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Professional Experience
- Partner
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
- Current
- Current
- Within three weeks of being hired as lead counsel, tried a two-week international arbitration in which his cross-examination of the plaintiff’s witnesses and other successful strategies provoked plaintiff to voluntarily dismiss all its claims in a case seeking $250 million in damages.
- Current
- Lead counsel for the City of Houston, its Mayor, and most of the members of City Council in a suit brought by the Houston Police Officers Pension System seeking to force the City to increase funding for the pension system by $16.5 million in a single year. The case ultimately settled with renegotiated pension terms that drastically reduced a projected shortfall by more than $300 million.
- Current
- Lead counsel defending the City of Houston in a lawsuit over complex competing tax propositions.
- Current
- Led several teams in emergency litigation that successfully enjoined theft of clients’ trade secrets.
- Current
- Lead counsel for several successful appeals in which reversals were obtained of several multi-million dollar adverse jury verdicts in complex federal and state commercial cases handled at trial by other law firms. Cases involved claimed violations of consumer protection laws, product liability, fraud, lender liability, and breach of contract.
- Current
- Coordinated defense team for a Fortune 100 oilfield service company in an action in federal court under the Alien Tort Claims Act alleging that our clients conspired with the local government to displace an indigenous people to facilitate government construction on a Pacific island. Ultimately persuaded plaintiffs to dismiss all claims against our clients.
- Current
- Lead counsel defending a national lender in a multi-state class action alleging fraud, usury, unfair debt collection practice, and violation of consumer protection laws. Settled on terms favorable to our client.
- Current
- Lead counsel for a national chain of retail stores in a class action brought on behalf of more than 1.5 million customers claiming fraudulent sales practices and violation of consumer protection laws. Settled case successfully with only negligible payment by our client.
- Current
- Coordinated team that defended a national home builder in Texas state court suits brought by approximately 200 customers alleging usury and defective contract performance. Lead counsel for same client in later federal and state court actions in several states brought by approximately 750 customers alleging violation of consumer protection laws. Both series of suits settled on very favorable terms for our client. Also successfully defended collateral criminal charge brought against the client’s chairman of the board and defeated an attempt by plaintiffs to persuade law enforcement authorities to institute an investigation into the client's business practices.
- Current
- Lead counsel defending a multi-national oil company in federal court against claims of fraud, tortious interference, and breach of energy supply contract asserted in an action seeking in excess of $100 million arising from North Sea and Libyan crude oil futures trading transactions that had been disrupted by the US embargo of Libyan oil. Settled on very favorable terms for our client.
- Current
- Lead counsel defending a major life insurance company in an action brought on behalf of more than 500,000 holders of universal life insurance policies, purchased over a seventeen-year period, claiming fraudulent sales practices and violation of consumer protection laws. Defeated an attempt to certify case as a class action. Settled on terms very favorable to our client.
- Current
- Lead counsel defending a Fortune 100 company in a state court action seeking to enjoin our client's half-billion-dollar secondary stock offering and damages of $300 million. Plaintiff claimed that a right-of-first-refusal agreement gave it the right to demand an appraisal and the opportunity to purchase the securities included in the offering. Successfully persuaded state appeals court to transfer case to arbitration. After several years in arbitration, plaintiff withdrew all claims against our client.
- Current
- Lead counsel in successful effort to obtain reversal of an administrative ruling that required a state agency to purchase products exclusively from our client’s competitor.
- Current
- Defended an attorney accused of criminal misconduct in connection with his defense of a pending multi-million dollar patent infringement suit. After hearing, the judge entered order reflecting finding of no misconduct by our client.
- Current
- Lead counsel representing a major national law firm in multi-million dollar legal malpractice claim. Settled on very favorable terms for our client.
- Current
- Lead counsel for a major Silicon Valley defense manufacturer in an investigation by the Department of Defense for procurement fraud, resulting in no action taken. Also defeated a state procurement contract challenge for same client.
- Current
- Lead counsel prosecuting national franchiser's trademark infringement claim against former franchisee and defending counterclaim for fraud and breach of contract. Won permanent injunction and damages.
- Current
- Defended a Fortune 100 electronics manufacturer against dealer’s claims of price fixing. Our client prevailed in the US Supreme Court.
Education
- University of Texas at Austin
- J.D.
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- Yale University
- B.A.
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Publications
Articles & Publications
Speaking Engagements
- Rummel v. Estelle (1980) (Houston, TX, November 27, 2007) University of Houston School of Law – Supreme Court Case Discussion
- "The Vanishing Trial" (Houston Bar Association Civil District/Appellate Bench Bar Conference) (Houston, TX, April 01, 2005) Moderator
- "The Vanishing Trial: Cause, Effect, and Solution" (South Texas College of Law Institute for Responsible Dispute Resolution (Houston, TX, October 01, 2004) Panelist
- "Let's Talk-The Ethical and Practical Issues of Communicating with Members of a Class" (ABA Section of Litigation National Institute on Class Actions) (Houston, TX, October 01, 2004) Panelist
- Arbitration Roundtable (State Bar of Texas ADR Section) (Houston, TX, March 01, 2004) Panelist
Websites & Blogs
- Website
- Website
Contact & Map
