Susan Dellamea brings a unique blend of litigation, investigative, and technical expertise to Bertolino LLP. A former Harris County prosecutor and registered patent attorney, Susan has represented clients in complex civil, intellectual property, and commercial litigation matters ranging from patent and trademark prosecution to housing, consumer, and trial-level disputes. Known for her strong investigative and evidentiary skills, she excels at managing complex discovery, building compelling cases, and negotiating favorable resolutions. Susan holds a chemistry degree from the The University of Texas at Austin, an MBA from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, a JD from Oklahoma City University, and an LLM in Intellectual Property and Information Law from University of Houston. She is also currently completing a certificate in AI and Data Science through the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

In operations, we love control. Systems, processes, and timelines are clean, predictable, and measurable. It’s where we thrive, especially those of us INTJ personalities.   

That said, my decades of experience have taught me this: control is a myth. A controlled mindset, however, is not.

A controlled mindset isn’t about managing every outcome; it’s about how you lead when outcomes shift ... and they usually will. Priorities change, people pivot, and even the best strategies evolve in real time. 

This is where two principles come together: 

Control the mindset, not the moment; and, 

Just because it’s not your way, doesn't mean it’s the wrong way. (Yes, fellow INTJs, this one is difficult but hear me out). 

Without a controlled mindset, changes feel like resistance. You grip tighter, push harder, and mistake alignment for agreement. With a controlled mindset, you lead differently. You stay focused on the objective, even when the path changes. You create consistency for your team, not through rigidity, but through steadiness. Most importantly, you choose your response instead of reacting to the disruption. Often, the real challenge in operations is not the change itself, it’s our attachment to how we expected it to unfold. 

I’ve learned that structure is critical, but flexibility is where leadership lives. When you release the need to control every detail, you make room for better thinking, stronger collaboration, and smarter execution; even when it doesn’t look like your original plan. 

The best leaders are not the ones who control everything. They are the ones who stay in control of themselves and lead effectively anyway. 

Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board v. MG 


Facts: MG hired Bertolino LLP to defend him against a complaint filed with the Board by Fannie Mae.  The complainant made accusations that MG had violated state law, the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), and Board rules in connection with his appraisal of a residential property in a mortgage finance transaction.  These allegations threatened MG’s professional reputation and exposed him to potential discipline from the Board. 

Outcome: Bertolino LLP evaluated MG’s situation, assessed the applicable law and we compiled the necessary documents, arguments and evidence to fight against the accusations and show the Board this complaint invalid and needed to be dismissed.  Bertolino LLP’s legal team developed a well-written response demonstrating the complaint was insufficient and ought to be dismissed.  The Board considered our submission and agreed to dismiss the charges with a non-disciplinary warning and took no action against our client.  This allowed MG to return to taking care of his clients without spending more time dealing with this unsupported complaint. 

Texas Department of State Health Services v. SR



Facts: SR hired Bertolino LLP to defend him against a complaint filed with the Texas Department of State Health Services by his former employer.  The complainant made accusations that SR had violated state law, and Department rules in connection with his work as a paramedic.  These allegations threatened SR’s professional reputation and exposed him to potential discipline from the Department. 

Outcome: Bertolino LLP evaluated SR’s facts and circumstances, assessed the applicable law and we compiled the necessary documents, arguments and evidence to fight against the accusations and show the Department that his former employer’s complaint ought to be dismissed.  Bertolino LLP’s legal team developed a well-written response demonstrating the complaint did not support disciplinary action.  The Department investigated, considered our submission and agreed to dismiss the charges with a non-disciplinary warning, taking no action against our client’s license as a paramedic.  This allowed SR to return to taking care of his patients and rest easy, knowing his license was safe. 

How do you know what your legal needs are and what type of lawyer to employ in today’s complex, dynamic and constantly evolving business environment where high stakes regulatory issues impact business operations, legal risks and consequences for your license to operate?  

Legal issues that start out as one matter can quickly and unexpectedly morph and impact on your regulatory obligations, requiring you to retain competent license defense counsel with the skills necessary to protect your regulatory compliance interests and the license you worked so hard to obtain. In this article, I will discuss how regulated businesses and licensed professionals should think about selecting the right type of attorney, in the right area of law to help them with their legal needs, challenges and problems so they can run a successful business, practice, clinic or firm that is not mired in legal liabilities. 

There are three areas I will use as examples to demonstrate the interconnected nature of legal needs that people must think carefully about. Central to this discussion is the reality that one legal matter often implicates other legal needs. The lawyer handling your initial legal needs may not be suited to assist with the related but new and different legal matters.

This can be seen easily by looking at these three areas:

(1) business law needs;

(2) criminal defense needs; and,

(3) civil lawsuit needs.  

What’ll you’ll see and want to take away from this discussion is how important it is to recognize that different areas of law impact your license and regulated business and require a different type of lawyer – a license defense lawyer.  That’s because seemingly unrelated legal matters have significant, intertwined relationships where action and decision in one legal matter profoundly impacts and drives consequences for your regulated state license as a professional or a regulated business. 

When Your Business Law Needs Implicate Regulatory Compliance and Your License Hangs in the Balance, You Need a License Defense Lawyer in Your Corner.

When you decide to create a new business, practice, clinic or firm or expand it into new areas, people often start out thinking they need a business law attorney. You need someone to help you create the corporation, LLC or partnership, draft the contracts, get it registered with the Secretary of State and develop internal governance documents, processes and procedures. However, regulated industries licensing and regulatory compliance obligations bring an added layer of complexity to bear because regulatory requirements often drive, and impact how the business is structured and operated. You need a knowledgeable and qualified regulatory attorney to counsel you and help you develop the necessary compliance framework, processes and procedures to set your business up for success from the start.

The last thing you want as you launch your new business is to find out you are out of compliance and are now being audited or investigated and subject to a complaint that threatens your license, livelihood and professional reputation.  Thankfully Bertolino LLP provides an array of compliance consulting services to keep you out of trouble as you scale your business. 

Your Criminal Case Matters Usually Threaten Your License and Require License Defense Experts Who Have Your Back

People in regulated professions and industries often have criminal liability issues that cross-pollinate with their government-issued license. You may have been contacted by a law enforcement officer and be under criminal investigation or even face prosecution.  Your criminal defense lawyer may be well suited to handling your criminal case, but typically does not have awareness of the regulatory laws and rules that can devastate your ability to continue practicing your chosen profession.  For example, something like a deferred adjudication or even a pre-trial diversion offer may be a great outcome for your criminal case that avoids a criminal conviction can still have dire consequences for your regulated license and even prevent you from being able to practice in your chosen field. 

Getting regulatory legal counsel up front in what seems to be a straightforward criminal law matter, before you make irreversible decisions that can permanently impact your license is critical.  Without the right lawyer, your criminal attorney may give you wrong legal advice, unaware of the consequences to your state-issued license.  Before you find out the problem, it’s too late and the damage is done.  Bertolino LLP regularly handles license defense and application matters impacted by a criminal history matter and we’re here to help. 

Civil Lawsuits Often Have Ramifications for Your State-Regulated License or Business So You Need a Knowledgeable License Defense Lawyer on Your Team.

Many times clients face attacks on two fronts.  They get sued by a patient, or client in civil court for damages and that same person also files a complaint with their regulator.  Why go out and hire two sets of lawyers to review the same evidence, facts and witness statements and analyze what is often near identical legal provisions.  By hiring a firm like Bertolino LLP that handles both malpractice civil lawsuits and the corresponding regulatory complaints, you have a more efficient and more effective legal defense that costs less and doesn’t require different lawyers to coordinate and incur more expenses.  Great civil litigation lawyers often are unfamiliar with regulatory requirements, which are different and unique agency-driven processes.  

Don’t think you can just hire a civil lawsuit lawyer to protect your interests in both areas, because the processes are different and can have profound impact on your license if you get it wrong.  Many state agencies often have provisions that impose consequences on your license (including revocation) when you have a civil lawsuit judgment entered against you.  So, you need a knowledgeable and skilled law firm that can handle both.  At Bertolino LLP that’s exactly the role we focus on and have plenty of experience doing for our clients. 

TexMed 2026: Educating Texas Physicians



Tony R. Bertolino, Managing Partner, and Troy Beaulieu, Director of Legal Services, presented at TexMed 2026, the Texas Medical Association’s annual conference held in Corpus Christi at the Omni Hotel and Hilliard Convention Center.

Their session, “Physician Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues: Alternatives to Traditional Discipline When Your License is at Risk,” was presented Saturday morning and drew strong engagement from attending physicians and healthcare leaders.

TexMed brings together physicians from across Texas for continuing medical education, policy discussions, and collaboration focused on advancing the practice of medicine.

Following the presentation, conversations continued with physicians, administrators, and practice leaders seeking guidance on navigating Texas Medical Board requirements while supporting physician well-being.

Tony and Troy were honored to contribute to this important dialogue and remain committed to educating and supporting medical professionals across Texas.

Tony Bertolino moments before presenting at TexMed 2026 on protecting physician licenses and navigating mental health challenges.

Tony Bertolino and Troy Beaulieu after a highly engaged TexMed session, continuing conversations with physicians and healthcare leaders.

Tony Bertolino and Troy Beaulieu at TexMed 2026, proud to support and connect with the Texas physician community.