HOUSTON (June 2, 2014)—Susman Godfrey LLP was named a finalist in Texas Lawyer’s Litigation Department of the Year competition for midsize firms in the general litigation category.
The litigation boutique was one of just three midsize law firms named to the list recognizing the state’s top general litigation departments. The nomination process involved sharing big victories and important cases from 2013 that demonstrate why clients choose the firm for litigation work.
“The work submitted was done in Texas, throughout the rest of the country and abroad. The key, though, was that it was led by Texas lawyers, showcasing the talented litigators in the Lone Star State. It goes without saying that we had difficult decisions to make, as it was a truly competitive field,” Texas Lawyer editor-in-chief Heather D. Nevitt wrote.
Texas Lawyer highlighted several of Susman Godfrey’s notable litigation wins from 2013, including a $148 million judgment in Animal Science Products v. Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical.
“This was the first price-fixing case under U.S. antitrust law against mainland Chinese companies,” Houston partner Jim Southwick, who served as co-lead counsel in the case, explained to Texas Lawyer.
Also highlighted was Susman Godfrey founder Steve Susman’s efforts defending former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes in a $145 million breach of contract suit filed by the National Hockey League. Susman’s team was successful in obtaining summary judgment from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Redfield T. Baum.
Susman Godfrey was praised by Kevin Burdette, vice president of Swift Aviation Group, a company owned by Moyes and also represented by the firm.
“There’s no shortage of communication,” Burdette told Texas Lawyer, noting the weekly conference calls the firm uses to update clients involved in ongoing matters.
Susman Godfrey’s inclusion as a finalist in Texas Lawyer’s Litigation Department of the Year follows on the heels of its recent placement on The National Law Journal’s “Plaintiffs Hot List” and Law360’s “Most Feared Plaintiffs Law Firms.”
