Debra B. Norris, P. C.

     1314 Texas Avenue, Suite 515
     Great Southwest Building
  Houston, Texas 77002
     Mailing address: P. O. Box 8039, Houston, TX 77288
  Telephone: 713.858.0359, 24 Hour Messaging Service: 281.820.8709
  Email: dbn@DebraNorris.com

 

Debra B. Norris, P.C., Attorney at Law, combines her engineering and legal backgrounds in a technically-oriented law practice. An electrical engineer, Debra spent ten years building plants for the oil, gas, and chemical industries. Debra earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, magna cum laude, from Louisiana Tech University and a B.A. in Physics, cum laude, from Centenary College in 1984. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1998, receiving the Dean's Achievement Award in Evidence.

Debra now represents individuals and corporations in a variety of legal matters, with special focus on construction law. Ms. Norris represents owners, suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in the construction industry. Résumé (.PDF)

Ms. Norris has taught "Construction Law" in the graduate school of civil and environmental engineering in the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston since 2005 and is a frequent speaker on legal issues related to the construction industry.

Ms. Norris is licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas and the Southern District of Texas. With a ten-year background as an engineer, Debra is available as an arbitrator in a variety of technical disputes

Debra Bourn Norris is recognized as a Top Houston Lawyer in construction law by "H Texas" magazine article (pdf doc).

Memberships:

Ms. Norris is a member of The College of the State Bar, an honor society chartered in 1981 by the Supreme Court of Texas, and maintains memberships in the following organizations:
  • Houston Bar Association: Construction Law, Litigation, and Real Estate Law Sections
  • State Bar of Texas: Construction Law and Litigation Sections
  • American Bar Association: Construction Industry Forum and Dispute Resolution Section. In June 2012, she received a scholarship to the inaugural ABA Construction Trial Academy in Washington, D.C. article (pdf doc).
  • Society of Women Engineers, Houston: past-president, 1990-91, and representative, on the Engineers Week Committee. Debra B. Norris, Esq. is featured on page 2 of the October 2004 newsletter (MSWord doc).
  • Associated Builders and Contractors, Greater Houston Chapter: PAC Trustee and Legal Issues Committee. See article in April/May 2009 issue of Build Houston magazine: Debra Norris to be Featured on CNN's "America's Premier Lawyers" Series article (pdf doc) video (Quicktime)
  • National Association of Women in Construction, Houston Chapter: Board of Directors
  • Independent Electrical Contractors, Texas Gulf Coast: Government Affairs Committee
  • Defense Research Institute, Construction Law Committee
  • Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities, University of Texas School of Law, 1997
  • Outstanding Young Women of America, 1985
Speaking Engagements:

  • Ms. Norris was the featured speaker at the Engineering Leadership Forum    2004-2005 Leadership Series - Session III. Her talk for ASCE, ASME, HESS, SAME, SWE and TSPE was entitled The Professional Liability of Architects and Engineers. October 27, 2004.    Announcement (.PDF)
  • University of Houston, An Engineer's Duty to Protect the Public, Engineering Ethics program, December 1, 2004.
  • American Institute of Architects (AIA), Houston, Ethical Considerations for Architects and Lawyers and The Professional Liability of Architects. January 18, 2005 & January 25, 2006. Announcement (MSWord doc).
  • Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Houston Area, Professional Development Conference, June 11, 2005 & March 31, 2007.     Announcement (.PDF)
  • Sinopec, Legal Aspects of Surveying, November 18, 2005. Schedule (MSWord doc).
  • Lecturer, Legal Aspects of Construction, University of Houston, College of Engineering Technology, Construction Management Technology program, 2005 - 10.
  • Adjunct Professor, Contracts and Construction Law,  University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Masters in Project and Construction Management (PCM) program, Summer 2005, 2007, 2009, & 2013. 
  • National Association of Women in Construction, Houston Chapter, Engineering Errors, July 11, 2006.
  • Associated Builders and Contractors, Greater Houston Chapter, Contract Language & Negotiations, Legal Seminar, 2006-08; Lien and Bond Claims, May 16, 2012.
  • Legal Issues for Texas Civil Engineers, Houston, Civil Engineering Liability, July 19, 2007. Brochure (.PDF).
  • University of Texas Continuing Legal Education Construction Law Conference, Rights and Remedies Involving Inspections Including Third Party Inspections, October 12, 2007. Program (.PDF)
  • Construction Expo, Houston, TX, The Do's and Don'ts of Construction Contracts, November 14-15, 2007, and Payment Clauses, April 8-9, 2009. www.constructionexpo.com
  • Texas Product Liability Law for Engineers, Houston, TX, Product Manufacturers’ Liability in a Construction Case, November 29, 2007. Brochure (.PDF).
  • Legal Issues in Texas State and Federal Construction Projects, Houston, TX, Contingent Payment Clauses, May 22, 2008.
  • Minimizing Engineering Liability Exposure, Houston, TX, Understanding Texas Liability Law, July 24, 2008.
  • Engineering Professional Development, Houston, TX, Engineering Professional Liability & Ethics, January 29, 2009. Program (.PDF)
  • Legal Issues for Texas Architects and Landscape Architects, Houston, TX, Reviewing Contracts for Design Services, August 14, 2009. www.halfmoonseminars.com
Recent Publications:

  • Houston Business Journal, Management Training for Engineers Leads to Greater Versatility, February 7-11, 2005.
  • Construction News, Preserving Electronic Data in Construction Litigation, April 2007. Article (.PDF)
  • Construction News, Can You Rely on Your Building Permit?, May 2007. Article (.PDF)
  • Construction News, Risks of Construction Loans, June 2007. Article (.PDF)
  • Construction News, Indemnity versus Release, July 2007. Article (.PDF)
Community Activities:

  • American Begonia Society, Astro Branch, Secretary
  • Timbercrest Homeowners Association, Corresponding Secretary
  • Harris County Council of Organizations, Second Vice President
  • West University Church of Christ, Greeter

Important Note Regarding E-Mail

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If you would like to discuss legal representation, you may request a consultation by e-mail or call our office.