How Attorneys at Dean Omar Branham Shirley Are Giving Back to Clients and Communities Near and Far

When asked to identify the best $100 he recently spent, seasoned attorney and successful entrepreneur Trey Branham gave an answer that had very little to do with legal services or business development. “Donating to a family that had lost everything in a fire,” he responded. “It’s so important to make sure you never forget just how lucky you are and that life can change in an instant.”

Branham became the first member of his family to graduate from college when he earned his Bachelor of Science in political science from Florida State University. He subsequently went to work in Washington, D.C., where he saw countless ordinary people fail time and time again to get the help that they so desperately needed and deserved. Seemingly infinite legal complications stood in the way of simple and essential justice far too often.

“One of the things that my mother has always said is that you can do well by doing good,” Branham says. “I think as a firm, that is what we do for all of our clients; take a system that is complicated and complex and scary at a time in their lives when they’re having the worst experiences of their lives and guide them through a very scary process.”

Driven by a deep desire to make a positive difference, Branham decided to attend law school, securing his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina in 1999. After graduation, he found employment at a large corporate law firm, but he didn’t forget the struggles of working-class people who lived in communities nearly identical to where he had grown up.

Trey Branham’s desire to “focus his energy on representing people with real, life-altering problems” ultimately led him to join forces with the like-minded team at the Dallas law firm of Dean Omar Branham Shirley. “We focus on helping people who are seriously hurt in the worst moments of their lives and try and give them the best representation we can against some of the world’s largest companies,” he says. “The secret to our success is no real secret at all. We work hard, every day, to make sure our clients’ voices are heard.”

Lawyers don’t always enjoy a positive reputation. But that’s what sets Dean Omar apart: This firm cares about clients and the community. With a vision statement that stresses compassionate service to clients and their families, Dean Omar Branham Shirley is dedicated to fighting fearlessly for the powerless to achieve justice for “those who need and deserve it.” The firm has the power and expertise needed to represent blue-collar Americans pitted against the massive legal resources of negligent corporations.

In light of its history of providing legal platforms that give voice to the formerly voiceless, Dean Omar Branham Shirley has garnered a well-deserved reputation as a hub for justice. It strives to serve as the best “defense for people being victimized, and the protection of those same people from mishandling by corporate professionals.”

In particular, Dean Omar Branham Shirley has a proven track record of aiding people dealing with the debilitating effects of mesothelioma. Through its large mesothelioma lawsuits, the firm has guided suffering cancer patients and their families through dark, confusing, and frightening times.

When asked what she most enjoys about being an attorney, Dean Omar Branham Shirley partner Jessica Dean responded, “The idea that I get to work almost entirely with people who are very similar to those of my family, socioeconomic status, and core values while using my mind to fight for people. This job just seems tailored for me.”

Jessica Dean thinks back to her days as a young lawyer when she interviewed with a firm that specialized in representing people who had cancer after working around or with asbestos. “I remembered the passion of those who ended up hiring me,” she said. “They wanted to take on corporate greed and fight for individuals who for the most part were strangers to the legal system.”

Jessica Dean recalls, “I had so much to learn but fell in love with the practice of law where I was on the side of those who had terrible things happen to them and where their losses were preventable. When I started a firm with two of my friends, I wanted to continue that work but find a way to focus on fewer cases.”

This formula has led Dean Omar Branham Shirley to tremendous success and allowed it to provide exceptional service to clients who may otherwise struggle to find quality representation. “One of our core values as a firm is consistency in the care that we give,” remarked Jessica Dean. “I think that that’s one of the most difficult things to do.”

In addition to its considerable experience with mesothelioma litigation, Dean Omar Branham Shirley has achieved just and restorative legal outcomes for clients in shareholder liability, unpaid wages, product liability, and general consumer class action. The firm is dedicated to holding even the largest corporate entities accountable for their actions, engendering positive social change, and making individual communities safer and more productive by advocating for responsible decision-making at the highest levels.

As part of its commitment to fighting for the average worker and consumer, Dean Omar Branham Shirley provides free case reviews to people and families with legitimate grievances in any of its established practice areas. To date, it has successfully represented thousands of victimized clients nationwide.

Dean Omar Branham Shirley’s noteworthy accomplishments on behalf of its client base have garnered recognition from several respected nonprofit organizations and authoritative media sources. Most recently, firm partner Jessica Dean was ranked among the 500 top plaintiff consumer lawyers globally, according to the leading legal news provider Lawdragon. Jessica Dean takes her place on the Lawdragon 500 list quite seriously, saying that it means a lot coming from an organization that so highly prizes “people that have made a difference fighting for people.”

The courtroom isn’t the only place the lawyers at Dean Omar are fighting for the underdog. They’ve set up a scholarship fund to create the next generation of justice heroes. “We have a foundation here at the law firm that we set up a couple of years ago,” says Branham. “The stated goal of the foundation is that it contributes to civil rights and civil justice causes, and it’s designed to afford some scholarship money for Dallas students engaged in debate or prelaw pursuits in high school to fund their ability to go to college. We have a committee here at the firm consisting of our employees, and they make recommendations. They interview the scholarship applicants and make recommendations to the partners who ought to get the financing. And I can’t think of an instance in which we did not follow their recommendation.”