Source: http://www.yettercoleman.com/profiles/april-l-farris/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 05:11:45+00:00

Document:
Recognized as a "Texas Rising Star" in Appellate.
April represents clients in high-stakes matters including contract disputes, business torts, Texas Citizens Participation Act (TCPA) procedure, and government-law issues. She has argued and won cases for her clients in the Fifth Circuit, the Sixth Circuit, and Texas courts of appeals. Her advice on brief craftsmanship appears in the Winning on Appeal appellate treatise, and she gives frequent presentations on legal issues.
As an experienced appellate litigator, April knows that her role is to be helpful to the court. She treats her briefs as works of craftsmanship, blending compelling factual story-telling with sharp legal analysis. She believes that every brief should be a persuasive and enjoyable read, never a slog.
April brings to her client representation the skills and experience that she honed as an assistant solicitor general for the State of Texas. Her agency clients included the Texas Secretary of State, the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
April currently serves a three-year term on the Council of the Texas State Bar Appellate Section. She is also co-chair of the Appellate Section’s Government Appellate Lawyers committee. She is admitted to practice in Texas, the U.S. District Courts of Texas, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth, and Federal circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Occidental Energy Marketing, Inc. v. West Texas LPG Pipeline, L.P. Obtained a favorable ruling on appeal affirming West Texas’s tariff interpretation that, by providing the required monthly notices, West Texas is deemed to have satisfied in full all of the responsibilities and obligations about which Oxy complained. Occidental claimed that West Texas was responsible for resolving a $14 million NGL imbalance.
Confidential Client Won total TCPA dismissal of million-dollar lawsuit against energy client for breach of contract and quantum meruit. Trial court awarded our client full attorney fees, conditional appellate fees, and sanctions.
San Jacinto River Authority Successfully defended SJRA against mandamus and appeal disputing the Expedited Declaratory Judgement Act’s applicability to SJRA’s declaratory Judgement claims. SJRA seeks declarations that certain contracts securing $500 million in public bonds are legal and valid.
DTM Assets, LP et al. v. FDNM, Inc. Procured settlement in favor of plaintiff-appellee client for 99.9% of the supersedeas bond amount on the eve of case submission. Briefing demonstrated trial-stage waiver of appellant's primary appellate point.
Phillips v. Pneumo Abex Achieved affirmation of defense verdict in Fourth Circuit mesothelioma appeal.
In re Valero Ref. Successful mandamus actions on behalf of client Valero Refining. Actions involved discovery disputes with property appraisal districts that were seeking production of Valero’s sensitive financial information in order to appraise refinery properties using the income method of appraisal.
Fulcrum Credit Partners LLC v. Strategic Capital Resources, Inc. Argued jury charge and drafted key evidentiary motions in federal court trial for breach of contract resulting from a collapsed sale for bankruptcy claims. Trial culminated in an award of nearly $2 million for plaintiff client. Award was named one of the top 15 Texas contract verdicts for 2011 by VerdictSearch.
PEMEX Exploracion y Produccion v. Murphy Energy Corp. Dismissal of federal suit brought by Mexico's state-owned petroleum company against client ConocoPhillips on summary judgment. Case involved claims that Mexican drug cartels were stealing condensate from Pemex and selling it through various intermediaries into the United States. Dismissal was affirmed by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
McCune v. Graco Childrens’ Prods. Responsible for defense-side error preservation, jury charge composition, and drafting Rule 50(a) motions in two-week federal trial on plaintiff's $25-million product liability claims. Jury found no liability.
Sampson v. University of Texas at Austin Prevailed in Texas Supreme Court case on behalf of the University of Texas at Austin in Tort Claims Act case brought by professor.
Berry v. Texas Democratic Party Argued and won a case of first impression on behalf of the Texas Secretary of State regarding the scope of the Texas Election Code's limited waiver of sovereign immunity for suits for primary election expenses.

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