that custody order until something happens that deprives the court of its jurisdiction under the UCCJEA (Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act) or that court makes a determination under the UCCJEA that it will not exercise its jurisdiction to modify the terms of its prior custody order.

That can happen, but that does not result in a "transfer" of a pending case. It allows a party to bring a new case seeking modification in another state. ... Read More

Q. Incorrect house size on county tax appraisal; how to correct and implications?

April 23, 2025

A: You may be including an enclosed garage in your own calculation of square footage. I'm just making an educated guess because a standard size two-car garage is 400 sq. feet. For appraisal purposes, "living area" only includes an enclosed garage if it has been converted into a room.

Q. How to evict tenant after expired lease and property issues in Texas?

April 23, 2025

A: Because the original lease term has expired, the lease is now month-to-month. You need to give not less than 30-days advance written notice in accordance with the terms of the lease of your intent to end the lease with the end date being on the last day of a rent-paying period. So, for example, if the lease runs from the 1st day of each month to the last day of each month with rent being due on or before the 1st (regardless of a grace period), you could give written notice today to end the lease at midnight on May 31, 2025.

Because the original lease term has expired, it is not necessary or recommended that you include any perceived violations of the lease terms to avoid side arguments about whether something is or is not a violation. You have the right to simply end the lease upon written notice because the original lease term has expired and is month-to-month. I recommend you use it.

If the tenant fails to move out in accordance with your notice, you can then file an eviction lawsuit in the justice of the peace court for the county and precinct where the property is located. I recommend just a straightforward eviction that says the tenant held over at the end of the original lease term, that you terminated the lease effective __ date, and gave advance written notice to the tenant on __ date. One common issue in this type of case is whether you gave written notice or not, so be sure to have proof of when you actually gave the written notice. I recommend typing the notice up in 16+ size font with the title "Notice of Termination of Lease" in larger bold font at the top and the word "midnight" and the date of termination in bold font on a single sheet of paper, affixing the notice to the front door of the leased premises, then taking a couple of photographs of the Notice with one close enough you can read the Notice and one far enough away that it includes the number on the residence of the street address, AND mailing a copy of the Notice via certified mail, return receipt requested to the residence. Take a photograph of the envelope with the postmark. Keep a copy for yourself and the "green card" receipt from the certified mail to prove it was delivered. ... Read More