Marilyn Tanner Hebinck

Ms. Hebinck has extensive federal court experience. Her practice focuses on disability, life and health insurance defense, both individual and group policies, including ERISA welfare benefit plans, both insured and self-insured.  Ms. Hebinck has also successfully prosecuted disability and health insurance fraud cases on behalf of insurers, including Provident Life & Accident Insurance Company v. Stanislaw Burzynski, M.D. in the Southern District of Texas.  Ms. Hebinck is also highly experienced in representing shipowners concerning U.S. Customs and Immigration penalty matters.  She has successfully defended against the imposition of multi-million dollar penalties assessed in connection with drug seizures on oceangoing vessels entering the United States.

Ms. Hebinck has significant appellate experience before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Bar and Court Admissions

• Texas, 1980
• All courts of the State of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U. S. Court of International Trade

Education

• University of Houston, J.D., with honors, 1980
• Georgetown University School of Foreign Service
• University of St. Thomas, B.A., magna cum laude, 1957; Delta Epsilon Sigma; Phi Delta Phi; The Advocates, First Place ABA National appellate Advocacy Competition, 1979
• Law Clerk to Hon. Norman W. Black, U.S. District Court Judge, Southern District of Texas, 1980-1983

Memberships

• Federal Bar Association (President, Houston Chapter, 1984-1985)
• Houston Bar Association
• American Bar Association (Member, Section on Litigation)
• Maritime Law Association of the United States
• Fifth Federal Circuit Bar Association
• DRI

Seminars & Speeches

• Seminar presentations at Admiralty/Maritime Law Seminars on handling U.S. Customs and INS Penalty Matters, as well as in-house presentations for insurers on "any occupation" disability claims handling and Longshore & Harbor Workers' Compensation Act Claims