Nuclear Verdicts

• Proactively Managing the Risk of Nuclear Verdicts, presented to ACC Global, June 18, 2025.
• The Nuclear Verdict Case, presented at the Texas Insurance Academy, June 6, 2025.
• Safeguarding Corporate Interests Against Nuclear Verdicts, presented to Dallas Bar Association – Corporate Counsel Section monthly CLE, June 3, 2025.
• "A Defense Lawyer's Perspective on Trying High-Stakes Civil Causes in the Era of Nuclear Verdicts," presenter, Litigation Counsel of America (Renaissance Symposium XVIII), The Harvard Club of New York City, December 6, 2024.
• "Appellate Review of Non-Economic Damages: Thoughts in Response," co-author, Texas Bar Journal, January 2024.
• "The Use of Scattergrams to Challenge Extreme Verdicts: A Case Study," co-author, The Texas Lawbook, September 19, 2023.

• Secured a favorable damages verdict—less than 2% of the nuclear demand—in a Pierce County, Washington trial for a leading home- and community-based healthcare services company against plaintiff’s wrongful death claims.*
• Secured a complete defense verdict from a Texas jury for a medical device company in a catastrophic injury case in which plaintiff sought tens of millions of dollars in damages. Listed by the Courtroom View Network in its Top 10 Most Impressive Defense Verdicts of 2022.*
• In a series of lawsuits arising out of an explosion at a refinery, successfully obtained complete dismissals of 400+ mass tort plaintiffs, negotiated a $25,000 total settlement for 90+ additional plaintiffs, and settled four critically injured plaintiffs’ claims for 17% of their opening demands. Additionally, sought and obtained insurance recovery for multiple million-dollar settlements of seriously injured plaintiffs.
• Obtained reversal from the Texas Supreme Court of a $14 million products liability judgment arising out of a fire because the plaintiffs’ expert’s causation testimony was scientifically unreliable. The Court held that both Texas tests for reliability -- the “analytical gap” test and the Robinson-factor test -- typically should be used in evaluating expert testimony, and that an expert must offer a convincing explanation for failing to test critical aspects of his theories when such testing is possible. The Court rendered a take-nothing judgment for our client.
• After being hired post-verdict to handle the appeal of the largest actual damages award for an injured worker in Texas history, we persuaded the trial court to grant a historic $117 million remittitur, reducing the plaintiffs' award from $353 million to $235 million. Then, after the filing of our opening appellate brief, we obtained a mediated settlement for a fraction of the original verdict.
• Represented AT&T in a traumatic brain injury case in plaintiff-friendly Harris County, Texas, which involved multiple demands totaling more than $50 million. With zero financial contribution from AT&T, we settled all claims against AT&T and the incumbent electric provider, to whose poles AT&T’s lines were attached. And we recovered 96% of AT&T’s defense costs (approximately $1 million dollars) from the carrier who funded the settlement.
• Currently serve as lead counsel in the Houston First Court of Appeals in an appeal arising from a $557 million verdict in a wrongful-death case.

*Representations were handled prior to the practice group member joining Haynes Boone.