Overview
Scarlett Collings has substantial experience in multi-disciplinary, complex litigation. She has tried cases across a variety of practice areas including securities, antitrust, business torts, and intellectual property. Described as tenacious, business-minded, and analytical, Scarlett is a team-focused counselor and sought-after advocate for clients in the financial services, energy, and technology industries.
Experience
Scarlett has experience practicing in state and federal courts on both sides of the docket. Before joining Susman Godfrey, she secured favorable litigation results in a variety of complex, high stakes cases. Notably Scarlett has:
- negotiated multiple favorable settlements on behalf of an offshore oil producer in securities, commercial, oil and gas lease, and executive compensation disputes in state and federal courts resulting from its acquisition of a larger, publicly traded company;
- successfully defended the damages portion of a case in the W.D. of Texas against a publicly traded FinTech provider found to have infringed the underlying patent in a jury trial.,
- secured favorable settlement on behalf of a legacy energy company in a natural gas price-fixing multi-district antitrust litigation;
- won unanimous decision by the Houston Court of Appeals affirming the dismissal of all derivative claims against the Board of Directors in connection with Kinder Morgan’s $21.1 billion acquisition of El Paso;
- achieved recoveries of over $1 billion for the Lehman Brother bankruptcy estates following dispositive motions and mediated settlements involving the unwinding of ISDA masters and other structured finance products;
- secured favorable defense settlement for El Salvadorian power plant in the middle of a six-week bench trial in Brazoria County, Texas;
- successfully defended a private placement issuer and non-working interest owner of mineral leases, rework assets, and developmental wells in an SEC enforcement action concerning environmental issues, asset valuations, and securities fraud.
Background
A native Houstonian, Scarlett has served as an active volunteer and leader in the local community through her work with The Junior League of Houston, Girls, Inc., Special Olympics, and Girl Scouts of San Jacinto, as well as for her children’s schools, sports teams, and creative arts endeavors.
Education
Education
- The University of Texas School of Law (J.D., with Honors, Order of the Coif, 1997)
- The University of Hawaii at Manoa (B.A., Political Science, 1994)
Admissions
Admissions
Bar Admissions
- Texas
Publications
- “ESG Disclosure Risk in Texas: Capital Markets Participants Caught Between the Anvil and the Hammer Must Learn to Thread the Needle” Texas General Counsel Forum, March 2022
- “The Case of Halloween 2020: Haunted or Happy, or ‘Do I need a COVID Waiver for my Little Solicitors?’” Texas Lawyer, October 2020
- “Amendments to the Rules: Federal Rules and Texas Rules of Civil Procedure,” In-house CLE, October 2020
- “Location, Location: In the Age of Covid Where Can You Get Your Day in Court?” In-house Business Litigation & Dispute Resolution, April 2020
- “U.S. Supreme Court Expands Reach of 10b-5 Liability,” In-house Capital Markets Blog, April 2019
Leadership & Professional Memberships
Associations
- Beacon Law and Lone Star Legal Aid
- Texas Law Review Association
- Special Olympics of Texas and Sustaining Member of the Junior League of Houston
- Houston School of Improv