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Tammy Banno is the managing partner of Freese & Goss and manages all aspects of litigation and daily operations for the firm.

Tammy brings over 25 years of experience representing plaintiffs in all areas of mass tort and personal injury law. Her entire legal career has been dedicated to representing individuals harmed by the negligence of others.

Tammy was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She attended the University of North Texas (B.A.A.S 1995) for her undergraduate studies. She then attended Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly, Texas Wesleyan School of Law) where she obtained her Juris Doctorate in 1999.

Tammy began her legal career at a prominent local law firm representing plaintiffs in personal injury and employment law matters. She then expanded her practice to mass tort litigation, consumer class actions, and product liability actions, eventually forming her firm. In 2007, Tammy joined Freese & Goss where she continued to focus her practice in areas of mass tort, personal injury, consumer class actions, and complex product liability litigation.

Throughout her career, Tammy has represented thousands of individuals throughout the country in both state and federal courts harmed by dangerous drugs and medical devices, consumer products, and other personal injury matters. She has also been an integral member of negotiating teams that have resolved numerous large groups of cases involving pharmaceutical and device litigation, including the settlement of cases involving transvaginal mesh, hernia mesh, and the drugs Fen-Phen, Seroquel, Lotronex, Zyprexa, Bextra, Avandia, Celebrex, Trasylol, Topamax and Vioxx. Tammy has extensive knowledge and experience developing and effectuating all aspects of complex mass tort settlements. She has overseen all settlement and administrative aspects of some of the firm’s largest mass tort settlements.

Legal Awards & Distinctions

Ms. Banno has received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbel®, which signifies the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards. This rating is achieved based on reviews submitted by her peers in the legal community

Education

· University of North Texas, B.A.A.S.

· Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly, Texas Wesleyan School of Law), J.D.

Distinctions

· AV rating from Martindale-Hubbel®

Admissions

· Texas State Bar, 1999

· U.S. District Court

· Northern District of Texas

· U.S. District Court

· Southern District of Texas

· Dallas Bar Association

· American Bar Association

· Texas Trial Lawyers Association

· American Association for Justice

Yvette Diaz grew up in the Dallas area and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating from UT, Yvette joined Freese & Goss and worked as a legal assistant for nearly two years helping those injured by the negligence of others. Motivated by her experience at the firm, she decided to pursue a career in law. She attended Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in Chicago, IL graduating in 2014.

Yvette has dedicated her entire legal career to representing and fighting for injured individuals. She has represented injured plaintiffs across the country and has extensive litigation and trial experience. At Freese & Goss, Yvette has helped tried significant cases in both state and federal courts securing million-dollar verdicts for injured plaintiffs against some of the largest corporations. In 2020, Yvette was selected by the National Trial Lawyers for inclusion in its Top 40 under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers, an honor given to only a select group of lawyers for their superior skills and qualifications in the field. Since 2019, Yvette has been named a Texas Rising Star by SuperLawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Yvette’s passion has always been representing the underdog in the fight against large corporations and insurance companies. She is proud to be part of a firm whose mission is to represent all its injured clients with relentless aggressiveness and complete dedication.

Yvette focuses her practice in all areas of personal injury and mass tort law. Currently, she represents individuals injured in car wrecks, 18-wheeler collisions, motorcycle collisions, pedestrian collisions, slip and falls, general negligence, work injuries, and dog bite cases.

In her spare time, Yvette enjoys spending time with loved ones, traveling, and snuggling up to her English Bulldog.

Education

· The University of Texas at Austin, B.S.

· Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, J.D.

Distinctions

· National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, 2020

· Texas Rising Star, 2019

Admissions

· Texas State Bar, 2014

· U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, 2019

· U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 2019

Liz Douglass grew up in Houston, Texas, and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Minor in Business. After graduating from UT, Liz worked as a legal case clerk at a civil litigation firm for nearly two years. Deciding to pursue a career as an attorney, she attended Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and obtained her Juris Doctorate in 2020.

Liz focuses her practice in all areas of mass tort and personal injury law. She represents clients in state and federal courts across the country. In 2023, Liz was selected by the National Trial Lawyers for inclusion in its Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers, an honor given to only a select few of the most qualified attorneys from each state for their superior skills and qualifications in the field.

Education

· The University of Texas at Austin, B.A.

· Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, J.D.

Distinctions

· National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, 2023

Admissions

· Texas State Bar

· U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas

Sara Turman-Vedral was born and raised in Chadron, Nebraska. She attended the Texas Christian University where she was a National Merit Scholar, graduating in 1994 (B.A. magna cum laude). She then attended Southern Methodist University School of Law where she was a Hatton Sumners Scholar and obtained her Juris Doctorate in 1997(cum laude). While at the Southern Methodist University School of Law, Sara served as the editor for the Southern Methodist University Law Review (1995-1997). She is admitted to the following courts: the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits; the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Sara started her legal career in 1997 with Jose, Henry, Brantley & Keltner. She specialized in appellate matters and personal injury cases. In 2000, she formed the Law Office of Sara Turman-Vedral. She subsequently joined Freese & Goss. As an appellate specialist, Sara has had the opportunity to touch on a broad array of legal areas. She has developed a special interest in working on complex litigation matters including class actions, mass tort litigation, personal injury, and consumer actions.

Education

· Texas Christian University, B.A.

· Southern Methodist University School of Law, J.D.

Admissions

· Texas State Bar, 1997

· Dallas Bar Association

· Nebraska Bar, 2000

· U.S. Court of Appeals for Fifth Circuit

· U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

· U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas

Attorney Caroline Swanson is an associate at Freese & Goss, PLLC. Caroline was born and raised in Baton Rouge, LA. She attended Louisiana State University where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and a Minor in Political Science. After graduating from LSU, Caroline attended law school at Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center and obtained her Juris Doctorate with a Diploma in Comparative Law and a Graduate Certificate in Energy Law and Policy in 2022.

Caroline focuses her practice in all areas of mass tort and personal injury law, including but not limited to, product liability cases and cases involving dangerous drugs and consumer products. In her practice, Caroline represents hundreds of injured individuals across the country in both state and federal courts.

In her spare time, Caroline enjoys taking her Goldendoodle, Rowdie, on a walk, reading, and spending time with friends and family.

Education

· Louisiana State University, B.A

· Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, J.D.

Admissions

· Texas State Bar, 2023

· U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas.

Drew Warren was born in Texarkana, Texas, and graduated from neighboring Arkansas High School in Texarkana, Arkansas. Drew worked in the oil/gas industry in Fort Worth, Texas before completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Central Arkansas, where he graduated summa cum laude in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He then attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law, where he obtained a Juris Doctorate and was a member of the UALR Law Review.

Drew began his legal practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a national law firm focusing on personal injury, including medical malpractice, childbirth injury, and product liability. While in Philadelphia, Drew also worked for a high-profile, full-service civil litigation firm where he defended corporations, insurance companies, employers, trucking companies, and numerous businesses and individuals in high-stakes product liability and casualty litigation. It was during his time defending “big business” that Drew realized his true passion was helping victims injured by dangerous and faulty products.

Drew’s practice focuses on personal injury litigation and includes a variety of product liability mass tort litigations, including Baby Formula, Transvaginal Mesh, and IVC Filters. While based in Dallas, Drew regularly represents clients in state and federal courts across the United States, including California and Pennsylvania.

Admissions

· State of Texas

· U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

· State of California

· U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

· U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

· Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Attorney Kip Nesmith is of counsel to Freese & Goss, PLLC. After graduating from the University of Alabama School of Law, Mr. Nesmith began his career with a civil litigation law firm defending corporations, banks, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, automotive companies, and numerous businesses in a nationwide defense practice.

Mr. Nesmith successfully defended banks, bank officers, financial advisors, and broker-dealers in numerous jury trials and /or final arbitration hearings, achieving multiple zero awards under federal and state securities laws. Not all of his practice was on the defense side, however, as he also obtained a multi-million-dollar verdict for a regional construction firm following a two-week arbitration in a dispute arising from a joint venture agreement. Mr. Nesmith has successfully litigated numerous jury trials in both state and federal courts, having recently obtained a favorable settlement for a local client following a two-week trial in a highly publicized case in Jefferson County. Mr. Nesmith also serves as a FINRA arbitrator.

After eighteen years on the defense side of the docket, Mr. Nesmith has turned his focus and his practice to helping those who have been injured or harmed by others. He now primarily represents victims in medical device and pharmaceutical mass tort litigations around the country while continuing to represent clients in the automotive industry.

Education

· The University of Alabama, B.A.

· The University of Alabama School of Law, J.D.

Distinctions

· Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation: 2016-2024

· America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators: 2018-2024

· Benchmark Litigation, “40 & Under Hot List”: 2016, 2018, 2021

· Mid-South Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” General Litigation: 2016-2018

· Alabama Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” General Litigation: 2010, 2012-2016

· Top Attorneys, “Outstanding Young Lawyers in the Mid-South”: 2019

Memberships

Monday Morning Quarterback Club, Member and Fundraising Captain Dawson Baptist Church, Sunday School Leader for High School Seniors Mountain Brook Athletics, Volunteer Youth Coach

Publications and Articles

“Recent Cases and Decisions in Securities Law,” New Developments in Securities Litigation, Fall 2011 (co-authors Victor L. Hayslip and Benjamin B. Coulier)

“A New Prosecutorial Frontier – SEC Seeks Bans on Municipal Officials,” Bond Case Briefs, Municipal Finance Law Since 1971 (December 2014)

Kimberly Massey was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She later moved to Birmingham, Alabama to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Minor in Sociology. Kimberly taught 8th through 12th grade French before deciding to pursue law school. She attended Cumberland School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctorate in May 2020.

Experience

Admitted to the Alabama State Bar in 2020, Kimberly focuses her practice on complex civil litigation, product liability, and mass tort actions. She has represented people hurt by dangerous drugs and medical devices, as well as survivors of child sex abuse. Additionally, Kimberly represents clients in the automotive industry and corporate business clients.

Outside of practice, Kimberly enjoys spending time with her husband and their cat and two dogs.

Education

· University of Alabama at Birmingham, B.A.

· Cumberland School of Law, J.D.

Admissions

· Alabama State Bar, 2020

· U.S. District Court, Northern District of Alabama, 2021

· U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, 2023

· Illinois State Bar, (anticipated 2024)

Publications

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, Register No Evil Trademarks?: How Iancu v. Brunetti Changed Federal Trademark Law, AM. J. TRIAL ADVOC. (Sept. 16, 2019), https://wp.me/paIHWv-eR.

With the Recent Growth of the Public Domain, Will America See Another Copyright Term Extension?, AM. J. TRIAL ADVOC. (Feb. 12, 2019), https://wp.me/paIHWv-6P.

Recent Development, Intellectual Property—Three-Stripes and ‘You’re Out’ for Trademark Dilution?—adidas America, Inc. v. Skechers USA, Inc., 890 F.3d 747 (9th Cir. 2018), 42 AM. J. TRIAL ADVOC. 255 (2018).

Caryn Papantonakis is a trial lawyer who brings over twenty years of experience representing plaintiffs in all areas of mass tort and personal injury law, including but not limited to pharmaceutical and medical device product liability cases, as well as asbestos and first-party bad faith insurance cases. Caryn has managed all aspects of litigation from intake and discovery through to trial and has successfully negotiated millions of dollars in settlements on behalf of thousands of clients. She has taken hundreds of plaintiffs and expert depositions, prepared and argued various motions before federal and state courts, and participated in several trials.

Caryn is licensed to practice law in the States of Texas and Oklahoma as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. She has served on multiple Plaintiffs Steering Committees. She has done many speaking engagements. She is a member of the American Association of Justice, the Texas Trials Lawyers Association, and the Houston Bar Association. She is a Founding Board Member of Texas Women Rainmakers, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation aimed at empowering women through education, mentorship, and networking to advance themselves in the legal field and ultimately become their rainmaker. She was also named a Texas Super Lawyer for 2017-2024.

Education

· South Texas College of Law (J.D. 1999)

· Southern Methodist University (B.A. 1995)

Admissions

· State Bar of Texas, 1999

· United States District Court, Southern District of Texas 2000

· State Bar of Oklahoma, 2005

Professional Affiliations and Honors

· American Association of Justice

· Texas Trial Lawyers Association

· Houston Bar Association

· Women En Mass

· Texas Women Rainmakers Board Member (Founding member)

· Texas Super Lawyers 2017-2024

Greer Goss was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia, where she majored in both Media Studies and Political Philosophy, Policy & Law (PPL). Greer then received her J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where she was an editor for the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights. She is currently pursuing an MBA from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Before joining Freese & Goss, she was a commercial litigation associate at a global law firm, aiding commercial clients in various stages of litigation.

Education

· University of Virginia, B.A.

· University of Texas School of Law, J.D.

Admissions

· Texas State Bar, 2020

· U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas

· U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

· U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

· U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas