Attorney Doug Terry

Doug Terry is a multi-generational lifelong Oklahoman.

Doug was born and raised in Oklahoma and has spent his entire legal career in the state’s capital.

Doug grew up the son of school teachers in a small Oklahoma town. He has spent his life learning about the people, the culture and the uniqueness of the state. Doug’s family on both sides came to Oklahoma before statehood. To say Doug knows Oklahoma is an understatement.

He graduated from Northeastern State University in 1990 (cum laude) and entered the University of Oklahoma College of Law, graduating in 1993 with distinction. He was also named to the Oklahoma Law Review.

Learn about Doug’s strong winning record. He won $200 million and $25 million verdicts won for clients in cases in which an insurer denied a health insurance claim.

More On $200 Million Verdict

Experience as an Attorney

Doug understands both sides of the battle.

Doug’s first job as a practicing attorney was as an associate attorney at a prominent Oklahoma City law firm which represented insurance companies. During this period, Doug gained a deep understanding of the mechanisms and the mindset of insurance companies. There were clear patterns in how they dealt with policyholders and the tactics they used in legal disputes. Doug learned “where the bodies are buried” in the insurance industry while working for them.

In 1999, Doug became one of the founding partners at an Oklahoma City law firm. Doug’s practice evolved away from representing insurance companies, and he began representing individuals and businesses who had been treated unfairly by their insurance companies. This type of practice became his passion. Doug found that standing up for normal people, like those he had grown up around in Oklahoma, who had been taken advantage of by huge insurance companies was what he was meant to do.

 

Dedicated to David in the Battle Against Goliath

When our lives are upended by accidents, illness or disaster, the last thing we need is to face insurers that refuse to pay claims.

Over many years of practice, Doug has refined his skills as a litigator and gained a reputation for being a tough adversary to multibillion-dollar insurance companies. He has represented hundreds of clients who had been given a raw deal by their insurers. He stood up for people and organizations whose claims were wrongfully delayed, denied or underpaid. Doug has worked hard to broaden and deepen his knowledge and skills as an advocate for his clients, while honing his ability to hold insurance companies accountable for wrongful conduct.

From 1999 to 2018, Doug not only represented clients in insurance bad faith cases, he also developed a passion for helping those who had suffered serious injuries from:

  • Industrial accidents
  • Car accidents
  • Motorcycle accidents
  • Trucking accidents
  • Medical malpractice
  • Product failures.

The same sense of fairness and justice that motivated his bad faith insurance practice naturally lent itself to personal injury work, where many of the same injustices plagued people who needed help overcoming the challenges of catastrophic injuries and resistance from insurance companies. Doug is proud of the fact he has helped numerous injury victims and their families through heartbreaking circumstances involving horrible accidents, injuries and wrongful deaths.

Litigator with Years of Experience Battling Insurers

Doug’s many years in this fight have turned him into a skilled litigator dedicated to protecting the rights of, and seeking justice for, every one of his clients.

Oklahoma Lawyer Doug TerryAfter 25 years practicing in a larger firm, Doug chose to open his own practice in Oklahoma City. He brings his wealth of knowledge and his skills as a litigator to bear for his clients in matters of insurance bad faith, personal injury cases and class actions.

Doug has the distinction of being awarded a Martindale-Hubbell “AV Preeminent” rating from his peers in the legal community. He has also been selected as an Oklahoma Super Lawyer.

As the founder and owner of his own firm, Doug can cultivate even deeper relationships with his clients and fight for the causes he believes are truly about right and wrong. His years of experience have taught him that individuals, small businesses and even larger companies can be manipulated, exploited and treated unfairly in ways that cause irreparable harm if they don’t have a committed advocate to stand up to the powerful, monied interests of large insurance companies.

Doug’s Dedication to Seeking Justice

After his years of experience fighting insurance companies that deny claims, Doug knows exactly what tools to use to take on insurers and win.

Clients come to Doug after experiencing many setbacks in life. They’ve typically suffered a serious, debilitating injury or a major financial difficulty that was worsened by an insurance company’s refusal to meet the promises they’ve made. The challenges they face require a great deal of time and energy to overcome, and Doug understands that having an attorney who will take up the fight on their behalf makes a huge difference in their lives.

Our legal system is about fairness and justice. The balance of power is too often weighted toward those with the resources to outlast the little guy. The only place in our society where the playing field is truly level between a corporate defendant and a normal person is in the civil justice system, especially the courtroom. Doug Terry’s career has taught him that the only way to get results against well-funded insurance companies is to be relentless, thoroughly prepared and tough as nails.

Doug’s relationship with clients is that of an advocate and ally. His reputation precedes him in the courtroom, and insurance companies’ legal representatives know that when they see Doug Terry representing a policyholder, they’re in for a fight.

Education

Northeastern State University (B.A. 1990, Cum Laude)
University of Oklahoma, College of Law (J.D. 1993, with Distinction), Member of the Oklahoma Law Review

Admissions

All Oklahoma District Courts
All Oklahoma Appellate Courts
All Arkansas Circuit Courts
All Arkansas Appellate Courts
U.S. District Court, Western District of Oklahoma
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Oklahoma
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Oklahoma
U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh, Eighth and Tenth Circuits

Memberships and Activities

Oklahoma Bar Association
Arkansas Bar Association
American Association for Justice
Oklahoma Association for Justice
Oklahoma County Bar Association
Oklahoma Bar Foundation, Fellow
University of Central Oklahoma, President’s Council of Advisors
The Jim Thorpe Association — Executive Council Member
The Best Lawyers in America® (Litigation – Insurance)

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