Doug Dodds is the managing partner of the firm. He has a wide range of experience in complex commercial litigation. A past chair of our Litigation Section, he has represented clients in lawsuits and claims involving contract disputes, class actions, misappropriation of trade secrets, legal malpractice, deceptive or fraudulent sales practices, antitrust, business torts, and numerous other commercial disputes. Doug represents both plaintiffs and defendants in state courts and in federal courts in Texas. Doug's work for defendants has resulted in take nothing judgments and favorable settlements. Doug has been recognized by Texas Law & Politics as a "Texas Super Lawyer" in business litigation (2005-11).
Representative Experience
· Represented automobile lending company in breach of contract case against company that was to fund business operations.
· Represented independent oil and gas exploration company in misappropriation of confidential information case.
· Represented beneficiaries of trusts that owned mineral interests underlying ranch in South Texas in action for breach of fiduciary duties against trustees and in malpractice action against law firm representing trusts; received confidential settlement three weeks into jury trial.
· Represented numerous oil and gas clients in disputes regarding alleged drainage, payment of royalties, marketing, development, and other lease covenants.
· Represented South Texas family against major oil company on royalty claim in Duval County; received confidential settlement.
· Defended national credit company against plaintiffs who sought nationwide class of parties lease agreements; defeated class action allegations and settled favorably with named plaintiffs.
· Defended mining company against collective action claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act; obtained summary judgment, affirmed by the Fifth Circuit.
· Represented and defended numerous national and local law firms in malpractice actions, breach of fiduciary duty actions, and class actions.
· Represented numerous health insurance companies in disputes with the State and/or claimants.
· Represented numerous life insurance companies in class actions involving sales practices; defeated class allegations in some cases and negotiated favorable class settlements in others.
· Represented numerous technology companies in disputes ranging from class action claims of securities fraud (obtaining class action settlement), to licensing disputes, to claims regarding the manufacturing of notebook computers by a Fortune 500 company (obtaining a confidential recovery), to defending a $6 million claim by a start-up company over funding and support obligations (obtaining a take-nothing judgment for the client).
Activities
· Austin Bar Association
· State Bar of Texas
· Texas Bar Foundation
· American Bar Association; Oil and Gas Litigation Committee, Business Torts Litigation Committee, Antitrust Law Committee, and Class Action Committee
Professional Background
· The University of Texas School of Law, J.D. 1986
· Kansas State University, B.S. 1983
· Admitted to Practice: Texas; United States District Courts for the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas; Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals; United States Supreme Court