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Biography
Bob has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of products liability, environmental and complex tort and class-wide litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. He has begun over 50 jury and arbitration trials and taken more than 30 cases to a jury verdict. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in civil trial law and personal injury trial law. Bob also handles significant premises liability and construction-related litigation, as well as litigation arising from the oil and gas industry. His practice has taken him to the courts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Louisiana, Florida, Washington, and Oregon, in addition to those throughout the state of Texas.
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Representative
Experience
Product liability cases - Serves as primary firm counsel for a major pharmaceutical manufacturer in suits arising from the use of one prescription drug and one over-the-counter drug (both ultimately withdrawn from the market)
- Served as lead national counsel for a company whose building component product was the subject of litigation asserted as statewide class actions in eight states and as two nationwide class actions; the nationwide suits were combined for settlement, seven of the statewide suits were dismissed, and one statewide suit was certified solely for settlement purposes; representation included defending three state attorney general inquiries
- Represents Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. in wrongful death and personal injury suits filed in multiple counties in Texas relating to rollover accidents and product recall; represents same client in similar litigation filed in Texas by residents of Mexico and Venezuela concerning accidents alleged to have occurred in their home countries
- Represents building component manufacturer in approximately 45 suits filed in Texas; an attempt to certify a statewide class of plaintiffs was defeated; approximately 40 of the suits have been settled on favorable terms for our client
- Obtained complete defense verdict at the trial of a strict liability suit involving a product that, at the time of plaintiff's injury, was the subject of a recall campaign by our client
- Defended a major truck manufacturer in the largest personal injury suit ever filed against the company, in which damages of more than $6 billion were sought for the deaths of nine people; take-nothing verdict was rendered after a 2-month jury trial in South Texas' Starr County (Rio Grande City)
- Represented U.S. appliance manufacturer in wrongful death case filed in Moscow
- Selected to represent Taiwanese manufacturer in U.S. product litigation; case non-suited by plaintiff
- Represents U.S. and non-U.S. manufacturers of automotive parts, appliances, industrial machines, and farm equipment in personal injury and property damage cases
Environmental/Toxic tort cases - Served as regional counsel for global chemical company in lawsuit by over 6,000 plaintiffs alleging historic continuing air pollution; obtained a summary judgment for our client on approximately 3,000 claims, whereupon the remaining claims were settled on very favorable terms
- Served as lead counsel for the primary potentially responsible party in a "Superfund" case in Denver federal court
- Jointly defended a major agrichemical company in eight lawsuits filed in three Texas state and federal courts; these claims, arising out of a toxic release alleged to have spanned 40 years, were brought as a class action and individually by more than 200 plaintiffs opting out of the class
- Represents oil and chemical companies in personal injury suits related to alleged exposure to benzene, vinyl chloride, silica and liquefied petroleum products, among others
- Represents chemical companies in toxic tort class action suits
- Represents a non-U.S. automobile manufacturer in suits alleging exposure to asbestos particles from brake parts
Energy-related cases - Represents clients in the oil and gas industry in contractual disputes, down-hole failure claims, partnership disputes, and toxic exposure cases as well as offshore personal injury and wrongful death suits
Constitutional Law-related cases - Represents two worldwide Churches on a local and state level in matters usually giving rise to First Amendment issues
Appellate - Over a decade of experience representing clients on appeal; in recent years has argued twice in the Texas Supreme Court and four times in the state Courts of Appeals
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Activities and Affiliations
- Fellow: American College of Trial Lawyers
- Associate: American Board of Trial Advocates
- Listed: Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading United States Litigation Lawyers (2005); The Best Lawyers in America in personal injury litigation, 2003-2006; "Texas Super Lawyers" in class action/mass torts litigation, Texas Monthly, 2003-2005; Chambers USA: America's Leading Business Lawyers in general commercial litigation, 2006
- Fellow: Texas Bar Foundation; Houston Bar Foundation
- Member: Product Liability Advisory Council; Defense Research Institute; Texas Association of Defense Counsel; International Association of Defense Counsel; Maritime Law Association
- Chair: Grievance Committee 4E, Harris County, Texas (1986-87)
- Co-Author: Hampton, Schick & McGehee's Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Annotated, Thompson West 2002-2005
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Education and Professional Background
- Princeton University, A.B., 1976
- University of Houston, J.D., 1981 (Order of the Barons; Order of the Barristers)
- Admitted to practice: Texas, 1981; all Texas courts; U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas
- Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and Civil Trial Law by Texas Board of Legal Specialization
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