Opinion ID: 2171909
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Attorney's Fees: Bad Faith & Vexatious Conduct

Text: The Woodlands also argues it is entitled to attorney's fees because MBM has acted in bad faith, vexatiously, wantonly, or for oppressive reasons. The rules of civil procedure allow fees as a sanction against a party who files pleadings in bad faith [32] or abuses the discovery process. [33] But the Woodlands filed no motion for sanctions pursuant to those rules. Its fee claim was not based on MBM's litigation conduct but on its pre-litigation conduct; such fees are recoverable only if a contract or statute so provides. As the Woodlands cannot recover fees based on contract or fraud, allegations that the breach was in bad faith or the fraud vexatious do not change that result.