Law Firm Defense
When lawyers need a lawyer—for themselves or their clients—they call Vinson & Elkins’ Law Firm Defense team to appear in trial and appellate courts anywhere our clients need us to be.
Our “go-to” experienced team defends local, regional, and international law firms in litigation and arbitrations, disqualification proceedings, disciplinary actions, and fee disputes. Such matters include claims alleging malpractice, conflicts of interest, conspiracy, deceptive practices, fraud, RICO, and breach of fiduciary duties in substantive areas including antitrust, appellate practice, bankruptcy, copyrights, corporate transactions, criminal law, employment law, environmental law, estate planning, financial services, franchising, intellectual property, litigation, patents and trademarks, personal injury, real estate, securities, tax, trial, and wills and trusts.
Experience Highlights
(Texas Supreme Court) — Affirmed a take-nothing summary judgment in clients’ favor, based on no-evidence of causation in an alleged trial and transactional malpractice case
(U.S. 5th Circuit, E.D. Tex.) — Reversed and rendered trial court’s refusal to apply the attorney immunity doctrine to alleged negligent misrepresentation claims against trial lawyers
(U.S. 5th Circuit, N.D. Tex.) — Dismissal with prejudice, affirmed by Court of Appeals, of all claims brought against court-appointed receiver and receiver’s law firm
(Bankr. N.D. Tex.) — Partial summary judgment for law firm in professional liability suit by bankruptcy trustee alleging malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and aiding and abetting
(Tex. App. − Dallas) — Affirmed dismissal of claims against international law firm in dispute over use of $65 million tax deduction, based on no personal jurisdiction over the law firm and its partner
(Delaware Supreme Court) — Affirmed dismissal of all claims based on the statute of limitations in case alleging law firm’s advice caused plaintiff to pay over $107 million more in a cash-out merger transaction
(Tex. Dist. − Dallas County) — Summary judgment on all of plaintiffs’ malpractice and negligent misrepresentation claims against law firm arising from real-estate transaction
(Tex. Dist. − Harris County) Complete summary judgment on plaintiff’s litigation-malpractice claims against lawyer and law firm, including judgment on counterclaim for firm’s unpaid attorneys’ fees