Background

Our firm started in the small town of Canton, Texas, in 1974. We believe that our reputation for integrity and fairness is our most important value. We try to deal squarely with every client and attorney because that is the way we want to be treated ourselves. We don’t pursue cases or file frivolous lawsuits. We work hard and try “to do right” by our clients. This way of doing business has rewarded us and allowed us to expand and begin a second office in Dallas, primarily devoted to social security disability representation.

Richard L. (Ricky) Ray
Richard L. (Ricky) Ray began to practice law after he graduated from SMU Law School in 1974. He passed the bar then and moved back home to Canton, where he grew up. He graduated from Texas A & M in 1968. He served two tours in Vietnam as a First Lieutenant and received the Combat Infantry Badge, several bronze stars with valor, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and others. He served as County Judge of Van Zandt County for 8 years. He is past chairman of the East Texas Council of Governments, which covers 14 counties in East Texas.

Mr. Ray, in his 35 years of practicing law, has developed a broad civil trial practice, which emphasizes social security disability representation, personal injury litigation, business, contract and civil litigation as well as estate/will contest litigation.

Mr. Ray has tried many trials in the above areas and has extensive trial experience. He was a lead counsel on the first phen-fen drug personal injury case to achieve a verdict in the United States. While primarily a Plaintiff’s attorney, he has represented many substantial business clients, including Wyeth-Ayers, Kohler, All-American Plains, and Hatfield Restoration.

In addition he has represented many individual clients (i.e. divorces, wrongful death, adoption, probate, wills, social security disability claimants, etc) while developing a broad and well-known reputation in East Texas as a successful litigator who places great importance on ethical behavior and legal professionalism

He has been a member of Who’ Who in America Law, American Trial Lawyers, Texas Trial Lawyers and the American Judicature Association. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuits; U.S. District Court, Northern and Eastern Districts. He is a member the Dallas Bar Association, the Van Zandt County Bar, NOSSCR (National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives), and the Social Security Disability Section of the American Justice Association.

Victoria (Tory) Ray Thatcher –
Tory Ray Thatcher, Mr. Ray’s daughter, complements Mr. Ray’s practice. Her practice emphasizes Social Security disability, but she also writes some of the legal papers and most of the appellate briefs. As a father-daughter team, she provides him support in the area of family law, case management, and trial case development

During the last three years of her practice, she has been in charge of the Dallas office, which is devoted to Social Security disability claimant’s representation. She has quickly developed a significant Social Security disability caseload and has put together a string of straight winning cases.

She also serves as the firm’s appellate attorney, with briefs (including Social Security Disability appeals) currently pending with the Eastern and Northern Districts of Texas, the Texas Court of Appeals, and the Tyler Court of Appeals as well as the Supreme Court of Texas.

Tory is a SMU graduate and SMU Dedman School of Law graduate in 2005. While in law school, she was selected to the Law Review, serving as Articles Editor for the Computer Law Review and Technology Journal.

She is a member of NOSSCR, the Dallas Bar Association and the Van Zandt County Bar Association. She receives referrals from NOSSCR (National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives) and the State Bar of Texas as well as the Dallas Bar Association in Social Security Disability Claimant representation. She is admitted to practice before Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas, U.S. District Courts.