Lawyers
Martha G. Brown - Shareholder
I practice in the following areas:
Class Action and Mass Torts, Commercial Litigation, Healthcare, Insurance, Litigation, Products Liability, Professional Liability, Torts/Personal Injury
Practice:
Ms. Brown represents business clients in diverse areas of civil litigation in federal and state courts throughout New Mexico, at both trial and appellate levels. She has an active tort, product and professional liability defense practice, including representation of professionals and professional organizations, healthcare providers, product manufacturers, retail service providers, and other commercial entities. She provides advice and counsel to professional services entities and long term care providers on various issues, and represents them in the defense of malpractice and other liability claims. Her representation of commercial and non-profit entities has included defense of claims including lender liability, contract and other commercial disputes. She also has defended a variety of individual and public entity defendants on civil rights claims. She currently chairs the firm's Hospitality Service Group.
Representative Cases:
Class Actions
- Susan Bishop and Mark Skofield v. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, CV-99-07830 (Class action tried in New Mexico State court)
Commercial Litigation
- Pete DeGroot, et al. v. Western Commerce Bank of Carlsbad, CV-97-452-GLC
- LightPath Technologies, Inc. v. AON Risk Services, Inc. of Utah, CIV-02-1640 LH/RHS
Individual Claims
- Product Liability Litigation
○ Diverse products and manufacturing processes including pharmaceuticals and diet drugs, medical devices, exercise equipment, aircraft components; food service and equipment.
Professional Services
- Architects, engineers and legal professional liability; nursing homes and other long-term care providers; hospitality and recreational services providers; airlines; other professional service providers.
Professional Activities:
Ms. Brown was recently appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court to serve on the Code of Professional Conduct Committee. She formerly co-chaired the New Mexico State Bar Bench and Bar Relations Committee, for which she was twice recognized with the State Bar's Outstanding Contribution Award. She served on the State Bar and Supreme Court's Joint Committee on Restoring Public Confidence in the Court System. Ms. Brown is a member of the American Bar Association (Sections of Litigation and Tort & Insurance Practices), the Defense Research Institute, and the Albuquerque Bar Association.
Civic Activities:
Throughout her career, Ms. Brown has been actively involved as a director and/or officer of civic and community organizations, including Family & Children's Services, A Child's Garden Preschool, First Presbyterian Church Endowment Foundation, and others. She recently completed service as President of the Salvation Army Advisory Board in Albuquerque.
Honors:
Rated "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell; selected as a Southwest Super Lawyer® 2010 (derived from a lawyer survey) in the area of Professional Liability defense; listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2011 (Commercial Litigation).
Education:
- University of Wisconsin Law School, J. D., 1983
- Graduate Teaching Assistant (1981-1983)
- Pomona College, B. A., 1979
Bar Admissions:
- New Mexico, 1983
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, 1984
- United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, 1983
Firm Committees:
- Associates Committee (Chair, 2000-2006)
- Business Intake Committee
