Source: http://archive.strasburger.com/practices/appellate/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 18:55:47+00:00

Document:
A jury’s verdict, or the ruling of a trial judge, does not always mark the end of a dispute. The appeal process — making sure the law and the evidence support the ultimate outcome of the case — is often a critical step in protecting the client’s right to a correct judgment.
Experienced appellate advocates have been part of the Strasburger team since long before appellate law became a recognized practice area. Founder Hobert Price was ahead of his time in focusing his practice on appellate work. The tradition he established was carried on by Royal Brin, now one of the deans of the Texas appellate bar. The current members of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group follow in those pioneers’ footsteps, bringing a wide range and depth of experience to the solution of our clients’ appellate problems.
Members of Strasburger’s Appellate Practice Group assist clients in a variety of ways, including handling appeals in cases conducted by each of the firm’s litigation practice areas, taking over or assisting with appeals in cases conducted by other firms at the trial court level, assisting the firm’s litigators with discovery issues, dispositive motions, jury instructions, and post-trial motions, consulting on trial court cases or appeals being handled by other firms, acting as legal adviser to multi-firm joint defense groups monitoring trials and appeals, preparing “friend of the court” briefs in important cases, helping with post-trial mediation, and other settlement activities.
Our attorneys are comfortable with whatever role best suits the client’s needs, ranging from brief consultation with trial counsel to working as part of a multi-firm team of lawyers to independent pursuit of a complete appeal.
Strasburger appellate lawyers have participated in about 200 appellate cases over the last decade, in several different federal courts and virtually every state appellate court in Texas and involving a wide range of subject matter.
Affirmance of a $32 million judgment in an alter ego case brought by the trustee of a securitized mortgage trust. Konover Development Corp. v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., No. 14-3091-CV, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 19881 (2nd Cir. Nov. 17, 2015, cert. filed) . Joining the client’s appellate team and arguing the case in the Second Circuit, we helped persuade the court to reject the defendant’s numerous jurisdictional, procedural, and substantive challenges to a trial court judgment that the judgment debtor under a Maryland mortgage deficiency judgment was the alter ego of the individual defendant who owned the debtor corporation.
Affirmance of a summary judgment for the lessor in an oil and gas dispute involving competing interpretations of a retained-acreage clause. ConocoPhillips Co. v. Vaquillas Unproven Minerals, Ltd., No. 04-15-00066-CV (Tex. App. – San Antonio Aug. 5, 2015, pet. filed) (mem.op.) Becoming part of the client’s team even before suit was filed, we helped convince the trial and appellate courts that the lessee was required to release additional acreage due to the adoption of a field rule by the Railroad Commission.
Reversal of an adverse judgment in a margin tax refund case involving the tax rate applicable to rent-to-own businesses. Rent-a-Center, Inc. v. Hegar, 468 S.W.3d 220 (Tex. App. – Austin 2015, no pet.) Working with the firm’s tax practice group, we helped convince the appellate court that our client’s business was more similar to retail sales than to leasing, and therefore entitled to a lower margin tax rate.
Reversal of a $4.7 million judgment in a partnership dispute involving medical imaging centers. Plano AMI, L.P. v. Cruz, No. 05-12-01480-CV, 2015 Tex.App LEXIS 166 (Tex. App. – Dallas Jan. 9, 2015, no pet.) Taking over the case after an unfavorable verdict, we successfully resisted the plaintiff’s claim for a judgment twice as large, and then on appeal obtained reversal and remand of the trial court judgment on the basis of an erroneous partial summary judgment and partial directed verdict.
Upholding a summary judgment for a hospital sued by a minor 15 years after the child’s birth. Tenet Hospitals Ltd. v. Rivera, 445 S.W.3d 698 (Tex. 2014) Joining the client’s legal team after an unsuccessful outcome in the Court of Appeals, we convinced the Supreme Court of Texas that the claim was barred by the statute of repose because the minor’s guardian failed to exercise diligence in pursuing the minor’s claim.
Upholding a $13.4 million judgment in favor of a flooded marina in a suit against the marina’s insurance broker. Insurance Alliance v. Lake Texoma Highport, LLC, 452 S.W.3d 57 (Tex. App. – Dallas 2014, pet. denied) After joining with the client’s legal team at another firm even before the case went to trial, we successfully defended the marina against the broker’s appeal, arguing that there was ample evidence that the insurance that the broker agreed to obtain would have provided at least $8.7 million more coverage than the coverage actually obtained.
Reversal of an adverse summary judgment in a title insurance dispute. Lawyers Title Insurance Corp. v. Doubletree Partners, L.P., 739 F.3d 848 (5th Cir. 2014). Joining the client’s legal team after an adverse summary judgment, we successfully argued in the Fifth Circuit that “survey coverage” purchased by our client covered a flowage easement mislocated on a survey of the property, and that an exception in the policy for the flowage easement excluded only the easement as shown on the erroneous survey.
Reversal of a federal court judgment dismissing two class actions arising out of the infamous Stanford Ponzi scheme. Roland v. Green, 675 F.3d 503 (5th Cir. 2012), aff’d sub nom. Chadbourne & Parke, LLP v. Troice, 571 U.S. , 134 S. Ct. 1058 (2014). Working closely with the firm’s trial team at the trial and appellate levels, we convinced the Fifth Circuit that suits by thousands of defrauded Latin American investors against some of the Stanford entities’ law firms and insurance brokers were not precluded by the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act, because nationally-traded securities were only tangentially involved in the case. Working with an outside Supreme Court specialist, we then persuaded the Supreme Court to affirm the Fifth Circuit’s decision.
A milestone decision affecting the rights of juveniles in proceedings to certify them for criminal trial as adults. Moon v. State, 451 S.W.3d 28 (Tex. Crim. App. 2014) Handling the case pro bono, we successfully argued that the seriousness of the crime with which the juvenile is charged does not justify failure to apply the other statutory criteria governing certification, and that our client’s clean record, lack of sophistication and maturity, prospects for rehabilitation, and lack of danger to society all militated against certification.
Affirmance of the disqualification of an attorney hired by a proposed ward. In In re Guardianship of Benavides, 403 S.W.3d 370 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2013, pet. denied). As part of a multi-firm team, we helped convince the Court of Appeals that the ward suffered from severe dementia and did not have capacity to contract for legal services, filing a brief with a hyperlink to a video deposition demonstrating the ward’s incapacity.
Reversal of a temporary injunction against a financial institution in a $10 million real estate dispute with a developer. Branch Banking & Trust Co. v. TCI Luna Ventures, No. 05-12-00653-CV (Tex. App. – Dallas Feb. 21, 2013, no pet.). We persuaded the Court of Appeals that our client’s alleged promise to negotiate did not give rise to an enforceable obligation, and that the anti-deficiency statute did not apply.
When Is Summary Judgment Evidence “On File”?
When is a Post-Judgment Order Final and Appealable?

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