Thought Leadership / News
January 18, 2017 
 Press Releases
Texas Business Litigation Treatise (Third Edition) Book Features Contributions from Gray Reed's Sofia Adrogué as Editor and Jim Ormiston as an Author as well as Attorneys Across Texas

HOUSTON – With institutions seeking a “roadmap for reform” in our 21st century civil justice system, issues of costs and length of time for resolution of matters and satisfaction with the overall process are at the forefront of the debate. With the decline of jury trials, excellence in litigating matters is paramount. To assist in navigating the litigation process, Gray Reed & McGraw is pleased to announce the release of the Third Edition of ALM’s book Texas Business Litigation in which legendary trial lawyers and specialists analyze a range of issues encountered in the litigation process.

In 2015, there were 9.97 million cases that were disposed of in Texas courts, and less than 0.5 percent of those were disposed of by jury trial. Specifically, according to the 2015 Civil Case Activity Report, a jury was selected in only 1,237 cases.

While it is clear no one can guarantee adjudication by trial, combining nearly 50 years of legal practice and more than 18 years on the state district court bench, Editor Sofia Adrogué and Co-editor Caroline Baker envisioned a work that serves as an encyclopedia on business litigation—from A to Z—including some of the unexpected issues that may emerge—a bankruptcy proceeding or a criminal investigation—along with applicable ethical considerations. 

“It is undisputed that the jury trial is imploding, facing extinction, with numbers in a precipitous decline,” Adrogué says. “A spirited debate about the causes of the vanishing trial continues as well as the best manner in which to handle complex business torts litigation.  ALM’s Texas Business Litigation serves as a business litigation template as attorneys move business litigation cases to trial.”

A commercial litigator for more than 24 years, Adrogué is a member of Gray Reed. She has obtained favorable judgments and settlements on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in a myriad of complex business cases in state and federal courts as well as in ADR proceedings. She represents clients in a variety of industries, ranging from entrepreneurs to multinational corporations. A native of Argentina, Adrogué has been profiled by many publications, including Texas Lawyer (one of Texas' Top "40 Under 40"), Texas Monthly and Law & Politics Magazine ("Texas Super Lawyer") and Houston Woman Magazine. She is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Owner/President Management Program, an alumna of the Harvard Business School, and received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, magna cum laudeOrder of the Coif and Barons, and her B.A. from Rice University, magna cum laudePhi Beta Kappa, both on full academic scholarships.

In addition to Adrogué’s editorial efforts, Gray Reed trial lawyer Jim Ormiston updated his chapter on Oil and Gas Litigation. Ormiston, a partner of the firm, is the practice group leader of Gray Reed’s Litigation Section. He has obtained favorable verdicts, judgments and settlements on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of complex business cases, including cases relating to oil and gas, trade secrets, real estate, products liability, UCC, antitrust, employment matters, construction contracts and consumer claims. He has also defended clients in class action and mass tort cases.

ALM’s Texas Business Litigation showcases 22 contributing authors, the “Who’s Who of the Bar,” addressing the following:

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Antitrust
  • Bankruptcy Ramifications in Business Litigation Cases
  • Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims in Business Transactions
  • Business Divorce
  • Cases
  • Contorts
  • Corporate Governance & Regulatory Proceedings
  • Criminal Law in Business Torts Cases
  • Damages
  • Discovery
  • Employment Law Litigation
  • Ethics
  • Evaluation of Business
  • Experts
  • Fraud & Negligent Misrepresentation
  • Intellectual Property & Trade Secrets Litigation
  • Jury Trial Innovations
  • Oil & Gas
  • Preservation of Error – Appeal Tactics
  • Speech Based Torts: Libel, Slander, Business Disparagement & Invasion of Privacy
  • The Liability Case
  • Third-Party Litigation Finance

Click here to view the table of contents of the 2017 Texas Business Litigation. The full-length book is available by clicking here.

About Gray Reed

For more than 30 years, Gray Reed has been a full-service, Texas based law firm with more than 120 lawyers practicing in Dallas and Houston. Gray Reed offers a wide range of legal services including business litigation, corporate transactions, oil & gas, tax planning and litigation, real estate, healthcare, trusts and estates, employment law, family law, intellectual property, and bankruptcy. For more information, visit www.grayreed.com.