With a record of successes spanning more than four decades, Bell Nunnally is among the most-respected business law firms in Texas, one of the 25 largest in North Texas by attorney head count and a perennial entry on both Benchmark Litigation and Chambers USA lists. The depth of the firm’s knowledge and breadth of its expertise set Bell Nunnally apart and underpin its status as being Behind Every Great Company® . A member of the global law firm network Legalink, the firm provides a full range of services, including litigation, appellate law, commercial finance, corporate and securities, creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, health law, intellectual property, labor and employment, immigration, real estate, entertainment, mergers and acquisitions, estate planning, tax and white-collar criminal defense. A Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) “Compass Award” winner, Bell Nunnally has multiple times earned mention as part of the Dallas Morning News’ “Top 100 Places to Work” feature.
Litigation Overview: Bell Nunnally litigators aggressively represent clients across many industries, always driven to achieve our clients’ goals and protect their interests. We have represented some of the largest corporations in America, as well as local businesses, government entities and individuals. Our practice encompasses all aspects of the litigation process, from pretrial matters through trial and all levels of appeal in state and federal courts. We also routinely represent clients in arbitral forums and before regulatory bodies. In addition to litigating individual matters, we have served as regional coordinating counsel for Fortune 500 companies and as de facto national counsel for clients. Not only are we skilled in trials and appeals, we also have a demonstrated record of resolving lawsuits favorably for our clients prior to trial. We have won numerous cases involving a wide variety of commercial issues and are well versed in complex litigation. Virtually no area of civil litigation is beyond our capabilities.
In every lawsuit, we strive to discover the strengths of our clients’ positions and uncover and capitalize on the weaknesses of the opposition. We understand that not all cases are destined for trial, so we evaluate creative solutions to disputes early and often to further our clients’ objectives. As experienced business litigators, we help clients evaluate litigation risks and develop a settlement strategy from the outset of a case when appropriate. Our litigators are seasoned, tough negotiators who guide our clients through settlement discussions from a position of strength. When a reasonable settlement is not possible, we aggressively represent our clients through trial — we are more than litigators; we are trial lawyers.
Our attorneys understand that client relationships extend beyond a single case, so we tailor each litigation plan to achieve our clients’ overall business objectives. We take our clients’ budgets into account, staffing cases leanly and making use of experiences to achieve cost effective solutions.
Litigation Highlights:
- Obtained a $23.1 million judgement for a large United States cattle broker after client was defrauded by another Texas-based cattle broker. The case involved the untangling of a check-kiting scheme involving hundreds of transactions, tens of millions of dollars and thousands of head of cattle, which were allegedly bought and sold as part of a check-kiting scheme. The verdict is believed to represent one of the largest cattle frauds in Texas history.
- Secured a favorable settlement for Sperlonga Data & Analytics Systems LLC in a $30 million breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets dispute.
- Secured a unanimous jury verdict in a patent infringement case in favor of Odessa Separator, Inc., a Texas-based manufacturer of award-winning downhole sand and gas separation products that are used in oil wells throughout the world. Plaintiff sought damages in excess of $2 million.
- Obtained a favorable settlement for Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee, R Wings R Wild LLC (RWRW) in a $3 million class action dispute with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The central claim brought against RWRW, the owner/operator of over twenty Buffalo Wild Wings franchise locations, stemmed from a male bartender who alleged that in 2014 he applied for and was denied employment due to his gender. RWRW agreed to a nominal monetary
settlement, a fraction of the total amount initially sought by the Commission, and it agreed to conduct sex discrimination training at its locations to demonstrate its continuing commitment to providing equal employment opportunities for all.
- Represented AMLI Residential and its affiliated entities in six-year lawsuit over the sale of a luxury apartment complex. After serving as co-trial counsel during two-week jury trial, sercured a unanimous verdict in favor of AMLI on the plaintiffs’ $38 million in claims and was awarded $5.8 million in attorneys’ fees.
- Secured a $3.5 million settlement on behalf of a defrauded client investor in a FINRA arbitration against two national FINRA broker dealers. The case centered on a multi-year Ponzi scheme perpetrated by the client’s financial adviser who was also the registered representative of the respondent FINRA broker dealers. After four years of litigation, including numerous delays due to COVID, the parties reached a settlement one week before the final arbitration hearing.
- Secured a complete defense victory on behalf of three departing partners of a national public accounting firm against allegations of trade secret misappropriation, breach of fiduciary duty and violations of non-compete agreements. Plaintiffs sought approx. $10 million in damages After a five-day final hearing, the arbitrator denied all requested relief – including a request to cancel the firm’s future payment obligations to the departed partners – and entered a take-nothing judgment in favor of Bell Nunnally’s clients. The arbitrator also substantially reformed and narrowed the restrictive covenants in response to arguments and defenses under the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act.
Noteworthy:
- 18 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Named to “Ones to Watch” by The Best Lawyers in America® 2024
- 23 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024
- Bell Nunnally Named to “Best Law Firms” List (published by Best Lawyers and featured in U.S. News and World Reports) in 13 Practice Areas
- 15 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Named to Texas Super Lawyers 2023 List
- 15 Bell Nunnally Attorneys Named to “2023 Texas Rising Stars” List Published by Super Lawyers
- 2 Bell Nunnally Partners Featured on D Magazine’s 2023 “Best Lawyers Under 40 in Dallas” List
- D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas 2023” List Featured 10 Bell Nunnally Attorneys
- Firm ranked in Corporate/M&A, Labor & Employment and Litigation: General Commercial in Chambers USA
- Partner Alana Ackels Ranked in L&E in Chambers USA
- Partner Nikki Gibson Ranked in Commercial Finance in Chambers USA
Updated Sep 2023
