Where experience counts

Judges agree that appellate service requires skills far different from those at the trial level. The objectives and audience are different, and the time frame much tighter—sometimes just minutes—compared to the days and weeks of preparation for trial.

By concentrating on appeals, our appellate lawyers can provide experienced, high-quality and cost-effective appellate legal services. This is a coordinated group with the resources of a large, diverse firm available to it.

Comprehensive appellate services

Our appellate team has experience at all levels in federal and state court. Collectively, the team has members admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, every federal circuit court of appeals and state appellate courts across the country.

Members of our appellate team have argued six cases before the United States Supreme Court, served as counsel on the merits in more than a dozen cases argued before the Court and filed numerous petitions for certiorari, oppositions to petitions and amicus curiae briefs. The group's service spans the gamut of substantive and procedural civil law, including:

• Admiralty
• Antitrust
• Civil rights
• Commercial
• Constitutional
• Contracts
• Defamation
• Employment
• Energy and Utilities
• Environmental
• Family Law
• Health Care
• Insurance
• Intellectual Property
• Personal Injury
• Products Liability
• Professional Liability
• Oil and Gas
• Pharmaceutical
• Project Finance
• Real Estate
• Securities
• White Collar Crime
• Wills
• Workers' Compensation

In connection with our diverse and sophisticated litigation team, our appellate group also has developed substantial experience in complex litigation, including class actions and mass torts.

Involve us at the beginning

The heart of our appellate team is, of course, handling appeals. But our appellate work includes more than that. Trial judges, lawyers and clients agree that there also is great benefit in having an appellate lawyer assisting at trial—especially in tough venues where error preservation takes on heightened importance.

Our appellate team knows the substantive law, understands the rules and procedures and can quickly absorb the scientific, technical and other specialized aspects of complex cases. By being an integral part of the trial team, our appellate lawyers are also best positioned to handle appellate emergencies that often arise, because, in trial, time is always of the essence.

• Handling temporary injunctions, certification matters and other complex evidentiary hearings
• Researching and analyzing difficult legal issues
• Seeking or resisting sanctions, particularly in discovery matters
• Preparing or responding to motions to exclude expert testimony
• Preparing or responding to motions for summary judgment and other dispositive motions
• Monitoring a trial to assist in preserving appellate complaints, particularly when the case poses a high risk of an adverse jury verdict
• Preparing trial briefs
• Preparing the court's charge and attending the charge conference at trial
• Preparing or responding to post-trial motions
• Handling mandamus actions or interlocutory appeals prior to trial

By working closely with the trial teams, our appellate team is primed to handle any appeal that later arises with minimal transition, both in terms of time and expense. This partnering effort has worked well over the years, especially in complex cases involving multiple and inter-related legal issues and difficult legal strategies. 

Handle appeals cost-effectively

Our Appellate Group is structured for optimum cost effectiveness. Senior lawyers supervise each case and delegate tasks to associates with the appropriate skill levels and experience. 

Many of our appellate lawyers concentrate in various areas of the law, giving them a quick grasp of the issues in appellate matters. Members of the firm's appellate team constantly share information through meetings and moot courts, so that every client benefits from the group's collective experience.

Finally, our appellate team uses technology to control costs and gain a competitive edge. Our sophisticated computer network integrates each of its locations and provides access to computer research services. Combined with the latest software and web applications, our infrastructure allows the group to instantly access our legal briefings from prior cases and store trial transcripts and exhibits for immediate retrieval, saving time and money.

Think ahead

Skilled trial representation is only part of the equation. To ensure that our client's litigation needs are fully covered, it is important to think past the trial before it even begins to the likely appeal. With a team of proven lawyers focusing their services in this critical and very distinct area of the law, the Supreme Court and appellate team are an essential component in any litigation strategy. That is why companies and individuals facing litigation should turn to us.

For further information or questions regarding our appellate service, please contact Jonathan Franklin.

Awards

• The National Law Journal included the firm on their annual "Appellate Hot List," a list of 20 firms who have made singular contributions to the appellate team during the past year. (2010)
• The Chambers USA Guide ranked the firm as a leading litigation firm in Texas. (2009)
• Corporate Counsel reported the firm as one of the most-mentioned firms in the country for litigation work by Fortune 250 companies. (2008)