Mark R. “Tiger” Pharr

Director

Primary Office: Lafayette, LA

ABOUT

Mark R. "Tiger"

In his over 34 years of practice, Tiger Pharr has found that the most important attribute of a lawyer is effective communication: doing more listening than talking in order to understand the client’s goals and expectations to provide an accurate assessment of the options to resolve a matter through settlement or trial. Tiger has tried more than 40 matters to verdict and resolved thousands of other matters, giving him the experience to provide the best options for resolution.

Tiger’s practice focuses on defending personal injury matters of all types including auto, trucking, maritime incidents arising on offshore platforms and vessels, product liability, and premise liability cases of all types including refineries, drilling rigs, chemical plants, and grocery/convenience stores. He also represents owners, general contractors, sub-contractors of every type, and suppliers in construction litigation cases. Over the years, Tiger has handled employment and harassment matters, D&O, E&O, and other professional liability matters as well as representing various clients in toxic tort cases such as asbestos, silica, benzene, and environmental spill cases. Finally, he has defended a large variety of property damage claims, most notably in the oil and gas space involving lost wells and reservoir damage.

His role as outside general counsel for a diverse range of small local companies has provided him with significant experience drafting and analyzing contracts such as master service agreements, asset and stock purchase/sale agreements, time charters, bareboat charter agreements, and teaming agreements.Ê He regularly advises clients on the validity and enforceability of additional insured and contractual defense and indemnity language.Ê Tiger also advises companies on their cyber exposure and assists them with privacy issues.

Tiger is licensed in Louisiana and Texas and has a full docket of cases in each state. He is the Managing Director of Galloway’s Lafayette and Dallas offices and has maintained a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating for the last 25 years and is ranked as “Preeminent,” the highest distinction Martindale-Hubbell offers.

Tiger is an avid CrossFitter and golfer, and maintains a private pilot’s license with multi-engine and instrument ratings.

Representative Matters

  • Successfully represented an international marine construction company in a breach of contract dispute valued at more than $25MM. Though persistent and aggressive negotiation over three years, the plaintiff dismissed the case with our client paying no money.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a prominent waste disposal company in a wrongful death claim.
  • Successfully represented a major oil and gas service company in a transportation and personal injury claim wherein our client received only 40% liability on a matter in what should have been a “gut” liability case valued at more than $300,000 after the client’s truck and trailer collided with a passenger vehicle.
  • Successfully tried a high-value personal injury fire loss case in Lake Charles, Louisiana after the plaintiff tried to light a propane grill during a church fundraiser.
  • Obtained summary judgment in a contractual defense and indemnity case in Texas, convincing both the trial court and appellate court that Texas law applied to the interpretation of the contract even though the incident occurred in Louisiana.
  • Obtained an outstanding result for a major oilfield services company in a personal injury case valued at more than $8.5MM and tried in Texas. Our client had to pay less than 8% of the initial claim in a case tried against one of the top plaintiffs’ attorneys in the country.
  • Obtained a complete defense verdict in a high-value personal injury case on behalf of a major oil and gas drilling contractor.

Education

  • J.D., SMU Dedman School of Law
  • B.S., Accounting and Finance, Louisiana State University

Admissions

  • Texas
  • Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Associations
  • Louisiana Bar Association
  • State Bar of Texas
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel (LADC)
  • Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
  • Legatus

Awards & Recognitions

NOTABLE NEWS