Nick Bettinger has more than 30 years of experience focusing on nonsubscribers to workers' compensation law, a tenure that only a few other attorneys in his field can claim. From the legal requirements of being a nonsubscriber to supervisor training, Nick can guide you through the complexities of nonsubscriber status. Nick's other practice areas include landlord/tenant law and homeowners' association matters. As an interested follower of IT trends, Nick has even delivered several speeches on social media's legal and ethical issues.
A Fort Worth native, Nick is a proud member of Colonial Country Club, "the best golf course in town." Golf is just one hobby, though. He's also an expert balloon sculptor and often appears at charity events in the area, creating delicate works of art and putting smiles on kids' faces. He and his family currently live in southwest Fort Worth.
Education
- Juris Doctor – Baylor University, 1991
- Bachelor of Business Administration – Baylor Law School, 1988
Bar & Court Admissions & Certifications
- State Bar of Texas, 1991
- Federal Courts, Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern
Awards & Recognition
- Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters: 2012-2018
- Texas Super Lawyers, Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters: 2004, 2005, 2007
- Top Attorneys >5 Years of Practice by Fort Worth, Texas Magazine: 2013 (Technology/Virtual), 2016 (Civil Law - Litigation), 2018 (Real Estate)
- Top Attorneys by 360 West Magazine: 2019 (Technology/Virtual)
Professional Affiliations & Organizations
- Tarrant County Bar Association
- President, 2017
- President-Elect, 2016
- VP, 2016
- Secretary-Treasurer, 2015
- Director, 2013-2015
- Bench Bar Chairman, 2011
Volunteerism & Community
- St. Andrew Catholic Church
- TCBA LegalLine
- Balloon-twisting and sculpting at various charity events
Presentations
- "Paralegal Technology Traps and How to Avoid Them" presented to the Fort Worth Paralegal Association, April 3, 2019
- 30 Tech Tips in 30 Minutes, TCTLA (1/24/18); DTLA (2/22/18); FWPA (10/16/18)
- Social Media Evidence & Discovery, Texas Advanced Paralegal Seminar, October 4, 2017; Fort Worth Paralegal Association, March 22, 2018
- Social Media Evidence & Discovery, Advanced Evidence & Discovery Course, State Bar of Texas, May 19, 2017
- Ethical Social Networking, Texas Association of Defense Counsel Annual Meeting, September 23, 2016
- Law Office Technology, Texas A&M School of Law, March 30, 2016
- Courtroom Technology, TCBA Bench-Bar Conference, April 24, 2015
- Nonsubscriber Case Law Update, TXANS Annual Conference, May 1, 2014
- Technology for the Mobile Lawyer, Texas State Bar Annual Meeting, June 21, 2013
- Law Office Technology - There's an App for That, TCBA Bench-Bar Conference, April 12, 2013
- Ethical Social Networking, TCBA Bench-Bar Conference, April 14, 2012
- Ethical Social Networking, Dallas County Bar Association - Labor & Employment Section, February 20, 2012
- New Technology, North Texas Court Coordinators, February 23, 2011
- Cybersleuthing 101, Tarrant County Bar Association - Brown Bag Seminar, February 11, 2011
- Ethical Social Networking, Tarrant County Bar Association - Brown Bag Seminar, September 24, 2010
- Social Media for Lawyers, Tarrant County Family Law Bar, July 27, 2010
- Social Media Transgressions, TCBA Bench-Bar Conference, April 23, 2010
- The 'Less Paper' Office, Tarrant County Trial Lawyers Association, January 27, 2010
- Paperless and Beyond - Electronic Tools for Your Law Practice, Tarrant County Bar Association - Brown Bag Seminar, October 23, 2009
- Law Office Technology Update, TCBA Bench-Bar Conference, April 24, 2009
- The 'Less Paper' Office, Mahon Inn of Court meeting, October 14, 2008
- Law Office Technology Update, TCBA Bench-Bar Conference, April 25, 2008
- Contingent Workers, TXANS Annual Conference, March 6, 2008
- The 'Less Paper' Office, TCBA Bench-Bar Conference, April 20, 2007
- Nonsubscriber Case Law Update, TXANS Annual Conference, April 18, 2007
- The Nuts & Bolts of Subrogation, Blue Goose monthly meeting, September 18, 2006
- ERISA & the Texas Nonsubscriber Plan - Panel Discussion, TXANS Annual Conference, March 30, 2006
- Settling Nonsubscriber Claims, Williams-Ripa Nonsubscriber Conference, February 9, 2006
- Nonsubscriber Caselaw Update, TXANS Annual Conference, March 31, 2005
- Opting Out of the Texas Workers' Comp System, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, March 22, 2005
- An Overview of New Department of Transportation Regulations, July 23, 2004
- An In-Depth Look at Texas' New Tort Reform Laws, TXANS - Fort Worth Local Chapter Meeting, September 25, 2003
- The Legal Aspects of Nonsubscription, Abilene Chamber of Commerce, September 9, 2003
- New ERISA Regulations and their Effect on Nonsubscriber Plans, TXANS - Fort Worth Local Chapter Meeting, November 21, 2002
- HIPAA Overview, July 19, 2002
- Privacy in the Workplace, TXANS Annual Conference, May 11, 2001
- Update on Nonsubscriber Waivers, TXANS - Fort Worth Local Chapter Meeting, May 11, 2000
- The Orientation Imperative: The Paper Trail, July 7, 1999
- The ADA, FMLA and Worker's Compensation Laws, March 24, 1999
- Training the Supervisor - Accident Reporting & Investigation, October 14, 1998
- Employee Termination and Disciplinary Procedures, Colonial Country Club, August 4, 1998
Publications
- Workers' Compensation - Texas Style, FWInc. Magazine, July/August 2017
- Time 4 U 2 Detach, Texas Bar Journal, April 2009
- New Year's (Technology) Resolutions, Texas Bar Journal, January 2007
- Search and You Shall Find, Texas Bar Journal, April 2006
- Yes, Virginia, there really is a movement to can spam, Fort Worth Business Press, June 6, 2003
V-card
nsb@mcdonaldlaw.com
817.347.3679
Representative Experience & Services
Nick has represented non-subscribing employers throughout Texas and served as defense counsel for nonsubscriber clients in over 200 lawsuits and arbitration proceedings. Services include:
- • Consulting with employers on the legal requirements surrounding the nonsubscriber status
• Preparing occupational injury benefit plans to replace workers' compensation benefits
• Educating management and training supervisors
• Representing employers in lawsuits and arbitration proceedings brought by injured employee
Nick brings several years of experience to homeowners' association and landlord/tenant law, two niche areas of real estate. He has worked with some of the nation's largest commercial real estate companies and represents multiple HOAs in litigation matters.