Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP

Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, an AmLaw 200 firm celebrating 100 years in 2009, provides comprehensive litigation and business solutions for leading domestic and international companies, Fortune 500 corporations, and private businesses. We turn complex challenges into sustainable solutions for clients across a broad spectrum of industries and business sectors, including technology, financial services, energy, construction, manufacturing, real estate, private equity, hospitality and retail. Our clients are leaders in their respective fields, and we deliver the legal counsel to keep them there.

Gardere's strong tradition and history began in 1909 in Dallas, Texas. In February 1993, the Firm opened an office in Houston to continue to meet the demands of its growing client base and to focus on the increasingly complex environmental matters arising in the energy industry. In October 1995, Gardere merged with Sewell & Riggs, a 75-year-old Houston law firm, creating the fifth largest firm in Texas. The combination increased the Firm's energy, litigation and business practices, and added strong practices in admiralty and insurance coverage. In 2002, Gardere opened a new office in Austin, Texas. Attorneys and lobbyists in this office provide legislative and regulatory representation to Firm clients.

Gardere first established its presence in Mexico City in 1992, and in 1996, Gardere formed a joint venture with a Mexico City law firm, creating the office of Gardere, Arena, Robles, S.C. Gardere provides services to companies investing in and operating businesses on both sides of the border and throughout Latin America. In 2007, the joint venture was renamed Gardere, Arena y Asociados, S.C.

With more than 250 lawyers in four offices - Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Mexico City - Gardere has 10 major practice groups that encompass the more than 45 practice areas in which our attorneys counsel and serve clients. Since not all client needs fit neatly into a single practice area, Gardere also utilizes cross-practice industry teams and specialty practice groups. The industry teams are designed to meet a wide range of legal needs for clients in specific industries while the tightly-focused specialty practice groups include attorneys with a wealth of knowledge and experience in highly complex areas of law, such as patents and IP litigation, class actions, anti-trust, transfer pricing, and cross-border transactions.

At Gardere, our lawyers are skilled litigators and negotiators who have been named among the best attorneys in America. Their backgrounds include experience as leaders in business, engineering, research and development, government and academia. They are legal experts with competence honed in the boardroom and the courtroom. Our goal is to create and maintain relationships with our clients that go beyond just being their legal counsel; we work to become a strategic partner, integral to each client's success.

Calling it a "Royalty" Doesn't Mean You Have to Suffer Withholding Taxes in Cross-Border Transactions
Cym H. Lowell, Michael J. Donohue, Mark R. Martin, January 27, 2009
In our international taxation practice, we often encounter situations where there is a material disconnect between how transactional matters are viewed as between different countries or different parties.

FMLA
January 16, 2009
On Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, the Department of Labor (DOL) published the long-awaited revisions to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Fiduciary Duties of Directors of Troubled Corporations
Richard A. Tulli, January 16, 2009
Corporate financial uncertainties or troubles frequently require corporate directors to make difficult choices that affect shareholders, creditors and others having an interest in the corporation.