Biography
Nancy Wells Hamilton has appeared in federal and state courts in Texas, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia for clients who have included CNN, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, CBS, Inc., The Tribune Company, and U.S. Trust. Nancy is a frequent writer and lecturer on trial tactics and media law, including What to do When the Media Calls and Building Rapport in the Courthouse for the Texas State Bar; Trial Techniques for the Media Law Resource Center Annual Conferences in 2006 and 2008; an appearance on PBS Houston’s KUHT-TV program The Connection on videotaping jury deliberations; and a Texas State Bar Pattern Jury Charge project.
Education
B.A., Skidmore College
J.D., University of Houston Law Center
Bar Admissions
Texas, 1990
Court Admissions
United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Fifth and Seventh Circuits
United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Nancy was instrumental in securing a dismissal for Houston’s Dynamo Stadium LLC, Houston’s major league soccer venue, and the Stadium security manager, Nathan Buchanan, in a civil rights lawsuit involving the waving of a Palestinian flag by an attendee at a Honduras v. Israel soccer game. Nancy and co-counsel Joel R. Glover moved for summary judgment and in granting the motion, the judge ruled that the plaintiff did not provide evidence that the defendants acted on account of the plaintiff’s race, ethnicity or national origin or that the government was involved in the defendants’ actions, both necessary requirements for a civil rights case to go forward.
“There was no evidence of the government actually being involved in this incident,” said Nancy in an article about the case published in the Houston Chronicle on November 19, 2015. “Nor was there any evidence that the stadium personnel were enforcing any city ordinance.” “There was no evidence that the stadium personnel were aware of her race and nationality,” and no violations of her civil rights,” as the court so found.
- Matthew Miles Barasch v. CBS Television Distribution as a Division of CBS Studios, Inc., 2018 – In the Court of Appeal of the State of California, Second Appellate District, Division One
- Buthayna Hammad v. Dynamo Stadium, LLC and Nathan Buchanan, 2015 – In the United States District Court; Southern District of Texas
- Deepak Kalpoe et al v. Phillip C. McGraw, et al, 2015 – Second District Court of Appeals
- Southern Chemical Corporation v. Celanese Ltd., 2012 – U.S. District Court – 190th Judicial District, Harris County, TX
- The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.), 2005-2022
- Litigation – First Amendment, 2012-2022
- First Amendment Law, 2008-2011
- Outstanding Service Award, Skidmore College, 2017
- Kristi Couvillon Pro Bono Award, Texas Civil Rights Project, 2013
- Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters), 2003
- Top Lawyer, H Texas magazine
- AV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
- Houston Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas
- Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Skidmore College
- Chair-Elect, Board of Trustees (Since 2019)
- Board of Directors
- Council of 100
- KMV Campaign Committee
- Alumni Board
- First Amendment Litigation
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- Media Litigation