Nichol Bunn

Managing Partner

Nichol.Bunn@lewisbrisbois.com

Nichol Bunn is the Managing Partner of the Dallas office of Lewis Brisbois and a vice-chair of the Healthcare, Medical Malpractice, and Long-Term Care Practices. Ms. Bunn has extensive experience handling cases involving healthcare institutions such as skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, residential care centers, intermediate care facilities, hospitals, emergency departments, correctional facilities, and clinical laboratories with respect to claims of professional liability, general liability, healthcare liability, construction defect, contracts, auto, employment and regulatory issues. She also represents individual healthcare providers including physicians, nurses, dentists, podiatrists, pharmacists, phlebotomists, and physical therapists.

Ms. Bunn's practice also includes the representation of non-healthcare clients in dram shop or GL matters involving complex medical injuries including traumatic brain injuries and RSD/CRPS.

Primary Area(s) of Practice

  • Healthcare
  • Medical Malpractice
  • National Trial Practice
  • COVID-19 Response Resource Center
  • Long-Term Care

Additional Experience

Admissions

Texas

United States Northern District Court of Texas

United States Southern District Court of Texas

United States Eastern District Court of Texas

United States Western District Court of Texas

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

United States Supreme Court

Associations

  • Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) – Member and Current Texas Chapter Steering Committee Member
  • American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) – Member
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) – Current Regional Chair; Past President of the Dallas Chapter; Past State Co-Chair, and; Past Co-Chair of the Medical Malpractice Section
  • American Correctional Association (ACA)
  • Dallas Area Gerontological Society (DAGS) – Member
  • American Bar Association (ABA) – Member of the Health Law Section
  • Dallas Bar Association (DBA) – Member and Guest Lecturer at the DBA Trial Academy
  • Aging Mind Foundation – Past Board Member
  • Susan G. Komen® Dallas County – Past Board Member and Grants Director
  • Attorneys Serving the Community (ASC) – Current Chair of the Website Committee; Past Co-Chair of Underwriting; Past Co-Chair of the Luncheon Arrangement Committee, and; Past Co-Chair of the Silent Auction Committee for this organization raising money for local charities.
  • Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL) – Past Officer and Board member of this non-profit that raises scholarship money for women. Current Advising Board Member.
  • UT Mock Trial – Past adjunct at the University of Texas School of Law.
  • SMU Mock Trial – Current guest lecturer. Past adjunct and coach of the SMU mock trial team.

Awards & Honors

  • Listed in Best Lawyers in America® 2023 & 2024 — Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • The Order of the Barristers
     

Professional Presentations

  • Presenter, Liability Exposures from Ebola and Potential Pandemics, PLUS Annual Conference (2015)
  • Presenter, HIPAA Changes and the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act, Texas Assisted Living Association’s Annual Conference (2013).
  • Presenter, Claims Have Consequences: How Conflicting Court Decisions Regarding the MSPA Affect Settlements, Claims and Litigation Management Annual Conference (2013).
  • Presenter, Beyond the Hadden Decision: Implications on Settlement Under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, Claims and Litigation Management Professional Liability Conference (2012).
  • Presenter, Litigation 101, CLM (2012).
  • Presenter, Disaster Planning for Healthcare Providers, Council on Litigation Management Annual Meeting CLM (2011)
  • Presenter, Litigation and Trial Tactics, CLM (2011).
  • Presenter, Case Assessment & Evaluation, CLM (2011).
  • Presenter, Negotiation Strategies for Claims Professional, CLM (2011).
  • Presenter, Medicare Secondary Payer Act, Presentation given to the National Association of Insurance Counsel (July 2010).
  • Presenter, Texas Tort Reform, Presentation given to multiple insurance carriers and clients.

Education

University of Texas

Juris Doctor, 1994

University of Texas

Bachelor of Science, 1991

Legal Experience

  • Almost 20 years representing long term care facilities in Texas - obtaining defense verdicts at trial both pre and post tort reform.
  • Obtained dismissals of lawsuits at the trial court level and on interlocutory appeal with the recovery of attorneys’ fees. Also successfully defended these dismissals on appeal.
  • Obtained a positive ruling from the Texas Supreme Court on behalf of a clinical laboratory client.
  • Obtained a favorable result in a case against a medical device distributor in a products liability case with multi-million dollar exposure.
  • Successfully defended healthcare institutions in employment matters including claims of wrongful termination, non-subscriber injuries, defamation, EEOC, and ADA.
  • Successfully defended healthcare institutions involving ERISA claims in arbitration.
  • Obtained favorable results in non-medical cases brought against healthcare facilities including premises liability claims and lawsuits involving facility owned vehicles.
  • Successfully defended a claim of CRPS where three of Plaintiff’s treating physicians and two experts had previously diagnosed Plaintiff with CRPS. At trial, Ms. Bunn was able to present the medical records to the jury and explain why the diagnosis was incorrect resulting in a favorable defense verdict.

Publications

  • Author, Coming to America: The Ebola Crisis and Claims, Claims Management Magazine (November, 2014).
  • Author, Mandatory Flu Vaccinations and Healthcare Workers, Dallas Bar Association Journal (October, 2010).
  • Author, Nursing Home Litigation: Past, Present and Future (2002).