 OverviewWith nearly 40 years of experience, Cliff has earned his stripes as a veteran trial lawyer, having tried more than 170 cases to jury verdict and having handled cases in virtually every corner of the state. Cliff’s vast experience in transportation litigation, products liability, premises liability, toxic tort, wrongful death, negligence, oil field and refinery accidents, construction litigation and commercial cases has resulted not only in numerous courtroom victories for his clients, but has also won him the respect of his peers, who have selected him to be included in Thomson Reuters “Texas Super Lawyers” list in the area of Personal Injury – Defense every year since 2004. He has also been named by Woodward/White, Inc. to the Best Lawyers in America list every year since 2017 in the area of Personal Injury – Defendants and every year since 2018 in the area of Product Liability – Defendants. His extensive courtroom experience and reputation have also equipped him to achieve quick and efficient pretrial settlements for a variety of clients. As a frequent speaker on various topics involving trial tactics, Cliff served on the faculty of the IADC Trial Academy, the TADC Trial Academy and the Texas College of Trial Advocacy. Memberships
- American Bar Association
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- Defense Research Institute
- Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
- Houston Bar Association
- International Association of Defense Counsel, Trial Academy (Faculty, 2010)
- State Bar of Texas
- Texas Association of Defense Counsel, Trial Academy (Faculty, 2007)
- Texas Bar Foundation
- Texas College of Trial Advocacy
- Transportation Industry Defense Association
OverviewWith nearly 40 years of experience, Cliff has earned his stripes as a veteran trial lawyer, having tried more than 170 cases to jury verdict and having handled cases in virtually every corner of the state. Cliff’s vast experience in transportation litigation, products liability, premises liability, toxic tort, wrongful death, negligence, oil field and refinery accidents, construction litigation and commercial cases has resulted not only in numerous courtroom victories for his clients, but has also won him the respect of his peers, who have selected him to be included in Thomson Reuters “Texas Super Lawyers” list in the area of Personal Injury – Defense every year since 2004. He has also been named by Woodward/White, Inc. to the Best Lawyers in America list every year since 2017 in the area of Personal Injury – Defendants and every year since 2018 in the area of Product Liability – Defendants. His extensive courtroom experience and reputation have also equipped him to achieve quick and efficient pretrial settlements for a variety of clients. As a frequent speaker on various topics involving trial tactics, Cliff served on the faculty of the IADC Trial Academy, the TADC Trial Academy and the Texas College of Trial Advocacy. ExperienceProducts Liability Successfully defended a leading manufacturer of personnel lifts in a products liability case in which, after a three week jury trial, the general contractor for the Baylor [more]Successfully defended a leading manufacturer of personnel lifts in a products liability case in which, after a three week jury trial, the general contractor for the Baylor football stadium was charged with negligence and ordered to pay $17 MM in a death case while our client, the lift manufacturer, was exonerated. [less]Products Liability Successfully defended a leading manufacturer of personnel lifts in a products liability case in which the court changed Texas products liability law, specifically [more]Successfully defended a leading manufacturer of personnel lifts in a products liability case in which the court changed Texas products liability law, specifically regarding design defect cases. The plaintiff argued that our client’s lift was defective as designed because it was not safe when the explicit instructions (to never move the lift when someone is in the basket) are ignored. Those instructions were ignored and the person in the basket was killed. The Court held that the instructions against this type of misuse were very clear and the danger was obvious, and held that when the risk that someone will ignore those instructions is very small, then a change in the design is not required in order to make the product reasonably safe. In such a case, the Supreme Court held, the question should not even be submitted to a jury, as the risk of harm does not outweigh the product’s utility as a matter of law. [less]Products Liability + Brain Damage Successfully tried and ultimately settled, for a very nominal amount, a products liability case involving a significant head injury on behalf of a heavy equipment manufacturer. Negligence + Wrongful Death Successfully defended the Mexico-based branch of an international electronic manufacturing company in federal court regarding a case in which a truck [more]Successfully defended the Mexico-based branch of an international electronic manufacturing company in federal court regarding a case in which a truck driver allegedly hauling appliances from Mexico to Mississippi fell asleep and killed a number of people on a highway in Louisiana. [less]Negligence + Wrongful Death Successfully defended a bus company that was sued after an intoxicated passenger was removed from the bus and was later killed on the highway. The plaintiff sought in excess [more]Successfully defended a bus company that was sued after an intoxicated passenger was removed from the bus and was later killed on the highway. The plaintiff sought in excess of $1 MM, but the jury exonerated the bus company. [less]Negligence + Wrongful Death Successfully represented the operator of a landfill in a wrongful death case that arose when an invitee of the landfill was crushed and killed by a landfill dozer. The jury found [more]Successfully represented the operator of a landfill in a wrongful death case that arose when an invitee of the landfill was crushed and killed by a landfill dozer. The jury found no negligence on the landfill operator or its employees. [less]Products Liability + Brain Damage Defended the manufacturer of a mobile crane that tipped over, resulting in significant head and orthopedic injuries, and led to a lawsuit in which the damages exceeded [more]Defended the manufacturer of a mobile crane that tipped over, resulting in significant head and orthopedic injuries, and led to a lawsuit in which the damages exceeded $3 MM. The jury found that the crane was not defective, resulting in a take nothing judgment and a total victory for the defense. [less]Products Liability Represented a large international manufacturer of plastic pipes. The pipe was used to transport water at an oil well drilling site and, because the water was extremely [more]Represented a large international manufacturer of plastic pipes. The pipe was used to transport water at an oil well drilling site and, because the water was extremely hot, the pipe burst and caused a sinkhole. An oilfield worker fell into the sinkhole, which was full of boiling water, and was burned. He survived ten days and then died of his injuries. Plaintiff sued the manufacturer of the pipe, seeking several million dollars. The case was tried in south Texas, and the jury found that the pipe was not defective, completely exonerating the manufacturer. [less]Negligence + Personal Injury Defended a large waste disposal company, whose driver backed his waste truck into another vehicle, resulting in injuries to the other driver. The other driver filed suit, [more]Defended a large waste disposal company, whose driver backed his waste truck into another vehicle, resulting in injuries to the other driver. The other driver filed suit, alleging damages for a double operated back, a complete inability to work, and in excess of $3 MM in damages. The jury found that the plaintiff was at fault and also found that his alleged injuries were not caused by the accident. [less]
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