Channelview, TX

Brent Cordell

Houston attorney Brent Cordell practices exclusively in personal injury law. His number one focus is helping people with severe injuries get the legal representation they desire. Throughout his career, Attorney Cordell has helped thousands of injured people get the compensation they deserve. Attorney Cordell handles all types of personal injury cases, including car accidents, truck accidents, products liability, premises liability, insurance bad faith and work-related accidents. He is board certified in Personal Injury Law. Attorney Cordell received his Juris Doctorate degree from South Texas College of Law in 1999. He graduated from law school as a member of the Order of Barristers. While at South Texas he received the Dean's Outstanding Advocate Award; Finalist, American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition, 1999; Champion, National Moot Court Competition (Association of the Bar of New York), 1999; Champion, Texas Young Lawyers Association State Moot Court Competition, 1998. Prior to attending law school, he obtained his B.A. in economics from The University of Texas at Austin in 1995. Attorney Cordell handles cases all over the country and is admitted to practice law in the state of Texas, as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas. He is an active member of the American, Texas and Houston bar associations, is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Christian Trial Lawyers Association.

Michael Smith

Houston Attorney Michael Smith is a personal injury lawyer and co-founder of Smith & Hassler. Attorney Smith has a J.D. from the University of Houston College of Law (1982). He is licensed by the Supreme Court of the State of Texas (1980) and is licensed by the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma (2004). Attorney Smith was voted by his peers as one of Texas' Super Lawyers for 2002 and 2003 and represents the top 5 percent of the practicing attorneys in Texas. He has tried numerous personal injury cases to a jury verdict.

Fletcher F. Cockrell

Houston personal injury attorney Fletcher F. Cockrell received his Bachelor of Science from East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas and obtained his master's degree in administration from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He received his Jurisprudence Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law in Lansing, Michigan. He was born in Orange, Texas. Attorney Cockrell practices exclusively in personal injury, including 18-wheeler truck accidents, car accidents, wrongful death, toxic/chemical exposure, industrial accidents, maritime law, premises liability, products liability, wrongful termination, clergy abuse cases, and sexual harassment/retaliation. As a trial attorney and experienced litigator, Attorney Cockrell has tried numerous cases to jury verdicts. In addition to his responsibilities at Smith & Hassler, he has devoted considerable time to pro bono and charitable work, serving as the Chief Legal Counsel for the (TABC) Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Attorney Cockrell is a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, Galveston County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He is licensed and admitted to practice law in the State of Texas, as well as the United States District Courts for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas.

Albert M. Hassler III

Houston attorney Albert M. Hassler is a board-certified personal injury lawyer and named partner of Smith & Hassler, which he co-founded in 1989. His passion for representing injured Texans and their families was fueled when his sister was killed in a tragic truck accident by an overweight 18-wheeler in November 1988. Since that time, Attorney Hassler has worked tirelessly to fight for families impacted by the negligence of others. A graduate of Boston University School of Law, Attorney Hassler is licensed to practice in four states: Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire. Attorney Hassler has handled litigation in several different states around the country. In 1990, the Texas Board of Legal Specialization certified Attorney Hassler as a specialist in personal injury trial law. Attorney Hassler also served on the faculty of the University of Houston Law School as adjunct professor of Civil Trial Advocacy from 1989 to 1992 and is a member of numerous legal organizations, including the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and ATLA. Attorney Hassler attended the U.S. Naval Academy from 1970-1974 and served in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1976. He has received numerous awards for his service to the legal profession and the community, including a Special Achievement Award from the Texas Head Injury Foundation for his work with head injury clients. In his personal time, Attorney Hassler enjoys biking and backpacking with Jan, his wife of 25 years. He and Jan are also active in their church as teachers and mentors to young couples.

James Burkhalter

Houston Attorney James Burkhalter is an experienced lawyer who handles car accident claims and other personal injury cases at Smith & Hassler. He attended The University of Texas at Austin, majoring in political science and minoring in business and communications. He subsequently graduated from the University of Houston Law Center with both a Doctor of Jurisprudence and a Master of Laws in International Law. During his law school career, Attorney Burkhalter studied European Union Law in Ireland and Wales at both the University College Dublin and Bangor College, and worked at a criminal defense firm in Pristina, Kosovo. Prior to joining Smith & Hassler, Attorney Burkhalter gained valuable legal experience working at another Houston personal injury law firm.

Daragh Carter

Houston personal injury lawyer Daragh Carter graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston Law Center, class of 2005. Daragh also has a master's degree in applied psychology from the University of Ulster and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Queens University of Belfast. Prior to joining Smith & Hassler in 2006, Daragh was a litigation associate for Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. Daragh's practice is focused on personal injury law and insurance bad faith, and he is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas. He has tried many cases to a jury verdict. Daragh is an adjunct professor who teaches trial advocacy skills to future attorneys at his alma mater, the University of Houston Law Center. He is a member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association (HTLA). Daragh is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Brian Stansell

Houston attorney Brian J. Stansell is an experienced litigator who handles car accident and personal injury cases at Smith & Hassler. He is licensed to practice law in Texas. Attorney Stansell joined the firm following eight years of insurance defense work. He is a 2001 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a Dean's List student and completed a double major in English and history. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the South Texas College of Law in 2007, where he was named to the Dean's List and a member of the South Texas Law Review.