Q&A: Who Is Attorney Paula Wyatt?

Stepping into the ring with the founder of Wyatt Law Firm.

“I’ve always wanted to be actively engaged in excellence and help people who are down reach their own excellence. Nothing feels better.” – Paula Wyatt

When you meet Paula Wyatt, one thing is instantly clear: this woman is a fighter – in a good way.

But it’s impossible to pigeon-hole Paula as a lawyer with a singular passion for justice. Her passions run as deep as they are wide – from personal health and wellness, to community engagement, philanthropy and even animal shelters. To find out more about her, we sat down with Paul to find out what makes her tick, why she went into law, and why she cares so deeply about helping people become the best version of themselves. 

But first, a bit of background.

Born and raised in Texas, Paula rose from a challenging childhood to graduate from the University of Houston. She began her legal career as a prosecutor (Assistant District Lawyer) in Nueces County, Texas; and soon became chief felony prosecutor for the 347th District Court.  After leaving the District Attorney’s Office, Paula became a founding partner of Wyatt Law Firm, LTD. and has devoted herself to personal injury litigation and helping people fight catastrophic injury claims.

Question: Was there a pivotal moment that led you to where you are today?

Paula Wyatt: I was a prosecutor for six years, and I had just had my middle daughter. Everybody came to the hospital from the DA’s office and they said they needed me to come back and try a capital murder case. I didn’t know anything about it and I wasn’t going to get any help, and I was nursing. But I safety-pinned my skirt together and took six weeks to select a jury in a capital murder case by myself. By that six week period, I’d had enough time to learn the case, but I don’t believe in the death penalty because I don’t believe you can ever take what you can’t give. The jury gave him the death penalty and I resigned. When word got out in the community that I had gotten the death penalty while nursing my two-week-old daughter, I had four offers from personal injury firms to go to work. And I chose to go to work with Bob Patterson. Not long after that, I founded Wyatt Law Firm.

Q: Did you always want to be a lawyer?

PW: I’ve always wanted to help other people who are down reach their own excellence. Nothing feels better. So I went to Texas A&M to be a doctor. But I hated it. So, I quit that and decided to be a history teacher. Part of pursuing my degree included being a history teaching assistant, which was great. But I was told I’d have to grade on a bell curve, which meant I would have to fail some students – no matter how well they performed. I’ll tell you, no one would ever fail my class. I am committed to the success of others. But my professors said, “No, you don’t understand, Paula, failing them is mandatory.” What kind of program is that? I’m not going to do that, is what I told them. So, they said the only thing left for me and my history degree was to become a lawyer. I was poor. Put myself through college by working at a grocery store. I couldn’t just give up on this. And being a lawyer sounded right. I took my LSATs, the rest is history. 

Q: What do you like about being a lawyer?

PW: Fulfillment. Our job at Wyatt Law is to speak for victims. I speak for people who don’t have a voice. I take it seriously. This isn’t a job; This is who I am. This is my personality. No matter if it’s a $30,000 car wreck case or a $30 million case, the vengeance I have against the injustice is always the same. We are always concocting ways to rip open the law to make sure people are properly compensated even under our very biased-against-victims format of justice.

Q: What does a good attorney-client relationship look like to you?

PW: Honesty, integrity, loyalty, and honor to our clients. I provide every client with my personal cell number. I can tell you without any reservation that when people leave here I have changed their lives. Sometimes it’s a little rocky because I’m a little aggressive. But I get people on diet plans, I teach them how to eat, and I’ve now implemented a physical trainer here who now trains clients on rehab techniques post-injury. I get them books on how to live a more fulfilling life. We get them off of pharmaceuticals and onto a different way of living their lives. We don’t practice law; we practice people.

Q: You’re known as being a fierce lawyer. What’s your approach to success?

PW: It happens this way: The other lawyer shows up to mediation with no presentation and, of course, I have a 61-slide PowerPoint presentation for my client. And I say to the other guy’s lawyer, I cannot have you wasting my time because it’s the only resource I can’t get back. If you don’t do “X,” I will leave. So, I give them an ultimatum. They think I won’t leave. I always leave. And when I go back, it’s with more ammunition than I came in with before. Sometimes I have to go back for a third or fourth mediation. I won’t stop.

Q: Talk is cheap. How do clients know they can trust you?

PW: Look, you get what you see with me. Wyatt Law earns trust by action. I never settle at the first mediation or negotiation. That’s when the lawyers and insurance companies expect me to settle. But I don’t settle. That’s what everyone else does. Other lawyers, they just want money and they don’t care how much injured people really need to live healthy, fulfilling lives. They don’t care. I care. I know and everyone at Wyatt Law knows what happens when people don’t get the support they deserve because we do the work in and outside the legal system. Our firm donates to charities across San Antonio and Texas – Community in Schools, Eloise, Dress for Success, Humane Society, the local women’s shelter, and more. And we do this because I believe we are put here to serve. 

Q: You’re very involved in your community and charities. Can you tell us more?

PW: I believe that when you do things for people, you should do it quietly. I also believe that the more you give, the more you receive. That’s why we’re very involved in our community. A couple of years ago we found out about a wonderful program called Elf Louise that’s like Santa’s Workshop – where underprivileged families can come into a warehouse and choose what they want. Then lots of elderly people in the community wrap these gifts and get all dressed up like elves and dressed up like Santa, and they literally deliver a lot of these presents on Christmas, and that brings them tremendous joy. We support them to make sure they always have enough toys. We also started working with a group called Community in Schools, and they service underprivileged children, underprivileged school districts. The teachers are so kind and so happy with our financial support. These children don’t have coats, they don’t have shoes. So when they call us, we’ll send whatever they need so that every child has a coat and a pair of shoes or a backpack. We’re also active in Dress for Success and the Humane Society. Those are kind of some of the projects that we’re engaged in.

Q: What else helps you unwind? 

PW: I love spending time hiking, competitive two-step and western dancing, and being with my three children and my dogs. I don’t watch television or do social media. If I have time off, I’ll go hike 10 miles in the mountains consecutively for three or four days without any phone service. So I’m just a little bit different.

Because of her distinguished history of professional achievements, Paula Wyatt has earned the prestigious AV® Preeminent™ Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®. Additionally, she is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. She has repeatedly been selected as a Texas Super Lawyer. She has also been recognized as one of the Top 25 National Women Trial Lawyers, the National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Lawyers, Lawyers of Distinction, and the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys’ 10 Best Female Attorneys.