Legal Grounds | Conversations on Life, Leadership & Law

John Esparza ’s family has been in the transportation industry since calculating horsepower simply meant counting the number of horses in front of your cart.   A sixth-generation Texan, John went into public service before returning to his roots in trucking as President & CEO of the Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) .   As the owner of a firm who specializes in trucking litigation, it brings m...

Judge Bert Richardson hated law school.  I know because we hated it together. His life of public service began before we even graduated, interning at the DA’s office our last year at St. Mary’s. Since then he has gone on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney & Assistant U.S. Attorney. He was then appointed be a Judge on the 379th District Court before being elected to the Texas Criminal C...

If his name sounds familiar, you most likely know Bishop Mark Seitz from the headlines about the El Paso Bishop who personal escorted asylum seekers across the borde r or knelt in solidarity with BlackLivesMatter activists . So that he also happened to lead the small congregation of St. Joseph’s Parish in Waxahachie, TX where my wife & I raised our family is either divine providence or sheer l...

Some of the best legal minds I have ever worked with don’t have a J.D.  Paralegals are the unsung heroes of the legal profession & too often, they are thought of by the general-public as serving a purely secretarial role.  That’s why I was thrilled to be able to sit down with Barbara Elias of Beyond Paralegals to discuss the pivotal role played by paralegals behind the scenes. Barbara & I...

After 4 years in the ROTC, I thought I’d pretty much run the gambit on being dressed down in front of my colleagues.  Then I had the honor of studying Tort Law under Professor Vincent R. Johnson at St. Mary’s … The discussion – or rather, first-year law-vomit – Prof. Johnson entertained led me down the path to practicing the kind of civil litigation I do today.  Our conversation begins with a refl...

My guest this week brought to mind one of my favorite lines Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” For Ed Perdue, those parts heave included Marine Corps Officer, Attorney, Father, Husband, Business Owner, and most recently, Author.  His latest work, “The Little Green Boo...

The most exciting thing I remember about 8th Grade are the nights my mom & dad left me at home long enough for me to eat 3 ‘Hungry Man’ T.V. Dinners…   But for Maj. Cal Walters, that transition to high school served as a springboard to a life of impact.  From missing the first semester of his freshman year, to becoming captain of the football team & class president, his journey to West Poi...

Anyone who had listened to the show knows I’m a fan of colloquial – sometimes cliché – phrasing.  That being said, when I tell you that my latest guest has been to hell & back, I’m not sure if that string of words even does his experience full justice.  John Gronski, MG (Ret.) is the CEO of Leader Grove. But before founding his own leadership-consulting business, John had a different title.  3...

Sometimes you meet someone new & the conversation fires on all cylinders; it’s a rare experience, but I can honestly say that’s what it was like to talk to Greg Washington.  Greg is the founder of the Iron Sharpens Iron Project & host of the podcast, Guards Down, both of which center around helping veterans unpack & heal from PTSD & Complex Grief. A high-school football prodigy, Gr...

In 2018, I was attending the annual DRI (Defense Research Institute) conference when I first heard Joe Fried speak...  Joe was an unusual speaker for the conference.  In a room full of Defense Lawyers, here was one of the Nation’s top Plaintiffs’ Attorneys essentially pulling back the curtain…  But the longer I listened, the more I realized that Joe wasn’t there to lecture, nor was he there to be...

Few books have reshaped my thinking over the past 6 years as much as Greg McKeown’s New York Times Bestseller, “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”. In fact, it had such an impact that last year The Bassett Firm brought Greg in to be the keynote-speaker at our Annual Firm Retreat. With a world that tells us to always be ON, the concept of saying NO, or even the act of turning down an op...

This week’s episode could best be considered as a pour-over brew, but I think it’s worth the time.  I got to sit down with one of my long-time mentors, Fr. Joe Tetlow.  For over 73 years, Fr. Joe Tetlow has been a member of the Jesuit Order. Born in 1930, Fr. Tetlow has been called to every corner of the globe & held positions at Loyola University, UC Berkeley, Harvard, & The Vatican, all...

Ever ask someone what they do for a living & their initial answer is, “That’s a little complicated...” ??? In this latest episode, Mike talks with nationally known Clinical Neuropsychologist & Jury Consultant, Dr. Bill Kanasky of Courtroom Sciences, Inc. The real (legal) treat here is Mike & Bill’s extended examination of the ‘Reptile Theory’ & its true implications & unintende...

For this week’s episode, Mike sits down with one of DFW’s most forward-thinking leaders in Commercial & Personal Injury Defense Litigation, Amy Stewart, founding partner of the Stewart Law Group. Listen in as a professional career that began with coaching NCAA basketball morphs into a passion for leadership that builds-up clients & community without sacrificing integrity. Mike & Amy go...

Mike interviews fellow Civil Trial Defense Lawyer & occasional musician, Robert Fuentes.  Learn how a legal career that began with a passion for Criminal Defense morphed into a multi-office law firm that specializes in transportation defense across The Lone Star State. Graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in Philosophy, it’s evident that Robert has been shaped by doing what ma...

Mike sits down with one Dallas's best-known plaintiff's attorney, Amy Witherite, to catch up on the big & small happenings in our world. What begins as a conversation about the newest sports craze taking the nation - Pickleball - transforms into a passionate dialogue on the importance of helping others.  Even when they literally fall out of the witness chair... Lighthearted & a l...

In our inaugural episode, Mike interviews long-time friend & veteran civil defense attorney, Jim Stanton. Mike met Jim over 30 years ago & considers him one of his closest confidants, mentors & friends. Jim practiced law for over 34 years & has since retired to California where his focus has shifted to full-time community outreach. From Jack Ruby to musings on the origins of loyalt...

Announcing Legal Grounds, a new podcast from The Bassett Firm. Hosted by Founding Partner, Mike H. Bassett, Legal Grounds is an on-going series of conversations on Life, Leadership & Law.  To get a deeper sense of where we’re going &  a preview of the first conversation, give us a listen FIrst Episode premieres July 1st. ________________________ [ Legal Grounds is written, recorded & p...