Atty. Jason E. Williams

A commercial trial attorney with a focus on energy, corporate fiduciary and securities, and construction litigation, Jason Williams has significant first-chair trial and arbitration experience and has argued as lead counsel before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Working as a mechanical engineer prior to attending The University of Houston Law Center, he gained unique insights that have help to make him invaluable to his clients facing technology-related disputes. His construction law experience includes construction defect claims, design errors and omissions claims, contractor termination matters, and construction delays. He also has substantial experience in securities and fiduciary litigation, including directors and officers liability, breach of fiduciary duty, derivative claims, and business divorces. His work in energy disputes, focuses on drilling, pipelines, refining, energy trading, and trade secrets.

Recent case highlights:

• Defended an oilfield specialty services company against claims of aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and theft of trade secrets brought by a former customer – a much larger, publicly traded entity alleging $65 million in damages. Attacking the plaintiff’s own internal controls and accounting practices, and drawing upon substantial knowledge of internal controls over financial reporting and public company accounting rules, a good settlement was secured before trial and before the plaintiff obtained a substantial verdict against the remaining co-defendants.
• Represented minority shareholder of a closely held petroleum products marketing and terminaling company against the company’s single dominant shareholder and board of directors. The allegations included breach of contract, fraud, unjust enrichment, and breach of fiduciary duty both as direct and derivative causes of action. The client alleged that the company breached its promise to buy back his shares at a certain value and that the company’s directors breached their fiduciary duties to him by engaging in “conflicting interest transactions” under Georgia law. After the presiding judge denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, the case settled for a confidential amount.
• Defended the manufacturer and supplier of a mechanical vertical inclination well survey tool known as a Wireless Drift Indicator against breach of warranty claims. The plaintiff, a bankrupt operator, had drilled a deviated hole that had to be sidetracked. After analyzing the drilling reports and interviewing and deposing rig personnel regarding key events, it was determined that the operator failed to follow the survey tool operating instructions and made critical errors during drilling and in its handling of the bottom hole assembly. The case settled favorably shortly after arguing the summary judgment motion.
• Defended a major financial institution after it sold a large commercial tract. The purchaser later accused the institution of fraudulently concealing defects in the property and demanded $12 million in damages. Established in the deposition of the purchaser’s contractor that the contractor warned the purchaser about the defects and through hard-fought written discovery the purchaser disclosed the defects to an insurer well before the purchaser’s supposed discovery of them. The case settled for fraction of the amount sought.
• Represented non-destructive testing and inspection company against a competitor’s claim of tortious interference and theft of trade secrets. The case involved a novel issue of federal jurisdiction over disputes related to foreign arbitration agreements under the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. Obtained dismissal of all claims. In a subsequent suit against the same competitor, obtained summary judgment against competitor, securing $2.1 million in damages.
• Represented a municipal utility district against an engineering firm seeking damages of over $1 million related to the alleged defective design of a flood control detention pond which suffered a major structural wall failure. As part of the representation, assisted the client in developing a plan for the replacement of the entire detention pond and the hiring of a new engineering firm. Secured settlement in excess of the engineering firm’s policy limits.