Deer Park, TX

John K. Zaid

Houston personal injury attorney John K. Zaid is dedicated to helping people who have suffered serious personal injuries and/or death and assisting families that have lost loved ones in fatal accidents. He offers aggressive and relentless representation combined with personal one-on-one attention. He has been selected to the Texas Rising Stars list for 2015 and 2016, nominated for H Texas Magazine Top Lawyers for 2013-2016, recognized by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Under 40 for 2013-2016, Houstonia Magazine Top Lawyers 2015, and The National Association of Distinguished Counsel in 2015 and 2016. He was also nominated by The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Texas.

Steve Shellist

Meet Steven Shellist, a practicing trial attorney and legal analyst for ABC-13. During law school, Steven Shellist worked for a personal injury law firm where he gained valuable experience in this arena. But, after graduating from law school, he knew that if he was to gain trial experience, it would have to be in the criminal law realm. Upon graduation, he took a position with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA.) While serving as prosecutor, he spent time in the misdemeanor, Justice of the Peace, juvenile, and felony divisions where he gained valuable insight into the inner-workings of the criminal justice system. Mr. Shellist was selected as one of five Prosecutors to act on behalf of the office reviewing and handling automobile fatality cases, as part of the original Vehicular Accident Team (V.A.T.) and as such, he received specialized training in the areas of Driving While Intoxicated, Intoxication Manslaughter and Accident Reconstruction. From there, he moved on to prosecute a wide range of criminal cases, from assault and white-collar theft to drug trafficking and family violence. Mr. Shellist tried over 65 jury trials as a Prosecutor, ranging from 1st degree Felonies to Class C Misdemeanors. He had a record of winning over 90% of those trials. Additionally, he reviewed and investigated thousands of cases on behalf of the State of Texas . Mr. Shellist left the office under the title of Chief County Court. Prosecutor where he was responsible for all case decisions, as well as the training and supervision of Assistant District Attorney’s in his county court. In 2006, Mr. Shellist left the District Attorney’s Office and founded Shellist, Peebles & McAlister, L.L.P. Due to his training and experience as a Prosecutor, combined with the relationships that he has forged with Judges, civil attorneys and prosecutors alike, he has been able to achieve tremendous results for his clients. To date he has first-chaired over 200 jury trials in both state and federal courts. Mr. Shellist has access to an impressive network of lawyers in all disciplines, former law enforcement private investigators and experts nationwide ready and able to assist him and his clients. He handles criminal and civil matters both in and outside of Texas. His areas of expertise include personal injury ranging from auto accidents to wrongful death suits; complex criminal defense, litigation strategy and problem solving. His passion is trying difficult cases to a jury and achieving life changing results for his clients. It doesn’t matter whether he is arguing for millions of dollars for a client who was wrongfully injured or whether he is fighting to keep someone out of prison for the rest of his life, what matters to Mr. Shellist is that he convinces a jury to see things his way! When he is not working, he donates his time to the various boards and foundations that he sits upon. He is a frequent lecturer, speaker and presenter in the areas of criminal defense, healthcare fraud/compliance and personal injury. He is also honored to serve as the legal analyst for ABC-13 news station in Houston, Texas, where he is asked to opine on a variety of legal matters.

Garrett Gibbins

Garrett Gibbins is an Associate attorney at John K. Zaid & Associates, with extensive experience in personal injury and criminal defense. He graduated with high honors from Southwestern University with a business degree and from Texas Tech School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in Texas, South Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Illinois, with Tennessee licensure pending, and is admitted to practice in several U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, with U.S. Supreme Court licensure pending. He has been recognized as a Top 40 Attorney under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers Association and the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.

Sean T. McAlister

Sean T. McAlister is a native Houstonian. He is a Class of 1996 graduate from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas with a double major in Finance and Accounting. While at Texas A&M University he held various leadership positions in campus organizations and honed his writing skills as an opinion columnist for the University’s Student Newspaper, The Battalion. After graduating from Texas A&M, Mr. McAlister attended law school at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas and received his Juris Doctorate in 2000. While at SMU, he volunteered his time at the public defenders office in Dallas County. After graduating from Law School in 2000, he accepted a position with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA). Mr. McAlister spent six years at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office honing his skills as an advocate and trial lawyer. During his tenure as an ADA, He was a Chief Prosecutor on both the County Court and District Court level. In District Court, Mr. McAlister was responsible for the handling of the most serious of felony cases including Aggravated Robberies, Aggravated Sexual Assaults and Murders. He also spent a significant amount of time in the Juvenile Division assigned to each of the three Juvenile District Courts in Harris County. He has handled all aspects of Juvenile cases from stipulations to certification hearings and trials. Mr. McAlister has tried over 60 first chair trials, ranging from 1st degree Felonies to Class C Misdemeanors. While at the District Attorney’s office he also handled three second chair Capital Murder trials. As a prosecutor he had an outstanding success rate at trial, with only two not guilty verdicts in District Court. He is also a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, an honorary society of lawyers who are among the best trained attorneys in Texas.

Sammy O. Homsi

Sammy O. Homsi is an Associate attorney at John K. Zaid & Associates. He graduated with High Honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern Studies and earned his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Houston Law Center. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas and has experience in personal injury, employment law, and maritime law.

Marisa Leon

Marisa Leon was born and raised in Texas City, Texas. Marisa graduated from the University of Houston-Clear Lake with a degree in Healthcare Administration and earned her law degree from South Texas College of Law. Marisa is a Spanish speaking attorney who practiced family law and insurance defense prior to becoming an entrepreneur. She co-founded a nationwide court reporting firm as the Executive Vice President and assisted in the company’s growth for the next several years. Marisa returned to the practice of law where her experience as an attorney and entrepreneur have been invaluable to her in understanding the needs of her clients and helping clients achieve their desired outcome. Marisa always had a special interest in personal injury which led her to The Shellist Law Firm where she continues to assist clients with their personal injury needs. At the Shellist Law Firm, Marisa uses her prior experiences in healthcare and insurance defense to give the firm’s clients a tactical advantage. Marisa considers it a privilege to help clients get the justice they deserve. No matter what type of case a client was involved in, Marisa is there for the firm’s clients when they need her most. Marisa is a Past President and current Board of Director for the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston. She has been a Board of Director since 2010 and was awarded the President’s Award twice in recognition of her exemplary service and dedication to the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston. Marisa has two children, Daniel and Alyssa, both away at college. In her free time, Marisa enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Danielle R. Garcia

Danielle R. Garcia is a Senior Associate attorney at John K. Zaid & Associates. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from St. Mary’s University and a Juris Doctor degree from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where she graduated Cum Laude. She is admitted to the Texas Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, with experience in immigration, family, and personal injury law.