About Me

Melissa Osio-Martinez was born in Bryan, Texas, and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. Inspired by her family’s legacy of producing the first female Hispanic graduate of Texas A&M University, Melissa returned to College Station to graduate an Aggie, then went on to Texas Southern University School of Law. While in law school, she was selected to intern for the First Court of Appeals in Houston and later admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 2000. Her legal career began at a private law firm under the guidance of Chief-Justice Dori Contreras Garza. Afterwards, she served as an Assistant District Attorney for Hidalgo County where she prosecuted numerous misdemeanor and felony cases throughout her tenure. In 2005, Melissa was admitted to the State Bar of California where she primarily practiced entertainment law and worked at the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills. After returning home to the Rio Grande Valley, for over ten years Ms. Osio-Martinez practiced corporate civil defense as Senior Trial Attorney for a top Fortune 500 company where her distinctions included Rookie of the Year, Best Trial Win Percentage, and Best Disposition Ratio in Texas. Subsequently, she earned Best Disposition Ratio in the Nation at the 18th largest Latino-owned financial services company in the county.

With over twenty-one years of experience and as an Equity Partner and Managing Attorney of the McAllen branch of Gault Nye & Quintana, L.L.P., Melissa strives to provide outstanding professional, ethical, and proactive legal representation. Her creative and collaborative approach in developing litigation strategies unique to each case and her efforts to maintain active communication with her clients has allowed her to increase and grow their law practice. Over the years, Melissa has been privileged to represent hundreds of insured clients including individuals, small-businesses owners, specialized professionals, large corporations, transportation carriers, health care workers, nurses, physicians, medical entities, hospitals, funeral homes, real-estate agents, brokers, design team specialist, commercial construction contractors, and their sub-contractors, etc. As Lead Counsel, or as Local Counsel to firms outside the Rio Grande Valley, Ms. Osio-Martinez’s experience, goodwill, work ethic, and reputation bolsters her ability to successfully defend against a variety of civil causes of action such as: personal injury, construction defect, commercial trucking, auto liability, wrongful death, premises liability, medical malpractice, DTPA, professional negligence, real estate, and various business-related contractual claims from inception through resolution either by negotiated settlements, mediations, arbitrations, or prevailing at jury trials.

As for her personal life, Melissa is married to a UT Longhorn who works as an Educator at McAllen High School. She is a mother of two and enjoys faithfully serving her community through organizations such as Junior League of McAllen, Beta Sigma Phi - Alpha Epsilon Chapter, Make-A-Wish Foundation, RGV Food Bank, and the American Cancer Society. Presently, she is an Advisory Board Member for the City of McAllen’s Convention Center, Performing Arts Center, and represents District Parents in McAllen Independent School District’s LEAD Advisory Board. As to state-wide legal organization service, Melissa is honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, the Alumni Advisory Board of Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the State Bar of Texas Diversity in the Profession Division, and as a member of the Texas Bar College, an honorary society of lawyers committed to excellence in the legal profession.

Professional Licenses

• State Bar of Texas, 2000
• State Bar of California, 2005
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas

Education

• J.D., Texas Southern University, 1999
• B.A., Texas A&M University, 1997

Present and Past Associations

• Texas Association of Defense Counsel Board
• State Bar of Texas Construction Law Section
• Construction Law Foundation of Texas
• Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• DRI Trucking Law Committee
• Texas Bar College
• Hidalgo County Bar Association
• Hidalgo County Women's Bar Association
• Texas Aggie Bar Association
• Thurgood Marshall School of Law Alumni Board
• Texas Young Lawyer's Association
• Texas Trial Lawyer's Association
• McAllen ISD School District Lead Committee
• City of McAllen Convention Center/Performing Arts Center Advisory Board