HONORS

Texas Rising Star, 2005–2009

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• Represented a private placement insurer in a policyholder class action in New York federal court alleging liability related to underlying hedge fund losses that was dismissed on a motion to dismiss.
• Represented a life insurer in a class action in California by VEBA plan participants that settled favorably after class certification was denied.
• Represented an annuity issuer in a policyholder class action in Minnesota alleging misrepresentations in the sales that was dismissed on a motion to dismiss.
• Represented corporation in a securities class action in Connecticut alleging misrepresentations in public filings that was voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiff without a monetary payment after the motion to dismiss was filed.
• Represented an insurer on an alleged fraudulently induced settlement of an earlier lawsuit. The Texas Court of Appeals reversed and rendered in favor of the insurer.
• Represented a property insurer sued in Louisiana by plaintiffs alleging personal injuries from mold exposure, achieving a complete defense verdict from the jury that was affirmed on appeal.
• Represented an insurer in North Carolina federal court seeking rescission of a life insurance policy procured through misrepresentations. The trial court’s summary judgment order in favor of the insurer was affirmed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Represented private placement life insurer in a class action in Colorado state court brought by policyholders that resulted in a favorable settlement.
• Represented the lessee in a lease dispute related to a defective natural gas compressor. The case was tried successfully to a jury in Texas state court, the client was awarded damages in excess of $500,000, and the judgment was affirmed on appeal.
• Represented a law firm in a fee dispute over the enforceability of a contingency fee agreement, and the client law firm was awarded more than $4,000,000 after a successful arbitration.
• Represented a large retailer in multiple wage and hour class-action disputes throughout the country.
• Represented a cell-phone company in an ICDR arbitration concerning the interpretation of an international telecommunications agreement.
• Represented a fertilizer company in an ICDR arbitration arising out of its purchase and sale agreement and gas supply agreement.
• Represented an energy company in a dispute over the scope of the AMI clause in a joint operating agreement covering lands in Montana.
• Represented an energy company in a dispute that arose after it was not offered an opportunity to purchase an interest in the joint operating agreement pursuant to the preferential rights provision.
• Represented an energy company in a fraudulent transfer lawsuit in bankruptcy court arising out of its acquisition of the debtor’s oil and gas assets.
• Represented a warehouse owner against parties involved in the design and construction of the building after more than 43,000 square feet of the roof collapsed.
• Represented an owner of numerous warehouses in California with defective roofs that were all done by the same contractor.
• Represented the owner of a set of luxury apartment buildings with defective foundations.
• Represented clients in preference lawsuits and fraudulent transfer lawsuits in bankruptcy courts all around the country.
• Represented large accounting firm in a securities fraud transaction, successfully defeating class certification.

PUBLICATIONS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• Preferential Rights and Area of Mutual Interest Provisions, presentation for the 2007 Mayer Brown Energy Conference (with Paul Mitchell)
• Ethical Issues Surrounding the Renegotiation of Attorney-Client Fee Agreements, presentation for the Texas Association of Defense Counsel, July 2005 (with Harry P. “Hap” Weitzel).
• OPA ‘90 Liability in the Aftermath of an Oil Spill, 12 U.S.F. Mar. L.J. 1 (2000).

ADMISSIONS

• Texas
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits

EDUCATION

• University of Houston Law Center, J.D., 1999
• University of Houston, B.S., Math, 1993
• Texas A&M University, M.S., Math, 1994
• Grace School of Theology, M.A.B.S., 2013