Partner
tfulkerson@fclawok.com
Watching Perry Mason cross-examine a witness so well he made the guilty party jump up in the back of the courtroom and admit guilt captivated me as a child. That interest continued through law school at the University of Oklahoma, where I graduated in 2000.
Although I’ve never seen someone jump up in a courtroom and admit their guilt, my interest in the law has continued. I have learned many lessons in my 17 years in practice that TV shows and even law school cannot teach. The most important is the value of direct and open communication and collaboration with my clients, even providing my cell phone number to clients so that I can assist when needed.
I believe working with you in all phases of your human resources program ensures successful and efficient outcomes. I counsel Employers and Insurance Companies on techniques for avoiding litigation and on effective management once litigation has begun. I have also published articles on changes to the law to assist employers in adopting strategies to assist injured workers in returning to the workforce.
Once litigation has begun, I work to aggressively gather information about the claim through discovery so that a litigation plan can be developed that focuses on effective resolution of claims. I have successfully defended clients in all phases of litigation.
While I focus intensely on my client’s needs while working, my family gets my focus when I am not. I love watching my daughter pursue activities which give her joy. Horses hold her attention the most. I also enjoy working in my yard and relaxing with my wife.
Partner
“I have many leather-bound books”…from Law School that is. I’m a bit of a movie buff, quoting above from the immortal, Ron Burgandy. My earliest memory of any lawyer in film, however, is Gregory Peck’s legendary portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. I recall his stoic demeanor, his devotion to an underdog cause and his unfaltering belief in the American system of law. When I’m really honest with myself, even now, I still desire to emulate Finch in everything I do and especially in my daily practice of law.
My interest in the law has been a persistent undertone throughout my education. Even at the end of my Masters program at Clemson University, when I was certain I would go on to be a history professor, I simply could not decline the challenge of Law School and the call of a legal career.
After completing law school in Missouri, my first case as a newly licensed attorney was for the Volunteer Attorney Project in Kansas City. I represented an elderly, indigent woman in Gladstone, Missouri. My client, Glenda, had a beloved companion, her pit bull dog, that the City of Gladstone wanted to take and destroy. My client failed to follow a new ordinance that required pit bulls to wear bright orange collars, labelled as a menace to society. I worked with the City Attorney and convinced the City to drop the case. Glenda was excused from her fines; the dog stayed with her master. I have remained somewhat involved with dog rescue and fostering since that time (and have the tattered furniture to prove it).
Though I no longer practice exclusively in ‘pet law’, I have stayed active in civil litigation. In Kansas City and Tulsa, I have practiced in the areas of insurance defense, personal injury, premises liability, medical malpractice, product liability and Workers’ Compensation. I am licensed to practice law in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma. I enjoy the process of litigation and the challenges posed by two opposing sides, seeing the world from completely different perspectives. I recall the missive of Atticus Finch that one ‘never really understands a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.’
I enjoy working with Employers to achieve efficient and effective litigation resolution. I also enjoy being an educational resource for clients to preempt such employment problems whenever possible. Though I still remain interested in history, much of my effort now is dedicated to the future, including the growth of my wife’s Church where she is sole pastor and my young daughter’s growing love of knowledge.
Kathy Holmes
Legal Assistant
Kathy has been a member of the Fulkerson and Crews team since January of 2017. She began working in
the Workers’ Compensation field September of 2007 when she joined Travis at Fellers. She worked her
way from file clerk to legal assistant for both Travis and Nick. She earned her A.A. in Accounting from
Tulsa Community College in 2004. She is a licensed Oklahoma State Notary Public.
Kathy lives in Coweta with her husband, cats, and dog. She enjoys spending her free time with friends
and family, riding four-wheelers, camping and fishing, and taking yoga classes.
Dana Gower
Legal Assistant
Born and raised in Oklahoma, Dana grew up in Jenks America. She attended both TCC and NSU,
studying Psychology and Criminal Justice, where she was also in the Honors Program.
After being a fulltime, stay-at- home mom, Dana began working with Travis at Fellers Snider in June 2004
and has worked with Nick since May 2014, transitioning with both of them to Fulkerson Crews in
January 2017.
When not at work, Dana enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening, camping, being
outdoors, and at her hobby farm with her husband. Her grandkids are the love of her life!
