One of the largest conglomerates in the Caribbean, CL Financial, and its Chairman, Lawrence Duprey, hired our partners, Timothy F. Lee and Dennis Barrow to defend a claim in excess of $1 billion filed by two Canadian citizens, a Canadian company, and a Texas company. The Canadian plaintiffs asserted claims for breach of contract, fraud, and intentional interference with contract. CL Financial and Lawrence Duprey filed a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. The trial court dismissed the $1,000,000,000 in claims for lack of personal jurisdiction. On appeal, Ware, Jackson, Lee, O’Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP attorney Tim Lee obtained a precedent-setting opinion affirming the dismissal. Greenfield Energy Inc., et al. v. Lawrence Duprey and CL Financial, 252 S.W.3d 721 (Tex.App.-Houston [14 Dist.] 2008, no writ.)
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Ware, Jackson, Lee, O’Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP partners Don Jackson and Paul Smith Successfully represented a general contractor and additional subcontractors in a work place death.
This case involved a work place death resulting from a prefabricated stair falling on the truck driver who transported it to the worksite. On behalf of the wife and three minor children, Plaintiff’s counsel, John O’Quinn, demanded $38 million before trial. After three weeks of trial, the jury could not reach a decision, and a mistrial was declared. WJ represented the subcontracting crane company. They were the targets of the litigation accused of knocking the stair off the truck onto the decedent. After the mistrial, WJ represented both the general contractor and the crane company. WJ persuaded the court to grant summary judgment for the general contractor. A week into the second trial, WJ settled the case for a favorable confidential amount that had been offered two years earlier and remained on the table. Partners Don Jackson and Paul Smith were assisted by a team including partners Tim Lee and Eileen O’Neill.
Ware, Jackson, Lee, O’Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP partner, Eileen O’Neill, received a complete defense verdict on a $9.5 million claim brought against our clients who were partners in a commodity trading and distribution partnership.
At trial, Eileen O’Neill represented Southern Chemical Corporation and its individual partners in a claim brought against them by former partner, Tommy Cox. Cox brought a $9.5 million claim against our clients for alleged fraud, breach of contract and tortuous interference with contract. After a full jury trial, Cox was awarded nothing by the jury or court. Not satisfied, Cox appealed and Ware, Jackson, Lee, O’Neill, Smith & Barrow, LLP appellate specialist, Tim Lee, won the appeal. The appellate decision is Cox v. Southern Garrett, LLC, 45 S.W.3d 574 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.], 2007).