Banner, Briley & White
Serving the Communities of Wichita Falls and North Texas Since 1955
Recently, attorneys Steve Briley and Harold White represented employees of the Wichita County Sheriff’s Department. The employees were seeking minimum pay increases over a period of six years, pay increases that would allow them to earn a livable wage. This was not a shakedown; this was not about greed.
Voters thought so too — a statement evidenced by the fact that over the course of just four days in 2004, the Employee’s Association was able to obtain the signatures of more than 7,000 county voters on their petition.
In the fall of 2005, the Wichita County Commissioners Court changed the rules by placing only the “minimum pay” issue, and not the six-year step plan, on the ballot. After the referendum was approved by voters, we sought to have the full plan, as outlined in the original petition, enforced.
In 2007, a Texas District Court ruled in favor of the employees and ordered County Commissioners to adopt the plan. Unfortunately, this judgment was reversed by an appeals court in June of 2008. Now, we are seeking to have that ruling reviewed by the Texas Supreme Court.
We’re willing to go that far because we believe it is right — not because we’re racking up billable hours in litigation.
In fact, our attorneys took this case for free. They simply saw an opportunity to help others and change something that needed to be changed — something all of us here at Banner, Briley & White strive to do every day.
“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone … and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.” — Sandra Day O’Connor
We are a different kind of law firm. Here is why:
The partners of our firm grew up in working class families and have worked for every one of their accomplishments. Our backgrounds contribute to our honesty in dealing with our clients and our ability to do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals. We know how to work hard and we are always willing to go the extra mile for our clients.
As a result, we have also become effective, respected trial lawyers. In fact, each of the partners in our firm has received an AV rating* from Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and ethical conduct.
But as proud as we are about those things, we also believe in:
Providing clients with the best of both worlds — big firm ability and experience, combined with the creativity and personal attention that make small firms a success
- Making technology an integral part of the services we provide
- Giving back to the communities we live and work in
- Serving as good hosts to lawyers from outside the area
- Sharing important safety information with our community
- Extending our thanks to those who have come before
At Banner, Briley & White we are proud of our past successes and present standing within the legal, professional, business and civic communities of this area. In the future, we look forward to even greater achievements and challenges.
First and foremost, we look forward to serving you.
*CV, BV and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.