Representative Experience – Recent Highlights

• Defense of an international energy company in Houston federal court against former workers in Ecuador seeking hundreds of millions of dollars claimed due under the employee profit sharing provisions of Ecuadorian law. 
• Defense of a large corporation in mass tort action Houston state court involving approximately 600 claimants seeking various damages including wrongful death, personal injury, and property damage allegedly caused by dioxin and other chemical exposures from a Superfund site near the Houston Ship Channel.  
• Represented private equity investor limited partner in a dispute with the general partner involving the governance structure and operation of an oil & gas upstream operator.  
• Represented a leading provider of human capital solutions in Houston federal court dispute with its landlord involving maintenance obligations for office buildings under absolute triple net leases. 
• Represented a C-suite executive of an international hotel and resort brand in a sensitive internal investigation. 
• Represented a Tier 1 supplier of OEM automobile components in a commercial dispute with a major automobile manufacturer involving the design, testing, and performance of critical components in a popular vehicle line. 
• Represented a leading provider of human capital solutions in a dispute against a corporate benefits plan administrator and a C-Level executive of a major publicly traded energy company involving allegations of mishandling an ERISA “top hat” benefit plan that resulted in a large tax liability. 
• Represented a leading recycler of glass and plastic in an arbitration over obligations under a significant supply contract with a key supplier. 
• Defense of a privately held alternative asset management firm in a trial in New York bankruptcy court against lenders seeking a finding of contempt of an asset sale order, alleging violations of restrictions on investment fund management fees and improper transfers of assets.  
• Represented a leading recycler of glass and plastic in a real estate litigation in Connecticut involving their major regional plant. 
• Defense of national medical provider in qui tam action filed in Houston federal court involving allegations of false claims made in connection with billings for endoscopic procedures. 
• Numerous representations of various oil field services companies defending allegations of theft of trade secrets. 
• Represented major logistics and transportation company in a breach of fiduciary duty, theft of trade secrets, and unfair competition lawsuit in Texas state court against several former executives and their start-up competitor. 
• Multiple representations of executives and key employees accused of breaching employment covenants, particularly in the energy, commodities trading, and oil field services sectors. 
• Defense of major medical charity in connection with lawsuits brought by a university medical affiliate alleging governance and fiduciary duty breaches. 
• Representation of debtor-in-possession lender in Houston bankruptcy court involving an oil exploration debtor. 
• Defended medical provider group in Houston state court against allegations of breaches of employment agreements, non-competes, and fiduciary duties and theft of trade secrets. 
• Defended large financial institution in Houston state court against allegations of conversion of funds related to insurance proceeds paid for commercial property damage related to Hurricane Ike. 
• US National Bank v. Verizon, et al. – Defended Verizon and its affiliates in Dallas federal court in a suit in which plaintiff litigation trust alleged that Verizon owed damages in excess of $9 billion under fraudulent transfer theories, related to Verizon’s spinoff of its former directories business.   
• Barnard, et al. v. Verizon and J.P. Morgan Chase Bank – Defended Verizon against claims brought by former shareholders of bankrupt directories business spun off from Verizon, including claims for securities fraud, insider trading, common law fraud, conversion, a Bivens claim for violation of federal constitutional rights and a claim for alleged violations of § 206 of the Communications Act.   
• Crystal Power v. Nejapa Power Company – Represented defendants in minority shareholder oppression suit in Texas State Court involving the development and investment structure of an electricity generating plant in El Salvador.   
• Citigroup v. Stewart Title – Represented Citigroup in Harris County, Texas state court jury trial related to a title insurance policy covering a resort development in Tulum, Mexico on land expropriated by the Mexican government. 
• Express Energy Services v. Brewer – Represented Express Energy Services in litigation against its former CEO in Houston bankruptcy court, for breaches of non-compete and non-solicitation covenants in various agreements. 
• Lehman Brothers Holding, Inc. – Represented Lehman in claims asserted by Lehman’s largest financial institution trading counterparties which collectively represented billions of dollars in complex financial trades which terminated as a result of Lehman’s financial collapse. 
• In re SemGroup – Represented SemGroup in various litigation matters related to its chapter 11 case, including commodity trading and a governance battle involving a prominent board member. 
• CCP v. United HealthCare – Defended United Healthcare in AAA arbitration and related South Carolina state court litigation involving allegations about United’s 17-year relationship managing the largest HMO in South Carolina.  
• Ainsworth Lumber Company v. Potlatch – Represented Ainsworth Lumber Company in New York state court against Potlatch for breach of an asset purchase agreement involving the $467 million sale to Ainsworth of three oriented strand board mills in Minnesota.  
• Weatherford v. Gray Wireline Energy Services – Counsel for defendant in Hidalgo County, Texas lawsuit alleging theft of trade secrets and breach of non-compete agreements. 
• Enron Creditors Recovery Corp. v. Hewitt Associates, L.L.C. – Counsel for Enron in Houston federal court lawsuit against ERISA Settlement Fund Administrator for incorrectly distributing court approved settlement funds. 
• Reliant Energy Services, Inc., et al. v. Enron Canada Corp. – Counsel for Enron Canada in suit for $78 million, declaratory relief and injunction involving a master netting agreement related to physical and financial trading.   
• Tittle, et al. v. Enron Corp., et al. – Counsel for Enron Corp. in an action brought by a putative class of 24,000 current and former employees of the Enron companies who claim that the assets in their employee benefit plans were worthless as a result of the defendants’ conduct.  The allegations included federal claims under RICO and ERISA, and Texas state law claims of conspiracy and negligence. 
• Newby, et al. v. Enron Corp., et al. – Counsel for Enron Corp. in an action brought by a putative class of investors who allegedly purchased Enron equity and debt securities and alleged violations of both federal and state securities laws, related to Enron’s financing structure and public disclosures. 
• Enron Trading Litigation – Counsel representing Enron in numerous bankruptcy court adversary proceedings, mediations, and settlement negotiations seeking to recover, collectively, several billion dollars in payments owed to various Enron entities as a result of physical and financial commodity trading activities.  Many of these cases involved defending against allegations that Enron, by using misleading financial data, fraudulently induced counterparties to enter into business arrangements. 
• Petrotemex v. Euler – Represented plaintiff in an insurance coverage dispute.   
• Power Company of America v. PG&E Energy Trading – Defended Pacific Gas & Electric’s unregulated commodity trading affiliate in a lawsuit seeking to recover damages based upon allegations of breach of contract. 
• Gulf Properties, et al. v. Washington Mutual – Defended Washington Mutual in federal court litigation involving allegations of fraud and fraudulent transfers and preference payments made in violation of the Bankruptcy Code.  
• In re Encompass Services Corporation – Litigation counsel to chapter 11 debtor Encompass related to confirmation of plan of liquidating reorganization and defended against allegations of D&O liability.
• Neumann v. General Motors Corporation – Defended GM in product liability suit against allegations that an out-of-specification seat belt caused the ejection of a brain damaged teenager in an SUV rollover accident.
• Powell v. General Motors Corporation – Defended GM in product liability suit against allegations that an allegedly defective seat resulted in a broken neck and brain damage.   
• Pruitt v. General Motors Corporation – Defended GM in product liability suit against allegations that an admittedly defective seat, later involved in a recall campaign, resulted in serious spinal injuries.
• Norris v. General Motors Corporation – Less than one week before trial, hired as lead counsel in California trial de novo appeal of product liability award.  The plaintiff claimed that an uncrashworthy automotive seat caused her brain damage. 

• J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 1989 
• B.A., International Relations, Tulane University, 1986 

• Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation (2013-2024), Bankruptcy Litigation (2016-2024), Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants (2017-2024) 
• Texas Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, by Thomson Reuters, 2006-2023 
• Benchmark LitigationTexas Litigation Star, 2010-2024
• Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2024
• Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2024
• Martindale Hubbell, Rated AV-Preeminent 
• Houston Chapter NAACP 9th Annual ALEX Award for Community Service and Legal Advocacy, 2005 
• Houston Bar Association President’s Award for Outstanding Service as Committee Chair, 2001 

• Bissinger, Oshman, Williams, & Strasburger LLP. Partner, July 2021-present.
• Winston & Strawn LLP. Partner, October 2013-June 2021.
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Partner, January 1998-October 2013. Associate, September 1994-December 1998.
• Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. (now Norton Rose Fulbright).  Associate, September 1989-September 1994.

• State Bar of Texas 
• State Bar of New York 
• United States Supreme Court 
• 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 Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit 

• Law Firm Trial Skills Training Faculty, 1993-2020 
• Dispute Resolution Clauses, 66th Annual Oil & Gas Conference, Houston, February 19-20, 2015, Houston, Texas 
• Affiliate Liability Issues, 2013 Corporate Counsel Institute, Houston, May 2-3, 2013 
• Avoiding Common Contract Mistakes, Association of Corporate Counsel, Houston Chapter, February 12, 2013 
• Privilege Issues for In-House Counsel, PLI Webinar, July 20, 2010 
• Challenges from the Economy and Changes in the Practice of Law on Accountability, Panel Moderator, State Bar of Texas (Texas Forum XXVII) 
• 2009 Texas Forum, Moderator, Standing Committee on Paralegals of the State Bar of Texas, E-Discovery (Texas Forum XXVI) 
• Evolving Treatment of Race and Ethnicity Under the Law, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, October 1, 2009 
• Avoiding Common Contract Mistakes, ExxonMobil Corporation, May 15, 2008 
• Privilege Issues for In-House Counsel, GE Oil & Gas CLE Program, March 14, 2008 
• The Attorney-Client Privilege: Issues for In-House Counsel, Enron Corp. CLE Program, May 4, 2006 
• The Attorney-Client Privilege: A Few Things You Should Know, Enron Corp. CLE Program, May 19, 2005 
• Discovery Issues in Complex Litigation, Enron CLE Program, May 20, 2004 
• Litigation Trends, Contractors’ Safety Council of Brazoria County, August 21, 1996 
• Evidence Law Update, Advanced Personal Injury Short Course, October 23, 1992 
• Faculty, University of Houston Advanced Trial Advocacy Program, 2002 
• Instructor, Workers Compensation Class, Texas Medical Jurisprudence Course at Baylor College of Medicine, 1992 
• Interviewed in The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (Vol. 13, No. 9) about practicing law in Houston (2005) 
• Interviewed in The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (Vol. 20, No. 10) about Dallas-Houston: World-Class Cities – A Global Law Firm (2012) 
• Author, “The Care and Feeding of Non-Attorney Staff,” Texas Lawyer, January 29, 2007 
• Frequently quoted in the Texas Lawyer regarding matters of interest to Texas legal community, including Law Firm Management and Hiring  
• Quoted in the Petroleum Economist (January 2001) about Criminal Prosecution of Corporations 

• Houston Bar Association 
• State Bar of Texas 
• American Bar Association, Litigation Section Leadership Group, 2014-Present 
• Federal Bar Association 
• Defense Research Institute
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel 

• Houston Volunteer Lawyers, Board of Directors (Board Chair, Treasurer, Secretary), 2006-2015 
• Lone Star Legal Aid, Board of Directors, 2013-2015 
• Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Board of Directors, 2005-2014 
• Houston Bar Association Task Force (to review organizational structure of HBA charitable entities), 2016  
• State Bar of Texas, District 4I and 4C05 Grievance Committee, 2003-2009 (Panel Chair 2004; Committee Chair 2006-2008) 
• Texas Bar Foundation, Sustaining Life Member, District 4 Nominating Committee  
• Tulane University, School of Liberal Arts, Dean’s Advisory Committee, 2012-Present; Class Reunion Chair 2016, 2021 
• University of Texas Law Alumni Association, Class Fundraising Chair, District Director, Reunion Committee, Keeton Fellow, UT Chancellor’s Council  
• Co-Chair, 25th Anniversary Awards Dinner, Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York 
• Tutor, Concord Elementary School (Houston Independent School District), 2000-2001 
• Volunteer Attorney, Houston Juvenile Law Clinic, 1995-2000