Attorneys
Partner
Jeff Embry
Jeff Embry’s commitment to each client is absolute: if he takes on your case, he will pursue it as aggressively as possible, devoting every resource available in order to win.
A cum laude graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law, Jeff began his legal career at the law firm of Gardere & Wynne, LLP in Dallas, Texas. At Gardere & Wynne, Jeff represented some of the largest corporations in the Dallas area; however, he soon realized that he wanted to devote his law career to representing people, not companies. Jeff left Gardere & Wynne for the prominent Dallas personal injury law firm of Windle Turley, PC in order to fulfill that desire.
At Windle Turley, Jeff achieved record settlements and verdicts for clients in various product liability, aviation, and personal injury lawsuits. Jeff rose to become Head of the Products Liability Department at Windle Turley — the youngest attorney to hold that position in the firm’s nearly 30-year history. In 2002, Jeff left Windle Turley to help form Hossley & Embry, LLP and continues to dedicate his practice to representing individuals and families. Jeff is also board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Jeff was raised in Houston, Texas. He and his wife, Renna, have three kids: Mason, Dylan and Ella Rose. In his free time, Jeff enjoys playing golf with his kids and spending time with his family on Lake Tyler.
Education
ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
J.D., Cum Laude, 1997
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
History and German, 1994
Activities & Affiliations
Member: American Board of Trial Advocates
Board Certified – Personal Injury Trial Law: Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Member: Million Dollar Advocates
Bar & Court Admissions
Texas
Colorado
United States Supreme Court
All United States District Courts for Texas
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Claims
Awards and Recognition
Texas Super Lawyer (Rising Star) 2000-2012
Texas Super Lawyer 2012-2015
$34.4 Million Verdict Against Car Seat Manufacturer, Dorel Juvenile Inc.
Partner
Renna Rhodes Embry
A native of Tyler, Texas, Renna Rhodes Embry moved from Dallas back to her hometown in 2001 to help found the firm of Hossley & Embry, LLP. Her goal in doing so was straightforward: helping to represent fellow East Texans injured by the harmful conduct and negligence of others.
After receiving her J.D. cum laude from St. Mary’s University School of Law, Renna worked in the litigation group at the Dallas office of the international law firm Jones Day (then known as Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue). During her five years with that firm, Renna defended major national companies against both personal injury and commercial claims. She now draws on that experience to fight companies similar to those she once represented when their egregious conduct brings harm to others.
As a law student, Renna attended St. Mary’s on a dean’s scholarship and made the dean’s list each semester of her three-year tenure. She also served as Associate Editor of the St. Mary’s Law Journal and published the paper “Principles of Governmental Immunity in Texas: The Texas Government Waives Sovereign Immunity When It Contracts — Or Does It?” During this time, Renna also gained valuable experience working for Texas Supreme Court Justice John Cornyn, who later went on to become a U.S. Senator.
Renna grew up in Tyler, Texas. She played collegiate tennis at TJC before attending Texas Tech. Renna continues to play tennis, is an active volunteer with the SPCA, and enjoys interior design.
Education
ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
J.D., Magna Cum Laude, 1997
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
History
Bar & Court Admissions
• Texas Bar Association
Attorney
Meg Pennell
Born and raised in Tyler, Texas, Meg Pennell is dedicated to serving her hometown community. Her practice centers on personal injury law and first-party insurance claims.
Meg graduated from SMU Dedman School of Law, cum laude, where she attended on a Dean’s scholarship all three years. Meg clerked for Hossley & Embry throughout law school, which allowed her to learn the ins and outs of our law practice. Meg also gained experience externing for Justice Lang-Miers at the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Dallas, Texas. Externing for Justice Lang-Miers gave Meg a unique glimpse into the workings of the Texas court systems, which enables her to better represent her clients.
Meg grew up in Tyler, Texas and returned after graduating from SMU law school. Her husband, Collin, is also a Tyler-native and Baylor Bear. She loves to run (especially with their golden retriever, Frank), listen to true crime podcasts, and bake.
Education
SMU Dedman School of Law
J.D., Cum Laude, 2019
Baylor University
B.A., Political Science, 2015
Attorney
Chris Peirce
Chris Peirce is a trial lawyer and litigator who advocates for his clients with passion and a single-minded focus on delivering outstanding results. Chris has more than 15 years of experience litigating matters in federal and state courts throughout Texas. He has extensive experience in cases involving insurance disputes, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, construction defects, business disputes, and product liability.
Chris possesses a keen understanding of the insurance industry after serving as defense counsel for multiple insurance companies during the first 15 years of his career. That experience combined with careful planning and a focus on the issues likely to influence a case have helped produce an outstanding record of achievement for his clients and an in-depth understanding of how the other side operates.
After graduating from the University of Houston Law Center, where he served as associate editor of the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal, Chris passed the bar in November of 2004 and then worked for several years at the firm of Tucker, Taunton, Snyder & Slade (now known as Taunton, Snyder & Slade). Later, he joined the firm of Walters, Balido & Crain, where he worked primarily as a defense attorney handling first-party insurance claims. In July of 2017, he joined Hossley & Embry, bringing his extensive knowledge and experience from the defense side of first-party insurance claims to the Hossley & Embry team.
Chris was born and raised in Klein, Texas. An avid soccer player from a young age, Chris played two years of Division 1 soccer at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team. After transferring to the University of Texas to complete his undergraduate education, Chris was considered for the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships based on his academic record.
Bar and Court Admissions
TexasColoradoUnited States District Court,
Eastern District of TexasUnited States District Court,
Southern District of TexasUnited States District Court,
Northern District of TexasUnited States District Court,
District of Colorado
Professional Associations
Smith County Bar Association
Dallas County Bar Association
Texas Young Lawyers Association
American Bar Association
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Education
University of Houston Law Center
J.D., 2004
University of Texas at Austin
B.A., Sociology
Awards and Recognition
Selected for inclusion in Texas Rising Stars eight times (2009, 2012–2018) by Texas Monthly magazine — an honor bestowed on only 2.5% of Texas attorneys under the age of 40
Rated Excellent by Avvo®
Attorney
Matt Montgomery
Matt Montgomery is a trial lawyer who has litigated matters in courts throughout Texas involving first-party insurance claims, personal injury, products liability, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death and ERISA/non-subscriber claims.
He graduated from Baylor University School of Law in 2003 where he was on the Dean’s List. He began his career at Touchstone Bernays before moving to Walters Balido & Crain at its inception in 2006.
After being named a partner at Walters Balido and Crain in 2010, he managed a large docket of cases pending in North and Central Texas. Matt has significant first chair jury trial experience serving as lead trial counsel and trying cases to verdict in numerous counties across the state.
Matt’s 16 years’ experience working on behalf of multiple insurance companies provides unique insight into how they evaluate and manage claims both pre-suit and once in litigation.
Matt was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas and graduated from Incarnate Word Academy High School. He then attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and graduated with a B.B.A. in Management.
Bar and Court Admissions
Texas
United States District Court, Northern District of Texas
United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas
United States District Court, Western District of Texas
Professional Associations
State Bar of Texas
Dallas County Bar Association
Education
Baylor University School of Law
J.D., 2003
Texas A&M University
B.B.A., Management, 2000
Awards and Recognition
Selected as a Rising Star by Texas Monthly Magazine in 2006, 2010 and 2017, an honor bestowed on only 2.5% of Texas attorneys under the age of 40.
With offices in Tyler and Dallas, Texas, Hossley & Embry is a professional corporation of trial lawyers who deal primarily with business litigation, product liability, and personal injury. Hossley & Embry has successfully litigated thousands of personal injury cases and has the experience and dedication needed to deliver the justice and compensation that their clients deserve. If you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury and are considering pursuing legal recourse, Hossley & Embry proudly offers free consultations.
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