Margo Ornelas

Partner / Houston

P: 713.588.0446

Margo Ornelas is a partner in SBSB Eastham’s Houston office. In addition to assisting clients in handling claims arising under the Defense Base Act, her expertise spans across an array of practice areas, including Longshore Workers’ Compensation, construction defect claims and general civil defense litigation work ranging from wrongful death to general liability and insurance claims. A member of the firm’s bench since December 2024, she is an experienced professional in the legal space who began her career as a law clerk and contract attorney before cutting her teeth as a litigation associate and later becoming an of counsel and senior trial attorney.

As an undergraduate, Margo earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio. While in school, she played the viola in the Trinity Symphony Orchestra. Following graduation, she attended the University of Houston Law Center, earning her Juris Doctorate from the school and launching her postgraduate career at a local firm. In 2003, she coauthored “Recent Developments in Trial Techniques” for the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, and since 2013, she has spoken to adjusters regularly on various litigation and case law topics.

Margo is admitted to the State Bar of Texas and is licensed to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. She is a qualified authority in her field who is capable of skillfully assisting those who seek her counsel.

Practice Areas

Practice Areas

  • Catastrophic Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
  • Construction
  • Defense Base Act
  • Insurance
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation

Education

  • J.D., University of Houston Law Center, 1995
    • Best Speaker, Basic Civil Final Trial
  • B.A., Psychology, Trinity University, 1992
    • Violist, Trinity Symphony Orchestra

Court Admissions

  • State Bar of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Speeches and Presentations

  • 8(f) Case Law Updates, DBA Symposium, Dallas, Texas, 2014
  • Routinely updated adjusters on topics related to litigation and case law, 2013-2024

Professional Memberships

  • Houston Bar Association

Published Works

  • “Recent Developments in Trial Techniques,” Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, 38(2), Winter 2003