R. Blake Brunkenhoefer

Robert "Blake" Brunkenhoefer is a second generation South Texas trial lawyer specializing in the litigation of personal injury and wrongful death claims on behalf of accident victims and their families. He has been practicing trial law since 1992 and, in the intervening years, Mr. Brunkenhoefer has successfully resolved more than 1,000 cases, many of which have resulted in substantial verdicts or settlements for his clients.

Mr. Brunkenhoefer is typically known for his work in the areas of trucking accidents, maritime law, and workplace negligence, where he has obtained significant jury verdicts ranging from over a million dollars to nearly twenty million dollars. However, Mr. Brunkenhoefer has obtained significant jury verdicts and settlements in a wide variety of cases, including: auto/trucking accidents; "seamen's" cases (i.e., "Jones Act" negligence & vessel "unseaworthiness," including injuries incurred in connection with mobile offshore drilling units, offshore service vessels, cargo ships, fishing vessels, etc.); Outer Continental Shelf Land Act claims of third-party contractors on offshore platforms; Longshore & Harbor Workers" Compensation Act (§905(b) claims of longshoremen against vessels); oilfield/refinery accidents; construction/contractor negligence; roadway construction negligence; defective products; premises liability (slip & fall) & premises negligence (employee neglect); and, breach of contract. As a result of his national practice, Mr. Brunkenhoefer has been admitted pro hac vice (i.e., on a temporary basis, for the duration of a particular case) in numerous state and federal courts around the country. He has handled cases from Washington, Oregon and California in the west, to Florida, Maryland and Virginia in the east; and Texas and Louisiana in the south, to Minnesota in the north; and many other states along the way.

Mr. Brunkenhoefer is a member of numerous professional organizations where he has served the following roles: Corpus Christi Bar Association, Director, 2001-2002; Hidalgo County Bar Association, Member; State Bar of Texas, District 11-A Grievance Committee: Member, 2003-2006 & Panel Chair 2006-2008; College of the State Bar of Texas, Member; The Texas Center for Legal Ethics & Professionalism, Member; Texas Trial Lawyers Association, Sustaining Member; American Association for Justice (f/k/a ATLA), "M Club"; Maritime Law Association of the United States, Member; Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, Port Director, 2001-2003; Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America, Member.

In respect of his results on behalf of accident victims, Mr. Brunkenhoefer has received many awards and honors, including being given the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards (AV) by the Martindale-Hubbell peer review system, being selected as a Texas Super Lawyer (2011), and being invited to join the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Moreover, as a result of his expertise in the highly-specialized area of admiralty and maritime law, Mr. Brunkenhoefer was identified by his peers as a "Top Notch" Lawyer: Admiralty/Maritime Law (Texas Lawyer "Go To" Guide – 2007). He was the only plaintiff's lawyer on the list. In addition, he has been asked to present or participate in seminars on various subjects within the field of maritime law, including: An Overview of Maritime Personal Injuries, R. Blake Brunkenhoefer and Les Cassidy, CORPUS CHRISTI BAR ASSOCIATION'S "ADVANCED PERSONAL INJURY LAW SEMINAR" (Corpus Christi 2005); A Survey on the Impact of Katrina and Rita on the Marine Industry, panel member, "SECOND ANNUAL MARINE & ENERGY SEMINAR" (Las Vegas 2006); and, Compulsory Arbitration for American Seamen, R. Blake Brunkenhoefer and E. Carroll Rogers, LOUISIANA TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION'S "HIGH STAKES ON THE HIGH SEAS: A MARITIME LAW CONFERENCE" (New Orleans 2006).