Overview
Ace Factor represents plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes commercial, energy, and intellectual property disputes. He has helped clients win multi-million-dollar jury verdicts and settlements and has successfully defended clients against hundreds of millions of dollars in claims. Ace has taken and defended over 70 depositions, argued at dozens of summary judgment and Markman hearings, and examined and cross-examined witnesses at arbitrations and trials.
Ace’s trial experience includes representing Westlake Chemical in a bench trial in Delaware Chancery Court involving complex indemnity and insurance issues; helping Linde Engineering secure a $43 million judgment (plus $22 million in pretrial recoveries) after a five-week jury trial in Harris County; and playing a key role representing a consulting firm and its CEO in a week-long AAA arbitration.
In intellectual property matters, Ace represents clients in patent disputes across multiple industries. He represents J&M Manufacturing in a case involving grain cart technology; represented Austin technology start-up Haptic in its case against Apple involving the iPhone’s “Back Tap” feature; and represented the University of Pittsburgh in litigation concerning patents for wireless charging for implanted medical devices.
Ace also maintains an active pro bono practice. He helped secure a full exoneration for Ronnie Long from the En Banc Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also managed an amicus brief effort that contributed to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturning a client’s illegal voting conviction.
Ace joined Susman Godfrey in 2019 after clerking for Judge Jacques L. Wiener, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and for then-Chief Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Ace graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif from Duke Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Duke Law Journal. He was also a finalist in the Dean’s Cup moot court competition, served as president of the Jewish Law Students Association, and received the “True Advocate” faculty award for his work with the Wrongful Convictions Clinic.
Before law school, Ace taught high-school math in Chalmette, Louisiana. He received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where he double-majored in Classics and Government.
Notable Representations
- J&M Manufacturing Co. v. Kinze Manufacturing, Inc. (N.D. Iowa; Federal Circuit). Represents J&M in a patent infringement action involving J&M’s patented grain cart technology. Ace argued claim terms at the Markman hearing, took and defended numerous depositions, including of Kinze’s President, corporate representative, and the inventor of J&M’s patent. Ace drafted over 10 substantive and discovery motions, one of which the Court described as “well-briefed and well-researched.”
- Haptic, Inc. v. Apple, Inc. (N.D. Cal.). Represents Haptic in a patent infringement action against Apple regarding Apple’s “Back Tap” feature, which allows iPhone users to tap the back of their device to activate controls.
- University of Pittsburgh v. Cochlear (W.D. Tex.). Represented the University of Pittsburgh in a patent infringement case against biomedical device company Cochlear Limited regarding the University’s patents for wireless charging of implanted medical devices. Ace helped the University secure a confidential settlement.
- Linde Engineering North America v. Crestwood Midstream Partners (Harris County State Court). Won a $43 million judgment for Linde Engineering after a 5-week jury trial in a construction dispute regarding a North Dakota gas plant. The judgment was in addition to $22 million in pretrial recoveries. At trial, Ace cross-examined Crestwood’s damages expert and direct-examined a key fact witness whose testimony resulted in the judge granting a directed verdict in Linde’s favor and dismissing Crestwood’s counterclaims.
- NextEra Energy Marketing, LLC v. Macquarie Energy LLC (S.D.N.Y.). Represents Macquarie in a breach of contract action arising from natural gas obligations during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. The case is set for a bench trial before Judge Victor Marrero in early 2026.
- Maurepas/SemGroup v. QPSE/Quanta (Tulsa, Oklahoma). Successfully represented two energy industry midstream companies in two Oklahoma lawsuits against an engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for multiple pipelines. The contractor sued for $20 million in withheld retainage and, to prevent a counterclaim, named the parent/guarantor rather than the operating company. Ace filed a $65 million counterclaim on behalf of the operating company for delays, engineering and construction errors, and contract breaches. The team defeated the contractor’s motion to dismiss, engaged in extensive discovery, and resolved the dispute on confidential, favorable terms.
- PPG Industries, Inc. v. Westlake Corporation (Delaware Chancery Court). Represents Westlake in a high-value dispute in the Delaware Court of Chancery arising from a separation agreement. The case went to trial in 2025 and remains ongoing.
- Erskine v. Valedor Partners et al. (Harris County State Court). Defended Valedor Partners in a dispute regarding a pre-IPO investment in a Chinese grocery delivery company. Ace led the Susman Godfrey team, managed discovery, and drafted a summary judgment motion that resulted in the case settling favorably before the other side filed its response.
- Finke v. Sirius Solutions (Harris County State Court). Secured confidential, favorable resolution for Sirius Solutions in a contract dispute with a former Sirius partner.
- Price v. Sirius Solutions (Harris County State Court). Defended Sirius Solutions in a contract action. The case settled on confidential, favorable terms.
- Confidential AAA Arbitration. Defended a prime contractor in a construction dispute with a subcontractor. After successfully defeating the plaintiff’s summary judgment motion, the case settled favorably one day before the final hearing.
- Confidential AAA Arbitration. Represented a consulting firm and its CEO and helped secure a defense award on six of the seven claims brought by a former partner after a week-long arbitration hearing.
- Crystal Mason v. Texas (Texas Second Court of Appeals, Fort Worth). Managed the Susman Godfrey team representing States United Democracy Center and a bipartisan group of thirteen former state and federal prosecutors as amici curiae, urging the court to set aside Crystal Mason’s conviction for “illegally voting.” The amicus brief argued that the conviction was based on an incorrect application of the illegal voting statute’s knowledge requirement. Ms. Mason’s conviction was overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
- Ronnie Long v. Erik Hooks (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit). Ace successfully assisted Ronnie Long—a North Carolina man wrongfully convicted of rape in 1976—in obtaining a reversal of his conviction from the En Banc Fourth Circuit and a full exoneration. In January 2024, Long obtained a $25 million settlement, the second-largest wrongful conviction settlement ever recorded.
- Haverkamp v. Jumper et al. (S.D. Tex.). Served as court-appointed lead counsel representing an inmate seeking medical treatment for gender dysphoria.
Clerkships
- Honorable Jacques L. Wiener, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Honorable Lee H. Rosenthal, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Education
Education
- Duke University School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude)
- Editor-in-Chief, Duke Law Journal
- Order of the Coif
- Moot Court, Dean’s Cup Finalist
- Criminal Law and Procedure Faculty Award
- “True Advocate” Faculty Clinical Award
- Georgetown University (B.A., magna cum laude)
Admissions
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Texas
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Publications
- Lessons from New Orleans: A Stronger Role for Public Defenders in Spurring Indigent Defense Reform, 66 Duke L.J. 1565 (2017)
Leadership & Professional Memberships
Associations
- Boulevard Oaks Civic Association, Board Member
- Duke Law Alumni Association, former Board Member (2017-2022)
- Georgetown University, Alumni Interviewer
- Houston Young Lawyers Association, Leadership Academy Graduate
- Judicial Intern to the Honorable Hilda G. Tagle, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (2015)
- Judicial Intern to the Honorable Reed C. O’Connor, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas (2015)
