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Rick Harrison, born in Marfa, Texas, has over 40 years of experience in representing clients in litigation disputes in a broad range of areas, including business litigation, technology, employment, and product liability, both at trial and on appeal. His peers selected him among the top attorneys in Texas Super Lawyers for Commercial Litigation in 2007-2010, he was named to The Best Lawyers in America 2007-2010 and is one of the 500 leading Plaintiffs' Lawyers in America 2007 as published in Lawdragon. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
Recent Experience and Accomplishments
Technology
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Successfully defended an international corporation charged with breach of contract concerning an oil field directional tool with alleged damages of $250 million.
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Represented a real estate developer enjoining a competitor from using an internet domain name. Successfully defended the appeal through the Supreme Court of Texas.
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Successfully defended a software trade secret infringement case.
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Successfully defended a $35 million trade secret and patent infringement case, securing a take-nothing judgment and a $1 million recovery of punitive damages on a defamation counterclaim.
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Prosecuted a Lanham Act trade dress infringement case for a national jewelry manufacturer.
Professional/Officer Liability and Fiduciary Litigation
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Secured a favorable settlement against a nationwide banking concern for the negligent handling of investments in a trust account.
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Secured a favorable settlement against a major law firm for breach of fiduciary duties to a client.
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Secured recovery of a $60 million foundation for the family of the original grantor.
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Successfully defended an architect against allegations of copyright infringement.
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Successfully represented plaintiffs in an accounting malpractice case concerning erroneous advice given to holders of incentive stock options.
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Successfully defended a former officer of a venture capital firm against claims by a group of investors that investments were mishandled and that securities laws were violated.
General Business
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Successfully defended an international corporation in a $40 million breach of contract/fraud claim before an AAA arbitration panel.
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Successfully defended a $30 million breach of contract claim in Cameron County District Court.
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Successfully represented an international corporation in a commercial fraud case wherein an injunction was obtained prohibiting the gray market sale of the client's product.
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Obtained a defense judgment (take nothing) in a $30 million RICO/conspiracy claim against a franchiser.
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Successfully represented a resort and real estate development corporation in several trials involving multi-million dollar damages and breach of contract.
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In January 1987, secured the largest jury verdict in Morris County, Texas' history ($8.3 million) in a breach of contract suit; reduced to $6.8 million on appeal and affirmed. Lone Star Steel v. Scott, 759 S.W. 2d 144 (Texark., 1988).
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Successfully represented a River Authority concerning a defective dam, recovering $2.4 million in settlements from the engineers and a $12.4 million judgment against the contractor. The $12.4 million judgment resulted in a $12 million settlement with a national insurer on a bad faith insurance claim.
Product Liability
- Successfully defended a multi-national corporation in a product liability case involving a death on a drilling rig in DuBai.
- Successfully defended an automobile manufacturer in a $10 million product case venued in Starr County, Texas.
- Successfully defended an automobile manufacturer in a $3 million product case venued in Nueces County, Texas (directed verdict that the plaintiff take nothing).
State Taxation
- As a Special Assistant Attorney General of Texas, responsible for discovery, trial preparation and three-month jury trial in Houston, Texas, concerning the Howard Hughes Estate and the determination of Howard Hughes' legal domicile at death; continued with representing the State of Texas in a federal interpleader action appealed to the United States Supreme Court, and represented the State of Texas in the resulting Original Action involving the States of California and Texas. This Original Action settled two weeks before trial in the summer of 1984 with a $50 million payment to the State of Texas.
- As Chief of the Taxation Division for the Attorney General of Texas, represented the State of Texas in several multi-million dollar test cases involving franchise taxes and state sales taxes.
- Obtained a jury verdict and judgment against the State of Texas negating a sales tax audit, recovering all taxes paid under protest, plus attorneys' fees.
Employment
- Successfully represented several individuals in defeating non-competition clauses in their employment agreements.
- Negotiated the resolution of stock option and severance packages for departing executives of various high-tech companies.
- Successfully represented an employer charged with sexual discrimination in the workplace.
Professional Qualifications
Memberships/Admissions
- State Bar of Texas (1968)
- U.S. District Courts: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Austin Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Martindale-Hubbell Bar Registry of Pre-eminent Lawyers
- Marquis Who's Who in American Law
- Marquis Who's Who in America
Education
- University of Texas (JD, 1968)
- University of Texas at Austin (BBA, 1966)
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