Gregory Garvin
MD, MPH, JD, LLM

Gregory Garvin MD, MPH, JD, LLM is an intelligent, aggressive doctor/lawyer who brings his medical experience to bear in pursuit of justice for the victims of medical malpractice and personal injury he represents. Greg’s years of experience in both medicine and the law provide both he and the clients he represents with a unique skill set to make health care providers fully compensate those they have harmed.

Greg’s educational odyssey began at Texas A&M University where he was a proud member of the Corps of Cadets and served as executive officer for Company P-2. Following his graduation from Texas A&M he attended University of Texas H.S.C. at San Antonio for his medical degree, and later earned a Masters in Public Health degree from Medical College of Wisconsin. Residency followed at the University of Pennsylvania. After years of medical practice, Greg made a career change and attended law school at the University of Houston where he earned his JD and LLM degrees simultaneously. While there, he honed his mediation skills, winning an intramural mediation tournament and as a lawyer has successfully mediated cases as either mediator or attorney. He also attended and excelled in a trial preparatory course offered through Baylor College of Law and held in St. Andrews, Scotland.

Greg’s journey to the practice of law and medical malpractice began when his own mother was the victim of medical malpractice. Having lost his mother to an act of medical malpractice, Greg vowed to find a way to make it right for others who have suffered the same injustice and harm. He walked away from his practice of medicine, returning to the educational system to become the uniquely skilled, highly educated litigator he is today.

Prior to joining Sorrels Law, Greg has successfully represented clients in personal injury, premises liability, and wrongful death securing millions in settlements. He has also represented clients in contract breaches, family law, probate, motor vehicle and train accidents achieving optimal results. He has represented clients in mediation, achieving significant settlements prior to trial. Greg has fought back against big corporations in court and has the experience and knowledge to fight for those he represents regardless of the opposition’s size or strength.

With his experience as a physician, Greg knows the obligations all health care providers have to provide quality care to those who entrust their health care to them and has seen first-hand when patients are not afforded quality health care through other providers. This unique perspective, combined with his experience, passion, drive, and skills in both law and medicine, provide him ample abilities and motivation to successfully litigate even the most complex medical malpractice claims.

  • Medical Malpractice
  • Personal Injury
  • Products Liability
  • Premises Liability
  • General Negligence
  • Truck and Automobile Collisions
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Maritime Accidents
  • Birth Injuries
  • Wrongful Death
  • Appellate Law
  • Arbitration
  • University of Texas School of Law, Juris Doctor with Honors
    • Associate Editor Texas Law Review
    • Order of the Coif (top 10% of class)
  • University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Business Administration, with Honors
    • Major Finance, Minor Marketing
    • Beta Gamma Sigma National Business Honor Society
    • Kappa Kappa Gamma, service and social sorority
  • Top 100 – The National Trial Lawyers
  • Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  • Texas Law Review, Associate Editor
  • Order of the Coif
  • Carrington, Coleman Sloman and Blumenthal Academic Excellence Award
  • Bankston, Wright and Greenhill Award in Tort Law
  • Highest overall GPA at UT Law first year
  • Dean’s Achievement Award for highest achievement in the study of Contracts
  • Dean’s Achievement Award for highest achievement in the study of Torts
  • State Bar of Texas
  • State Bar of Arizona
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States District Court Southern District of Texas
  • Pro Hac Vice admissions to Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Mexico and Utah
  • Texas Trial Lawyers Association
  • Houston Trial Lawyers Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Houston Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Fulbright and Jaworski (Norton Rose Fulbright)
  • Mayor Day Caldwell and Keaton
  • Andrews Kurth
  • Hunton Andrews Kurth
  • The Ammons Law Firm
  • The Newsome Law Firm

Recognized as a Rising Star in 2019, 2020 and 2021 by Texas Super Lawyers, Phil is also a Fellow in the Texas Bar Foundation. Prior to becoming a lawyer, taught in the Houston Independent School District at an inner-city middle school. He also served as a bandmaster and musician on Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He is admitted to the Fifth Circuit, Southern District of Texas and Western District of Texas in the federal court system.

Phil lives in Houston with his wife and their two young boys. When not working, Phil can be found coaching or assisting with his kids’ sports, enjoying Houston’s vibrant arts scene with his wife, or cheering on the Astros.

J.D., University of Virginia School of Law

  • Order of the Coif (Top 10% of Class)
  • National Trial Advocacy Team
  • National Trial Competition (National Finalist)
  • National Trial Advocacy College (Graduate)

M.A., The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies

  • Highest Honors
  • Dual concentrations in International Economics and U.S. Foreign Policy

B.A., Washington & Lee University, Politics

  • Summa cum laude
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • American Bar Association
  • American Association for Justice
  • Texas Trial Lawyers Association
  • Houston Bar Association
  • Top Scorer, Texas Bar Exam
  • Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
  • Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
  • Houstonia Magazine’s “Top Personal Injury Lawyers”
  • Texas Super Lawyers “Rising Star”
  • U.S. Inspector Generals’ Council’s “Top Financial Crimes Investigation”
  • “Legal Article of the Year,” Houston Bar Foundation
  • National Trial Competition, National Finalist
  • Order of the Coif, Virginia Chapter
  • Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
  • Sorrels Law Adds Litigation Muscle with Ex-Prosecutor, Law360 (April 20, 2023) (profiled) Read More…
  • Did Texas Rangers miss a key fact in probe of Lina Hidalgo’s office?, Houston Chronicle (April 3, 2022) (quoted)
  • Hidalgo Aides Are Accused of Steering a Contract to an Ally. Internal Communications Paint a Murkier Picture, Texas Monthly (March 29, 2022) (quoted)
  • Supreme Dilemma: Handling Conflicts Between State Medical Privacy Laws and Federal Investigative Subpoenas, 31 The ABA Health Lawyer 6 (Aug. 2019) (co-author)
  • Lessons in Due Diligence Seen in Case of Jailed Fraudster Whose History Hid in Plain Sight, Regulatory Compliance Watch (Dec. 3, 2018) (quoted)
  • Seeking Justice for Victims, UVA Lawyer (Spring 2018) (profiled)
  • Woman Who Ordered ‘Colombian Necktie’ Hit from Pinellas Jail Tells Judge She Has ‘Bad Judgment,’ Gets 65 More Years, Tampa Bay Times (Jan. 4, 2018) (quoted)
  • Case Study in International Money Laundering, Financial Crimes/Inspectors General Conference(Tampa, Aug. 2017) (speaker)
  • Emerging Trends in Securities Enforcement, Hillsborough Bar Assoc. (Tampa, April 2017) (speaker)
  • Effective Opening Statements, Goldberg Inn of Court (Tampa, Jan. 2017) (speaker)
  • The Benefits and Costs of the Joint Venture, 79 Texas Bar J. (Nov. 2016) (co-author)
  • Timely Disclosure Requirements of Texas’s RTP Statute, Texas Lawyer (Nov. 2, 2015) (co-author)
  • Joint Venturing the Case, 52 Houston Lawyer (July/Aug. 2015) (co-author)
  • Called to the Bar, 77 Texas Bar J. (July 2014) (author)
  • Address on Behalf of New Inductees, Texas Bar Induction Ceremony (Austin, June 2014) (speaker)
  • Waiting in the Wings? Assessing the Admissibility of Neuroimagery, 27 Dev. Mental Health L. 1 (2008) (author)
  • Prosecuting Opportunistic Hate Crimes, Anti-Defamation League (Boston, July 2008) (speaker)
  • Gerger, Hennessy & Martin (Partner)
  • Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check (Partner)
  • U.S. Department of Justice (Assistant U.S. Attorney)
  • Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Aziz (Associate)
  • Hogan Lovells (Associate)
  • Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (Assistant District Attorney)

Randy is the past President of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists, and past Chair of the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation.  He has served as the President of the Houston Bar Association, President of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, President of the Houston Trial Lawyers Foundation, Vice President of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Trustee of the Texas Bar Foundation, Director of the State Bar of Texas (two terms), Commissioner of the Equal Access to Justice Commission, Trustee of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society, and is currently on the Board of Directors at South Texas College of Law Houston.

Randy started his legal career at Fulbright & Jaworski, where he represented doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and businesses in the state of Texas who were accused of civil wrongdoing.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude from South Texas College of Law Houston in 1987, where he was on the Law Review and was a member of the nationally recognized Board of Advocates.  South Texas College of Law Houston has honored Randy with its highest honor— the Dean’s Medal, as well as its Public Service Award (the inaugural award).  South Texas College of Law Houston has renamed its legal clinics The Randall O. Sorrels Legal Clinics, which represents 15,000 square feet of new, state-of-the-art facilities to bring together clients with unmet legal needs and students who are eager to work with those clients under the direct supervision of their professors.  In 2018, South Texas College of Law Houston honored Randy with the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Prior to law school, Randy graduated Magna Cum Laude from Houston Baptist University— where he was recognized as an NCAA Academic All-American in 1984.  He attended HBU on a soccer scholarship, and the soccer field at the university now carries his name— Randall O. Sorrels Field.  While at school, he was recognized as the Outstanding Student in both Political Science and Speech Communications.  In the greatest honor, the university gives to alumni, Randy was named as HBU’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year for 2009, and he continues to be involved in alumni events and meetings.

Randy is married to his law partner, Alex L. Farias-Sorrels, and considers her one of the smartest lawyers he knows.  He is also a father of five children and one granddaughter.  His oldest daughter is a teacher and helps with the Sorrels Law communications efforts.  His second daughter is a speech language pathologist in New York.  His twin son and daughter are law students at the University of Texas.  And his youngest son is in a Montessori program.

  • State Bar of Texas, 1984
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
  • American Association for Justice
  • Houston Bar Association, Appellate Section Member
  • State Bar of Texas, Appellate Section Member
  • Texas Association of Board Certified Trial and Appellate Specialists
  • Texas Trial Lawyers Association

He has published numerous articles, including:

  • “False Claims Act Actions—The Developing Case Law Regarding If and When Opinions of Medical Necessity Can Be Fraudulent”, The Health Lawyer, April 2015.
  • “In BP Gulf Oil Spill Litigation, the District Court Decided Important Legal Questions that will Likely be Appealed, including the Standard for “Gross Negligence” and “Willful Misconduct” under the Clean Water Act and the Standard for Vicarious Liability for Punitive Damages under Maritime Law”, The Energy Newsletter, October 1, 2014.
  •  “New York’s Highest Court Holds that Zoning Laws of New York Towns Banning Fracking Are Enforceable — A Brief Analysis of the Oral Arguments and the Court’s Opinion”,Pratt’s Energy Law Report, September 2014.
  •  “New Silica Exposure Standard Likely to Impact Fracking”, Energy, Employment and Project Finance Law360, September 17, 2014.
  •  “New Trial Orders in Texas Now Subject to Appellate Review”, Texas and Appellate Law360, September 9, 2013.
  •  “Unsettled Questions of Texas Law—Claim for Exemplary Damages Against an Insured Employer for a Work-Related Death”, 53 South Texas Law Review 787, Summer 2012.
  •  “Cellphones can be perilous to employers,” Houston Business Journal, August 12, 2011.
  •  “Tortious Interference Arising from Filing or Threatening to File a Lawsuit: The Privilege Defense in Flux,” The Houston Lawyer; September/October, 2003.
  •  “The 1979 Amendments Revolutionized the Texas Statutes of Limitations. But it was Not Recognized Until Almost 11 Years Later,” Texas Bar Journal, Vol. 54, No. 4, April, 1991.
  • Served on the Board of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists.
  • Served as the President of the Houston Chapter of the Christian Legal Society.
  • Performed significant pro bono legal services for many clients who could not afford to pay an attorney.
  • Mentored underprivileged high school students through Breakthrough Houston.

He lives in Bellaire, Texas with his wife Carol, and has two adult children. He is an avid cyclist and consumer of political news. He and Carol are active members at Christ the King Presbyterian Church.