Biography
Ms. Morgan is available to conduct virtual mediations, arbitrations and other ADR proceedings on Zoom and other online platforms.
Texas Bar Card #10199300
Cecilia H. Morgan, with over 38 years of experience as an attorney and ADR professional, has in-depth experience in the many facets of banking matters.
Representative Matters
- Mediated an action in federal courts by a national home shopping network against a national bank, a clearinghouse, two insurance companies and other responsible third parties. The case involved claims in three different jurisdictions and required interpretation of the credit card Processing Service Agreement and Rules of the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA).
- Mediated case between bank and title company. The bank sued on its mortgagee’s title policy after foreclosure on a $500,000 mini mansion when the original deed of trust was not filed in the county records. The settlement also required the homeowner’s bankruptcy trustee’s approval. The bank’s causes of action were breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and negligence.
- Mediated case between international trucking concern and bank; trucker company claimed DTPA, breach of contract, conversion, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and promissory estoppel. The bank defended based on the language of Tex. Bus. & Comm. Code Section 4.406.
- Mediated a case between a bank and the co-guarantor of a line of credit pursuant to a mortgage servicing agreement over “junk mortgages” on sub-standard housing in the Midwest. The co-guarantor was in Chapter 7 and the defendant co-guarantor defended based on fraud in the inducement.
- Mediated case between bank trust department and 27 beneficiaries of a trust when the corpus consisted of oil, gas, and lumber interests on 15,000 acres in Colorado.
- Mediated numerous cases from state, federal, and bankruptcy courts involving the Resolution Trust Corporation, lender liability after the major Texas banks failed.
- Mediated numerous cases between financial institutions and their employees over Title 7 and FLSA matters.
- Arbitrated numerous collection cases between financial institutions and debtors over millions of dollars
- Arbitrated multi-million dollar foreclosure dispute between bank and real estate developer of country club properties
- Litigated for over 17 years, including the following two significant cases:
- 1988-1989, Tripp Village Joint Venture v. MBank Lincoln Center, N.A. - Action to enforce loan agreement in face of parole evidence. Reported Opinion 774 S.W.2d 746 (Tex.App.-Dallas, 1989) writ denied. (Co-Counsel and primary author of briefs for Bank)
- 1979-1983, Bank of Texas, et al. vs. John Childs, et al. - Action to restrain collection of bank stock ad valorem taxes for 52 banks in Dallas County. Reported opinions: (1) 615 S.W.2d 810 (Tex.Civ.App.-Dallas, 1981) writ ref'd. n.r.e. (Co-Counsel and primary author of briefs for Banks); (2) 634 S.W.2d (Tex.Civ.App.-Dallas, 1982) (primary author of all briefs) American Bank and Trust Co. vs. Dallas County, 463 U.S. 855 (1983). Trials, briefs, and appearances in district courts, state court of appeals, Texas Supreme Court, and United States Supreme Court (Co-Counsel for Banks).
Completed Virtual ADR training conducted by the JAMS Institute, the training arm of JAMS.
- Member, Roster of Mediators, American Health Law Association (AHLA), 2021-2022
- D Best Lawyer, Alternative Dispute Resolution / Mediation Category, Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2013-2020
- Repeat Guest Lecturer, “Why Ethics in Negotiations Count,” Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law, Oil & Gas Contracts Class, February 2019; February 2020
- Steve Brutsché Award, Association of Attorney-Mediators, 2019
- Best Lawyer, Arbitration and/or Mediation Category, Best Lawyers in America, 2008-2022
- Lawyer of the Year for Mediation in Dallas/Fort Worth, Arbitration and Mediation Category, Best Lawyers in America, 2018
- Lawyer of the Year for Arbitration in Dallas/Fort Worth, Arbitration and Mediation Category, Best Lawyers in America, 2017
- Lawyer of the Year for Mediation in Dallas, Mediation Category, Best Lawyers in America, 2012
- Top Lawyer in Dispute Resolution, D Magazine, 2013-2018
- Super Lawyer, Texas Super Lawyers by Thompson Reuters, 2012-2019
- Justice Frank G. Evans Award for Outstanding Contribution to Texas ADR, State Bar of Texas ADR Section, 2010
- Credentialed Distinguished Mediator, Texas Mediator Credentialing Assoc. (2004-present); Texas Mediator Credentialing Assoc. Board (2010-2012)
- Fellow, American Bar Foundation (2018-present); Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation (1992-present); Life Patron Fellow, Dallas Bar Assoc. Foundation (member, 1991-present)
- Fellow (2012-present), 5th Circuit Credentials Committee member (2016 to present), College of Labor & Employment Lawyers
- Member, American Bar Assoc., State Bar of Texas, Dallas Bar Assoc., and Plano Bar Assoc.
- Admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and the United States Courts of Appeal, Fifth Circuit
- Member (1991-present), Immediate Past Chair (2008-2009), Chair (2007-2008), Chair Elect (2006-2007), Treasurer (2004-2006) and Council Member (2003-2009), State Bar of Texas ADR Section
- State Bar of Texas ADR Section Representative to Texas Mediator Credentialing Assoc. (2009-2012)
- Council Member (2005-2012), Vice Chair (2010), Chairman (2011), Immediate Past Chair (2012), Dallas Bar Assoc. Labor and Employment Law Section
- Member, State Bar of Texas Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Section (2014-2016)
- Member, Dallas Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Antitrust and Business Litigation Section, Construction Law Section, Health Law Section, Labor and Employment Law Section, Litigation Section, Oil, Gas, and Energy Resources Law Section
- Member, JAMS Foundation Board (2017-present)
- American Health Lawyers Association ADR Dispute Resolver (2007-present)
- Member, Center for American and International Law’s Institute for Energy Law (2014-2019)
- Adjunct Professor, Texas Tech University School of Law (Spring, 2013-2017)
- Member, Local Organizing Committee for the Global Pound Conference Series, Austin, Texas (January, 2017)
- Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Introduction to International Arbitration (2012)
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rated since 1988
- A former commercial litigator, Ms. Morgan has tried and argued cases from the trial courts to the Texas Supreme Court, the 5th Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court
- Completion of all Texas statutory requirements to act as mediator in all types of cases, i.e., forty classroom hours of training in dispute resolution techniques and twenty-four hours of training in the fields of family dynamics, child development, and family law including a minimum of four hours of family violence dynamics training (2018)
- Negotiation, mediation, and advanced mediation courses, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law, 1991-2010
- Mediation and negotiation courses, Harvard Law School, 1992
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Introduction to International Arbitration, 2012
- College of the State Bar of Texas
- J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law
- Phi Delta Phi
- National Order of Barristers
- B.A., (Mass Communications), Abilene Christian University
- Extensive travel with two trips around the world including one in 2013 covering ten countries in 73 days; has traveled six continents and is culturally sensitive to many different customs and religions
Counsel Comments
- “I greatly appreciate Cecilia’s hard work as well as the work of the others involved. This was an excellent mediation.”
- “We were very pleased with the service. Cecilia is always an excellent choice”
- “Cecilia is great, and is one of my go-to mediators."
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