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Comprehensive coverage of the Texas Business Court

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Dallas, Texas  ·  Complex Commercial Litigation

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Portrait of Hon. Jerry D. Bullard

Hon. Jerry D. Bullard

Judge · Seat 8A

Texas Business Court · Eighth Business Court Division (Fort Worth)

Biography

Judge Jerry Bullard serves on the Texas Business Court’s Eighth Division, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas but covers 18 counties in North Texas. Prior to his appointment, Judge Bullard was a shareholder and attorney with Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. He has over 30 years of experience in state and federal court trial and appellate litigation. During that time, in addition to handling complex commercial litigation matters, Judge Bullard routinely represented and consulted with individuals and business organizations with respect to organizational governance, policy drafting, commercial transactions, and other operational matters. Judge Bullard is board certified in civil appellate law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, is a member and treasurer of the Board of Directors of the American College of Business Court Judges and serves on the Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee. Judge Bullard is an active member of the State Bar of Texas and its Appellate, Business Law, Judicial, and Litigation Sections, the Texas Bar College, and the Tarrant County Bar Association. He has also served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Texas Juvenile Justice Board, a Section Representative on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors, a member of the Texas Supreme Court’s Conduct Commission Procedural Rules Task Force, and a member of the State Bar of Texas Court Administration Task Force. Judge Bullard received a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University and his law degree from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Source: txcourts.gov

Opinions by Judge Bullard (1)

Legal Malpractice ×
2025 Tex. Bus. 49 Motion to Dismiss December 17, 2025

Legal Malpractice Claims Fall Outside Business Court Jurisdiction, Even When Fractured Into Alternative Theories

In Crain v. Northern, the Business Court's Eighth Division dismissed all claims against attorney-defendant Tyler Goldthwaite without prejudice, holding that legal malpractice and fractured malpractice-based claims arising from an alleged attorney-client relationship lack subject-matter jurisdiction. The Court applied Texas's anti-fracturing rule to bar claims styled as breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and misappropriation when the crux of each claim was inadequate legal representation.

Subject-Matter Jurisdiction Section 25A.004 Rule 91a Legal Malpractice Anti-Fracturing Rule Opinion PDF ↓