C. Scott Kinzel

Trial Practice

      Commercial Litigation

       Contract Disputes, Business Torts and Fraud, Major Casualties, Property Disputes, Intellectual Property Litigation, Extraordinary Relief (seizures and injunctions).

       Insurance and Coverage Litigation

        Casualty, Commercial/Coverage B, Personal Injury, London Market

Bar and Court Admissions

• Texas, 1993
• California, 1987 (inactive)
• Supreme Court of Texas and all state courts
• Supreme Court of California and all state courts
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth and Ninth Circuits
• U.S. Court of International Trade

Education

• University of Texas School of Law (J.D., with honors, 1987)
• Texas A&M University at Galveston (B.S., summa cum laude, 1984)
• Member, 1985-1986 and Executive Editor, 1986-1987, Texas International Law Journal

Representative Matters

   Oilfield Services/Pipeline

          Obtained $3.9 million jury verdict (Harris County) plus attorneys fees for major oilfield services company on breach of contract claim involving pipeline cleaning; jury awarded zero to opponent pipeline company on its $86 million counterclaim for breach of contract and fraudulent inducement.

     Construction

         Obtained defense jury verdict (Bell County) on opponents' (buyers') claims for specific performance and damages in a dispute involving new home construction; obtained jury verdict for lost profits and expenses, plus attorneys fees on client's (builder's) counterclaim.

      Insurance Coverage

        Defended $100 million insurance coverage and statutory bad faith litigation on behalf of major surplus lines insurer involving an underlying patent litigation matter; settled after five week jury trial (Harris County).

      Trademark Infringement/Wrongful Seizure

        Obtained defense jury verdict (S.D. Texas) on opponent scaffolding company's multi-million dollar trademark infringement suit and claims under the Lanham Act; obtained jury verdict for $1.2 million including punitive damages and attorney's fees on client’s (competing scaffolding company's) counterclaim  for wrongful seizure and bad faith wrongful seizure. Affirmed on appeal, 278 F.3d 523 (5th Cir. 2002).

      Transportation - Rail

        Obtained $14 million judgment (S.D.Texas) on behalf of a major plastics producer against a class 1 railroad, based on breach of the most favored nations clause contained in the applicable transportation contract (five week  bench trial).

      Oil Spill Recovery

        Obtained $2.1 million for pollution cleanup and related expenses incurred by a tanker owner/operator involved in a casualty on the Houston Ship Channel (S.D. Tex. bench trial).

      Contractor Liability

        Defended chemical solvent manufacturer against owners/operator of a mouse research vivarium (settled after jury trial, Montgomery County).

Memberships

• Houston Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• State Bar of California
• State Bar of Texas
• Maritime Law Association of the United States (Proctor Member)
• Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (Houston Port Director, 1998-1999; Editorial Board, 1994-1998)
• Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association