Bio
Summer focuses her practice in the areas of insurance coverage and extra-contractual litigation. She represents both insurers and policyholders in matters including breach of contract, construction defects, disputes involving coverage for additional insureds, primary and excess coverage, first-party property losses, professional liability, and bad faith.
Summer has devoted nearly three decades to learning the ins and outs of the insurance industry. She obtained a property and casualty agent’s license in 1996, a life, accident, health and HMO license in 1999, and a Texas adjuster’s license in 2020. Prior to attending law school, she spent more than a decade working with a major insurer. She has served as both an in-house coverage counsel and a claims counsel. Through these experiences, Summer has gained a rare understanding of the interwoven relationships among insureds, agents, underwriters, adjusters, and brokers. This diverse experience allows her a unique ability to provide clients with invaluable insight from all sides of the table.
In 2000, Summer received her B.S. in criminal justice from the University of North Texas. She received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law in 2008. Prior to graduation, she completed a clerkship with the Texas Department of Insurance.
Summer is married with three children, two dogs, and two cats. She enjoys traveling with her family, fishing, and cooking.
Admitted
Texas, 2009
U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
Education
J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, 2008
B.S., University of North Texas, 2000
Honors
Texas Super Lawyers® Rising Stars® list, Thomson Reuters Legal (2012 – 2014)
Texas Super Lawyers® list, Thomson Reuters Legal (2014)
Affiliations
Dallas Bar Association, Tort and Insurance Section
Publications
Cybersecurity Insurance: Current Conditions, October 2022 ed. of Headnotes
Cybersecurity Insurance: Both Valuable and Bewildering, June 2022
An Overview of Construction Liability Insurance in Texas, 15th Annual Construction Symposium, Cooper & Scully, P.C., January 2020
Appraisals, 26th Annual Insurance Symposium, Cooper & Scully, P.C., April 2019
Why We Could Cry Over Spilled Milk, Cooper & Scully Newsletter, September 2018
SIU/Fraud - Red Flag!, 25th Annual Insurance Symposium, Cooper & Scully, P.C., April 2018
Update on Statute of Limitations in Texas Bad Faith Claims, Law 360, January 2017
How Late is Too Late to Amend Insurance Appraisals?, Law 360, September 2016
Eight Corners and True Facts, November 2013 ed. of Headnotes
Auto Coverage Under General Liability Policies, co-authored article for presentation at 16th Annual Insurance Law Conference, Austin, Texas
Cases
Finger Oil & Gas Inc. v. Mid-Continent Cas. Co., 5-20-CV-00712, 2021 WL 1241972 (W.D. Tex. Apr. 27, 2022), aff’d, No. 22-50432, 2023 WL 581650 (5th Cir. Jan. 27, 2023)
Mid-Continent Cas. Co. v. McCollum Custom Homes, Inc., 461 F. Supp. 3d 516 (S.D. Tex. 2020), aff’d, No. 2020-20439, 2020 WL 8569300 (5th Cir. 2020).
Liberty Surplus Ins. Corp. v. Century Ins. Co., No. H-18-1444, 2019 WL 3067504 (S.D. Tex. July 12, 2019)
Colony Ins. Co. v. Marty D. Price, et al., 622 F. Appx 311 (5th Cir. 2015)
Quibodeaux, et al. v. Nautilus Ins. Co., 1:10-cv-739, 2015 WL 1406375 (E.D. Tex. Mar. 25, 2015), aff’d, 655 F. Appx 984 (5th Cir. 2016)
Berkley Assur. Co. v. Serrano, No. EP-14-CV-00135-DCG (W.D. Tex. Dec. 9, 2014)
Acadia Ins. Co., et al. v. Jacob & Martin, Ltd., et al., No. 4:13-cv-798-O (N.D. Tex. May 28, 2014)
Argonaut Midwest Ins. Co. v. XP Servs., Inc., No. H-12-2304, 2014 WL 12531515 (S.D. Tex. Jan. 9, 2014)
Colony Nat’l Ins. Co. v. Unique Indus. Prod. Co., 487 F. Appx 888 (5th Cir. 2012)
Nautilus Ins. Co. v. S. Vanguard Ins. Co., 899 F. Supp. 2d 538 (N.D. Tex. 2012)
Nat’l Fire Ins. of Hartford v. C. Hodges & Associates, PLLC, 825 F. Supp. 2d 792 (W.D. Tex. 2011)
Gemini Ins. Co. v. Hayssam Allaov d/b/a Am. Auto Center, No. H-10-3413, 2011 WL 3323120 (S.D. Tex. Aug. 2, 2011)
Key Construction, Inc. v. Colony Ins. Co., No. 3-10-CV-0297-BD, 2011 WL 2728138 (N.D. Tex. July 13, 2011)
Nautilus Ins. Co. v. Tex. State Sec. & Patrol, No. SA-09-CA-390-OG, 2010 WL 3239157 (W.D. Tex. June 8, 2010)
Am. States Ins. Co. v. Miranda & Boyaki, LLP, 384 F. Appx 412 (5th Cir. 2010)
