Debra B. Norris, P. C.

     1314 Texas Avenue, Suite 515
     Great Southwest Building
  Houston, Texas 77002
     Mailing address: 2620-D S. Shepherd Drive #617, Houston, TX 77098
  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. She also represents small businesses in commercial matters and has litigated environmental, products liability, intellectual property, and other commercial cases. Résumé (.PDF)

Ms. Norris is an adjunct professor of "Contracts and Construction Law" at the University of Houston 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

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, Litigation, and Intellectual Property Law Sections (Litigation Committee, 2001-2004)
  • American Bar Association: Construction Industry Forum and Dispute Resolution Section
  • Society of Women Engineers, Houston: past-president, 1990-91, and representative, 2005 - 07 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 and Legal Issues Committees. 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
  • Independent Electrical Contractors, Texas Gulf Coast: Government Affairs Committee
  • Small Business Advisory Task Force, 18th Cong. District
  • Professional Writing and Technical Communication Advisory Committee, University of Houston - Downtown
  • Construction Management Technology Industry Advisory Board, University of Houston
  • 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 - 09.
  • 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. 
  • 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, 2006-07 & July 22, 2008.
  • 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:

  • Church Apartment Ministry for Medical Center Patients
  • "Holiday Toys for the Kids," 18th Congressional District
  • American Begonia Society, Astro Branch

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.