Profile
Elizabeth Ross Hadley focuses her practice on both government law and policy and litigation matters.
Elizabeth is Board Certified in legislative and campaign law by The Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS). Her government practice includes representing clients with legislative, regulatory, and administrative issues across all policy areas, with an emphasis on insurance regulation, economic development, technology, health care, education, the Texas Public Information Act, procurement matters, and campaign finance compliance in Texas. She has an intimate understanding of legislative and government agency processes given her prior experience working within the U.S. Senate, the Texas State Senate, and the Texas Department of Agriculture. Elizabeth utilizes this knowledge to provide exceptional service to clients in their interactions with Texas government, including advocating for clients before the Texas legislature and assisting clients with the rule-making process and advising on regulatory matters before state agencies, boards and commissions, as well as handling open records matters before the Texas Attorney General.
Her litigation practice includes the representation of pharmaceutical, consumer products, and medical device companies in national products liability and mass torts matters, as well as representation of insurance companies, financial institutions, health care providers, public and private corporations, and state governmental entities in various litigation-related matters. Elizabeth has wide-ranging trial experience in state and federal courts in both Texas and Mississippi, including first and second chair in jury and bench trials, motions practice, discovery, and mediation. She has handled cases from start to finish working with legal teams across the country to achieve desirable results for clients whether they are individuals, small businesses or large corporations.
Elizabeth’s advocacy for clients both in the legislature as well as in the courts gives her a unique perspective into how laws affect businesses and allows her to advise clients from both a legal and legislative viewpoint. This enables Elizabeth to provide valuable insight to clients whether they are working through the legislative, regulatory or litigation process, and a strategic approach to the client’s needs that encompasses one or all of these strategies.
Capabilities
Experience
- Represents clients before the Texas State Legislature and Executive Branch.
- Represents clients in regulatory matters before Texas state agencies, boards and commissions.
- Represented international pharmaceutical company on matters before the Texas legislature as well as on litigation matters.
- Represents national insurance companies on legislative and regulatory matters in Texas.
- Represents life and health insurance companies on compliance issues in Texas.
- Represents international software company on legislative and procurement-related matters in Texas.
- Represents non-profit associations on pro bono matters before the Texas legislature.
- Represents property and casualty insurance claims adjuster association on legislative and regulatory matters in Texas.
- Represents association of insurance agents and financial advisors on legislative and regulatory matters in Texas.
- Represented autonomous vehicle company in legislative matters before the Texas legislature.
- Defends pharmaceutical and medical device companies in products liability claims and mass torts litigation in Mississippi and Texas.
- Defends clients against Deceptive Trade Practices Act claims in Texas.
- Defends public and private sector clients involved in Freedom of Information Act requests under the Texas Public Information Act before the Texas Attorney General.
- Assistant Commissioner for Marketing, Texas Department of Agriculture, Hon. Todd Staples, Commissioner
- General Counsel and Policy Analyst, Hon. Kip Averitt, Texas State Senator, District 22 Chairman, Senate Committee on Natural Resources
- Assistant Foreign Policy Advisor, Senate Majority Leader’s Office, U.S. Senator Trent Lott
- Intern, U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, June 1995-August 1995
- Intern, Highbury Corner Magistrates Court, London, England, January 1995-May 1995
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Administrative / Regulatory Law; Government Relations Practice; Insurance Law, 2021-2024
- Listed, Super Lawyers Magazine, Texas Super Lawyers, 2019-2023
- Listed, Austin Monthly Magazine, "Top Attorneys in Austin," 2020-2023
- Team Member, a Law360 “Product Liability Practice Group of the Year,” 2021-2022
- Team Member, The American Lawyer’s “Products Liability Litigation Department of the Year,” 2018
- Team Member, Best Lawyers in America® "Top Listed – Government Relations," 2018
- Recipient, Tahirih Justice Center’s Pro Bono “Legislative Champion Award,” 2017
- Team Member, BTI Power Rankings, “The 16 Strongest Firms for ‘Go-To Outside Counsel’ Insurance Work,” 2016
- Finalist, Austin Under 40 Award (Governmental Affairs), 2015
- Finalist, Austin Under 40 Award (Legal), 2014
- Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Government Relations Law Firm of the Year," 2014
- Ranked, Tier 1 – Government Relations, Austin Metropolitan Area
Professional
- Member, State Bar of Texas
- Chair, State Bar of Texas Legislative and Campaign Law Section, 2019-2020
- Member, Law360 Editorial Advisory Board, Texas, 2022-2024
- Member, Austin Bar Association
- Member, Mississippi Bar Association
- Member, Defense Research Institute
- Chair, Northern Region, Young Lawyers Association, Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association, 2007-2008
Community
- Advisory Board Member, University of Mississippi Department of Political Science, 2018-Present
- Member, The Junior League of Austin, Texas, 2010-Present
- Chair, Junior League FIT ("Food in Tummies") Program, 2015-2016
- Board Member, Dress for Success Austin, Board of Directors, 2013-Present
- Board President, 2022
- Vice-President, Mississippi Society of Washington D.C., 2001
Credentials
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J.D., The University of Mississippi School of Law
- First Place, Moot Court Trial Competition
- Member, National Trial Competition Team
- Legal Research Assistant, Professor of Corporate Law
- Scholarship Recipient as the Outstanding Student in Trial Practice awarded by the Mississippi Bar Association
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B.A., Political Science, The University of Mississippi
- Dean’s List
- Chancellor’s Honor Roll
- Texas
- Mississippi
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas