Hartzog Conger Cason & Neville, Sayles Werbner secure win on good faith defense

DALLAS – A federal district court judge has affirmed a take-nothing defense verdict for the owner of an Oklahoma City-based company that unknowingly provided services in connection with a mineral royalties Ponzi scheme, finding that the company, Cianna Resources Inc., does not have to repay $21.7 million the scheme paid to Cianna for mineral interests and commissions.

“Our group of attorneys did an outstanding job and put together a powerful case,” said Sawyer Neely of Dallas-based Sayles Werbner, one of the attorneys who represented Cianna. “It certainly was a David-and-Goliath situation, and we appreciate that our hard work resonated with the jury.”

DALLAS – Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Jesner, et al., v. Arab Bank PLC to determine whether corporations can be held liable under the Alien Tort Statute,  a law passed by the First Congress in 1789. The case stems from the charge that Arab Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle East, used its New York branch to facilitate payments to Hamas and other terrorist organizations during a wave of attacks during the Second Intifada.

Victims of the attacks brought suit against Arab Bank charging that it had “knowingly and intentionally” engaged in terrorist financing. The ATS allows federal courts to hear cases when actions have been “committed in violation of the law of nations or a treaty of the United States.” In 2014, Sayles Werbner led a team of attorneys in Linde, et al. v. Arab Bank PLC. 

DALLAS – The U.S. Supreme Court this week agreed to hear Jesner, et al., v. Arab Bank PLC involving the application of the Alien Tort Statute to corporations. The terror financing case comes to the Court following a ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals holding that such claims can only be brought against individuals.

The Court’s ruling will have a significant impact on whether U.S. courts will hear human rights cases brought by international victims of terror attacks and other crimes that violate international law. Attorneys from Sayles Werbner utilized the Anti-Terrorism Act in securing a precedent setting verdict on behalf of American clients in 2014’s landmark Linde, et al. v. Arab Bank PLC.

Experienced attorneys recognized for business litigation, intellectual property expertise

DALLAS - Four attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner are being recognized among the state’s top lawyers on the 2016 Texas Super Lawyers list published in Texas Monthly and the Texas edition of Super Lawyers.

Name shareholders Richard A. “Dick” Sayles and Mark S. Werbner have been named among the leading attorneys in Texas since the list debuted in 2003. They both earned spots on the 2016 list for their work in business litigation, and both were named among the Top 100 attorneys in the state and the Top 100 in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Terrorism financing case recognized for advancing public interest

DALLAS – The landmark lawsuit won by attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner and other law firms across the U.S. on behalf of victims of overseas terrorist attacks recently was recognized with the Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award.

The prestigious award is presented annually by the national public interest law firm Public Justice to honor attorneys who made the greatest contribution to the public interest during the past year. It recognizes precedent-setting, socially significant cases. The Trial Lawyer of the Year Award was announced during the group’s 2016 Gala & Awards Dinner in Los Angeles.

Terrorism financing suit one of five cases lauded for benefiting public good

DALLAS – The landmark lawsuit won by attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner and co-counsel over the financing of terrorist attacks that killed or wounded hundreds of Americans is one of five finalist cases for the Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award.

The prestigious award is presented annually by the national public interest law firm Public Justice. It recognizes the lawyers who made the greatest contribution to the public interest within the past year by trying or settling a precedent-setting, socially significant case. The Trial Lawyer of the Year Award will be announced July 24 during Public Justice’s 2016 Gala & Awards Dinner in Los Angeles.

DALLAS – Dallas trial attorneys Richard A. “Dick” Sayles and Mark S. Werbner of Sayles Werbner once again have been recognized as two of top lawyers in Texas for cases involving business disputes.

Both Sayles and Werbner are note for their work in commercial litigation in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, one of the top guides to the U.S. legal industry.

This marks the most recent professional honor for Sayles and Werbner, both of whom earned their eight consecutive selections to D Magazine’s annual list of the Best Lawyers in Dallas earlier this year.

Chambers USA is published by London’s Chambers and Partners. The exclusive yearly listing is developed through thousands of attorney and client interviews that identify law firms and lawyers who demonstrate the top technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, diligence, commitment and other qualities most valued by clients.

DALLAS – Attorneys Robert L. Sayles and Sawyer Neely of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner have earned selection to the 2016 Texas Rising Stars list of the state’s top young lawyers for their litigation expertise.

Last year, Mr. Sayles and Mr. Neely successfully defended a Texas-based manufacturer in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit alleging violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. A state district court jury in Gainesville, Texas, issued a take-nothing verdict in favor of the firm’s client despite the plaintiff’s pretrial demands for as much as $8 million in damages.

DALLAS – The nationally known law firm Sayles Werbner is kicking off its 22^nd year in Dallas by announcing the promotion of associates Shawn Long and Robert L. Sayles to shareholders based on their track record of success for clients and leadership within the firm.

“These attorneys are among the next generation of proven trial lawyers at Sayles Werbner,” says firm founder Richard A. “Dick” Sayles, who has worked with fellow name shareholder Mark S. Werbner to build one of the top trial law firms in the nation.

Sayles Earns Individual Selection as Dallas Lawyer of the Year for Commercial Cases

DALLAS – Trial lawyers Richard A. “Dick” Sayles and Mark. S. Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner are being recognized as two of the country’s top courtroom attorneys in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Once a year, the publishers of Best Lawyers solicit independent nominations as the first step in determining the nation’s top lawyers. Then, the nominees are reviewed by their peers in the same practice areas. The peer recommendations are then reviewed by the editors at Best Lawyers before the final selections are made.

Dallas Trial Firm Prevails in High-Profile Patent Infringement Case

DALLAS – Attorneys from the Dallas law firm Sayles Werbner have won a U.S. Supreme Court ruling for client Commil USA in one of the highest-profile patent infringement cases to reach the nation’s highest court in years.

Firm attorneys Richard A. “Dick” Sayles, Mark. S. Werbner, Mark D. Strachan and Darren Nicholson represent Texas-based Commil in the long-running lawsuit against computer networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO). The Sayles Werbner team argued the case before the Supreme Court on March 31.

DALLAS – Attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner recently settled a significant lawsuit on behalf of Paradigm Air Carriers, Inc., d/b/a Paradigm Air Operators Inc., and SportsJet Air Operators, LLC (Paradigm), against Texas Rangers Baseball Partners (TRBP), the entity that previously owned the Texas Rangers baseball team.

Sayles Werbner attorneys Will Snyder, Darren Nicholson and Robert Sayles successfully represented Paradigm against TRBP in a hotly contested breach-of-contract case stemming from TRBP’s bankruptcy. The disputed contract was executed by TRBP and its parent company, Hicks Sports Group (“HSG”), on the eve of TRBP’s bankruptcy filing in 2010.

DALLAS – Sayles Werbner’s recent arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a patent infringement case on behalf of Commil USA are the focus of a new feature article from the publishers of Texas Lawyer newspaper.

The Commil v. Cisco case represents one of the highest-profile patent infringement claims in years to reach the Supreme Court. Attorney Jonathan David, formerly of Dallas, is Commil’s owner.

In “A Supreme Honor” (subscription required), the weekly legal newspaper details the oral arguments presented March 31 at the nation’s highest court in Washington, D.C. Sayles Werbner founders Mark S. Werbner and Richard A. “Dick” Sayles represented Commil in its claims against computer networking company Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO). Sayles Werbner attorneys Mark D. Strachan and Darren P. Nicholson also represented Commil.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner recently appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., to give oral arguments on behalf of Commil USA.

Firm founders Mark S. Werbner and Richard A. “Dick” Sayles represented Commil in the company’s arguments against computer networking company Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO). The Sayles Werbner team also included firm attorneys Mark D. Strachan and Darren P. Nicholson.

Firm Representing Commil USA in One of 2015’s Highest-Profile Patent Cases

DALLAS – Attorneys Richard A. “Dick” Sayles and Mark. S. Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner will be presenting arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on March 31 for firm client Commil USA in one of the top patent cases of 2015.

Sayles Werbner is asking the nation’s highest court to reverse a lower court ruling that invalidated a $74 million patent infringement judgment won in 2011 on behalf of Commil, a technology company based in The Woodlands, Texas. The multimillion-dollar judgment against computer networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) was issued in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, one of the nation’s busiest patent jurisdictions.

Court, Jury Reject Plaintiffs’ Claims for $8 million in Damages

GAINESVILLE – Attorneys Rob Sayles and Sawyer Neely of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner recently convinced a Texas jury to award a take-nothing defense verdict for Gainesville-based Texas Trailer Corporation after proving that the company did nothing improper in its testing of a prototype sand container in 2013 that failed the test.

Jurors in the 235^th District Court in Cooke County found in favor of Texas Trailer on Feb. 13 after rejecting allegations by Seguin, Texas-based EPMP Ltd., a sheet metal fabrication company, and San Antonio-based SandCan, LLC, a sand container storage company. EPMP and SandCan sought as much as $8 million in damages prior to trial.

Sayles Werbner Helps Company Defeat $8 Million in Damages Claims

GAINESVILLE – A Texas state district court jury in Cooke County has awarded a take-nothing defense verdict for Gainesville-based Texas Trailer Corporation after finding that the company did nothing improper in its testing of a prototype sand container in 2013.

SAN FRANCISCO – Noted trial attorney Mark S. Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner will be delivering a presentation at one of California’s top law schools to examine the history and impact of the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act. Werbner also will discuss his work as one of the lead lawyers in the first U.S. trial against a foreign bank for providing material support to terrorists.

The Feb. 9 event at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law is sponsored by the Hastings Jewish Law Students Association. The one-hour program will be hosted by UC Hastings associate professor Morris Ratner beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the McAllister building on the law school campus.

DALLAS – Sayles Werbner is preparing to deliver arguments this spring before the U.S. Supreme Court in a closely watched patent infringement case that is being described as one of the country’s top patent cases to watch in 2015.

The national legal publication Law360 singled out Dallas-based Sayles Werbner in an article (subscription only) that identifies three different Supreme Court appeals among the nation’s most important patent cases of the year. Sayles Werbner attorneys Mark S. Werbner, Richard A. “Dick” Sayles and Mark D. Strachan represent Texas-based wireless technology company Commil USA LLC in its claims against communications technology giant Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO).

Sayles Werbner’s Verdict for Commil USA Now Focus of Important High Court Case

DALLAS – The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal of a controversial appeals court decision that set aside a $63.8 million patent infringement verdict won by The Woodlands, Texas-based Commil USA LLC against Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO).

Attorneys Mark S. Werbner, Richard A. “Dick” Sayles, Mark D. Strachan and Darren Nicholson of Dallas-based Sayles Werbner represent Commil in the appeal along with Leslie V. Payne, Nathan J. Davis and Miranda Y. Jones from Houston’s Heim, Payne & Chorush. The Sayles Werbner team represented Commil in the 2011 trial in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas over a patent covering wireless networking technology.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Supreme Court took up a case Friday where a company was ordered to retry patent claims against Cisco Systems after winning $63 million from a jury.

Commil USA brought its federal complaint in August 2007, accusing Cisco of infringing on its patent for Wireless Private Branch Exchange (WPBX) and Communicating Between Mobile Units and Base Stations.

Though a jury in Marshall, Texas, awarded Commil $3 million for direct infringement in May 2010, Commil failed to convince the same jury that Cisco induced infringement.

Jordan-Based Bank Held Accountable for Overseas Terror Attacks Against U.S. Citizens

BROOKLYN – Nearly 300 U.S. citizens who were victimized in 24 terrorist attacks in Israel and the Palestinian Territories have prevailed in a civil lawsuit against Amman, Jordan-based Arab Bank PLC after a New York federal jury found that the bank knowingly provided material financial support to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The plaintiff victims were represented by a team of attorneys led by Mark Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner; Gary M. Osen of New York’s Osen LLC; C. Tab Turner of Arkansas’ Turner & Associates; and Michael E. Elsner of South Carolina-based Motley Rice.

Co-Founder Dick Sayles Again Named Among State’s Top 10 Attorneys

DALLAS – Four attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner have earned spots on the 2014 Texas Super Lawyers list of the state’s top attorneys, including firm co-founder Richard A. “Dick” Sayles, who was named one of the Top 10 lawyers in Texas for the fifth straight year.

Sayles is joined by co-founder Mark S. Werbner, a four-time Super Lawyers Top 10 honoree who has been recognized each year since the annual list debuted in 2003. Both Sayles and Werbner also are named among the Top 100 attorneys in Texas and Top 100 in Dallas/Fort Worth. They both previously were recognized as Texas Trial Legends by the Dallas Bar Association. Sayles obtained the third-highest number of Super Lawyer votes in Texas this year.

When federal jurors in Brooklyn, N.Y., issued their recent liability verdict against Arab Bank, plc, for helping finance terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens, the unanimous decision moved the plaintiffs one step closer in their 10-year quest for justice.

The 11-person jury’s verdict followed 10 years of litigation and appeals up through the U.S. Supreme Court. The first trial involved 24 terrorist attacks that were perpetrated by Hamas, a Foreign Terrorist Organization, in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza between 2001 and 2004. Following six weeks of trial and two days of deliberations, the verdict marked the first time a financial institution has been held civilly liable for materially supporting terrorism.

The plaintiffs cited specific bank transactions: a 2001 transfer of $60,000 to a Hamas leader, as well as cash payments on behalf of a Saudi charity routed through Jordan, then Ramallah, and then sent out to Arab Bank branches.

Those transactions as a group, they argued, allowed Arab Bank to fuel terrorism.

“You have got to stop the financial services,” said C. Tab Turner, one of several lawyers representing almost 300 plaintiffs in a landmark trial that opened on Thursday in Federal District Court in Brooklyn. “Take the money away, you can’t make bombs.”

The international radio news organization Voice of America recently interviewed trial attorney Mark Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner about the potential for lawsuits tied to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

In the interview broadcast to Voice of America stations in the U.S. and Southeast Asia, Werbner discussed the various procedural and legal hurdles that family members of missing Flight 370 passengers must overcome if they decide to turn to the courts.

DALLAS – Four attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner are among the top young lawyers in Texas honored on the 2014 Texas Rising Stars list. They are being recognized for their work in business litigation.

Joel Israel, Shawn C. Long and Darren Nicholson earned their fourth selections to the exclusive list of the leading legal experts in Texas, which includes only those attorneys who are age 40 or younger or who have practiced for no more than 10 years. Robert L. Sayles claimed his third consecutive listing to Texas Rising Stars.

DALLAS – Trial attorneys Richard A. “Dick” Sayles and Mark S. Werbner from the Dallas law firm Sayles Werbner once again are being recognized among the nation’s top experts in commercial litigation following their selection to the 2014 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

Both Mr. Sayles and Mr. Werbner previously have been honored as “Leaders in Their Field” in Chambers USA by London-based Chambers and Partners, a worldwide publisher of guides to the legal profession.

DALLAS – Noted courtroom lawyer Mark D. Strachan, Of Counsel at Dallas’ Sayles Werbner, recently sat down with Texas Lawyer newspaper to discuss two important patent cases that recently were accepted for review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mr. Strachan was interviewed for the weekly “Reversed and Remanded” video series hosted by John Council of Texas Lawyer – the state’s oldest independent legal publication. Click here to see the complete interview.

DALLAS – Once a year, the top attorneys in Texas are recognized in the Texas Super Lawyers list. This year, four accomplished lawyers from the Sayles Werbner law firm in Dallas again are being honored for their work in business litigation and intellectual property litigation.

Firm co-founder Richard “Dick” Sayles made his 11th consecutive appearance on the exclusive Texas Super Lawyers listing after earning his fifth overall selection as one of the Top 10 lawyers in the state. Sayles, who is being honored for his work in business litigation, has been in every edition of Texas Super Lawyers since the listing was first published in 2003. He also was named one of the Top 100 attorneys in the state and one of the Top 100 in Dallas/Fort Worth in the 2013 listing of Texas’ best lawyers.

DALLAS – Oil and gas litigation attorney Darren Nicholson of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner is hailing the Department of Labor’s recently announced plans for increased scrutiny of oil field operators following a reported 23 percent increase in oil field worker deaths last year.

Mr. Nicholson recently was quoted in the popular legal publication Law360 about the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report on the growing number of injuries and deaths among oil and gas workers. According to the Bureau, 138 oil field workers died last year in worksite accidents, the highest total in 10 years.

The Best Lawyers in America Honoring Dick Sayles, Mark Werbner for Exemplary Work

DALLAS – Dallas trial lawyers Richard “Dick” Sayles and Mark Werbner once again are being honored in the pages of The Best Lawyers in America based on their decades of successful work in and out of the courtroom.

Clients and referring lawyers alike recognize the founders of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner as two of the top trial lawyers in the nation. Both are widely known for their ability to persuade judges and juries in high-stakes trials heard in Texas and courtrooms throughout the U.S.

Jury Finds Bus Owner, Driver Liable for Injuries Resulting from 2010 Crash

FORT WORTH – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner recently won a jury verdict against Fort Worth’s Gotta Go Express Trailways Inc. and a company driver following a 2010 bus crash in Colorado that injured more than 35 members of a church group from Denton, Texas.

Experienced bus crash attorney Mark Werbner, co-founder of Sayles Werbner, and fellow firm lawyer Robert L. Sayles successfully represented four of the injured victims during a two-week trial heard in Tarrant County’s 236th District Court before Judge Tom Lowe. The firm’s clients were awarded significant financial damages for their injuries, including one passenger who suffered a fractured skull in the crash.

Sayles Werbner Founders Recognized Among Nation’s Top Commercial Litigators in 2013

DALLAS – Award-winning trial attorneys Richard “Dick” Sayles and Mark Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner are being recognized as “Leaders in Their Field” in the 2013 Chambers USA legal directory based on their significant accomplishments for clients in commercial litigation disputes.

The founders of Sayles Werbner are among a select group of attorneys from throughout the U.S. to be honored in the annual directory. The “Leaders in Their Field” honorees are being announced in conjunction with Chambers USA’s latest ranking of leading U.S. law firms and lawyers.

Forge Energy, Thornton Drilling Face Negligence Claims Following Young Father’s Death

SAN ANTONIO – Attorneys from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner have filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the children of an oil rig worker who was electrocuted in a West Texas oil field only days after his second child was born.

Sayles Werbner attorneys Mark Torian and Darren Nicholson represent the daughters of Ke-Andre Ross, a former standout player for the Lindale High School football team who was killed at the age of 20 after working five days at his new job.

The lawsuit against San Antonio’s Forge Energy LLC and Odessa, Texas-based Thornton Drilling Co. was filed on behalf of Mr. Ross’ two minor daughters on May 19, 2013, in Bexar County’s 285th District Court.

DALLAS – Award-winning trial lawyers Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner again have been selected to D Magazine’s annual listing of The Best Lawyers in Dallas based on their work in business litigation for individuals and companies of all sizes. The complete list of honored attorneys appears in the May 2013 edition of D Magazine and at http://www.dmagazine.com.

In the 12 months since Mr. Sayles and Mr. Werbner both were honored on last year’s list of Dallas’ top lawyers, they and the attorneys at their firm have successfully handled a variety of courtroom trials and settlement negotiations. Most recently, Sayles Werbner helped the New York hedge fund Exis Capital Management Inc. win a take-nothing dismissal in a multibillion-dollar lawsuit filed by a Canadian company.

DALLAS – The Texas litigation firm Sayles Werbner is proud to announce that five firm attorneys have earned selection to the 2013 edition of Texas Rising Stars, the annual listing of the top young lawyers in the state.

Honored for their work in litigation, firm attorneys Joel Israel, Shawn Long, Sawyer Neely, Darren Nicholson and Rob Sayles all were named to the exclusive listing, which includes less than 2.5 percent of eligible Texas lawyers and appears in the April issues of Texas Monthly and Texas Rising Stars magazines.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit today issued a ruling that will allow a group of terrorism victims to continue their lawsuit against Jordan-based Arab Bank over claims that the bank and its New York branch served as catalysts for financing worldwide terrorism activities.

Attorney Mark Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner is among a group of lawyers representing the terrorism victims.

“We are extremely pleased that the 2nd Circuit has cleared the way for our clients to go to trial on behalf of their loved ones who suffered severe injuries and lost their lives as a result of terrorist acts,” says Mr. Werbner. “Arab Bank should be held accountable for its role in terrorism, and my clients are looking forward to presenting their evidence before a judge and jury.”

Sayles Werbner Co-Founder Honored in Benchmark Litigation Guide

DALLAS – Attorney Richard A. “Dick” Sayles of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner has been recognized as one of the country’s top courtroom lawyers for businesses in the 2013 edition of Benchmark Litigation, a leading guide to the nation’s top lawyers.

Mr. Sayles is among a select group of attorneys from across the U.S. to be honored in the annual publication. He earned a spot in the current edition of Benchmark Litigation based on his work in commercial litigation matters for some of the country’s leading companies.

Co-founder Dick Sayles Recognized as one of the Top 10 Attorneys in Texas

DALLAS – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner is proud to announce that four firm attorneys have earned spots in the 2012 Texas Super Lawyers guide to the state’s best lawyers, with firm co-founder Richard A. “Dick” Sayles highlighted among Texas’ Top 10 lawyers for the fourth time.

Mr. Sayles and fellow firm co-founder Mark S. Werbner are named to the exclusive list based on their work in business litigation. They also earned distinction as two of the Top 100 attorneys in the state and the Top 100 in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. Both attorneys have been included in the Texas Super Lawyers Top 100 for 10 consecutive years, each year since the list premiered in 2003.

MORRISTOWN – New Jersey Superior Court Judge Donald Coburn of Morristown today dismissed a multibillion-dollar lawsuit filed against New York-based hedge fund Exis Capital Management Inc., fund manager Adam Sender and other defendants after ruling that the damages claim filed by Canada's Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. was not supported by law.

The court's decision brings an end to the long-running lawsuit, which originally was filed by Toronto-based Fairfax in 2006 against a large group of hedge funds that were accused of conspiring with financial analysts and researchers to organize a "bear raid" by allegedly spreading false rumors and driving down Fairfax' stock price.

DALLAS – The $63.8 million patent infringement verdict secured by the Dallas law firm of Sayles Werbner for The Woodlands, Texas-based Commil USA LLC against Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) has been recognized as one of Texas’ top verdicts of 2011.

Commil was represented in Commil USA LLC v. Cisco Systems Inc., et al, by Sayles Werbner co-founders Richard A. "Dick" Sayles and Mark S. Werbner.

The verdict is highlighted in Texas Lawyer newspaper’s annual listing of the Top Texas Verdicts. Sayles Werbner’s win for Commil ranked as the fourth-largest intellectual property verdict and the seventh-largest overall in the state last year.

DALLAS – Acclaimed attorney Richard A. "Dick" Sayles, cofounder of the Dallas trial law firm of Sayles Werbner, has earned induction to the prestigious International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL).

Mr. Sayles was inducted during the IATL's recent Annual Meeting heldMarch 28 through April 1, 2012, in Palm Beach, Fla. Chartered in 1954, the IATL's general purposes are to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the administration of justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession.

DALLAS – Noted Dallas trial attorney Richard A. “Dick” Sayles, cofounder of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner has been honored as a Trial Legend by the Dallas Bar Association.

Mr. Sayles was among five local trial lawyers recognized by the Dallas Bar Association’s Tort and Insurance Practice Section during the 2012 Legends Program held April 3, 2012, at the Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas.

The Legends Program featured a panel discussion led by Senior District Judge Royal Ferguson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The lawyers shared their experiences and tips regarding the proper focus during case preparation; presenting merits of the case effectively; and what makes lawyers influential at trial.

DALLAS – Courtroom lawyers Richard A. Sayles and Mark S. Werbner, co-founders of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner, have earned spots as two of the Top 10 attorneys in Texas in the 2011 Texas Super Lawyers listing.

This marks the fourth time that Mr. Werbner has been featured among the top 10 attorneys in the state, and the third for Mr. Sayles. They are the only name partners from a single firm to appear in the same Top 10 list, which they accomplished both in 2011 and 2005. They also have been featured among the Top 100 lawyers in the state each year since the Texas Super Lawyers list was introduced in 2003.

DALLAS – Acclaimed trial lawyer Mark S. Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner has been named as the 2011 recipient of the Dallas Bar Association’s Trial Lawyer of the Year award.

Werbner will receive the award during the DBA’s annual Bench Bar Conference in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, in September. The prestigious award is presented annually to a DBA member who best exemplifies the noble principles of the legal profession and who has achieved extraordinary success in the courtroom.

DALLAS – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner is pleased to announce that co-founders Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner once again have earned spots on D Magazine’s listing of “The Best Lawyers in Dallas.”

Both Sayles and Werbner are recognized among Dallas’ top lawyers for their work in business litigation.

To compile the list of the city’s top attorneys, D Magazine solicited nominations from lawyers and judges throughout North Texas. The publication’s editors then worked with a blue-ribbon panel of lawyers to finalize the listing, which is featured in the June 2011 edition of D Magazine, and will be available throughout the year at www.dmagazine.com.

DALLAS – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner has been recognized for winning one of Texas’ top jury verdicts of 2010.

The firm’s successful representation of Commil USA in a patent infringement lawsuit against Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) resulted in a $3.7 million jury award that is ranked as the 9th largest intellectual property verdict in Texas last year.

The case, Commil USA LLC v. Cisco Systems Inc., et al., No. 2:07-cv-341, is highlighted in the Top Texas Verdicts of 2010, a publication compiled by the verdict reporting service Verdict Search and distributed by Texas Lawyer newspaper.

Verdict $60 Million More than Awarded in Original Trial

MARSHALL – The Dallas law firm of Sayles Werbner is announcing a $63.8 million patent infringement verdict for The Woodlands, Texas-based Commil USA LLC against Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) in a second courtroom trial over wireless network technology. This latest verdict eclipses the original trial award by more than $60 million.

The first jury awarded $3.7 million in favor of Commil last May, but the judge ordered a new trial based on Commil’s arguments that the verdict amount was unfairly influenced by prejudicial comments made by a Cisco defense attorney before the jury.

DALLAS – Three attorneys from the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner have earned spots on the 2011 Texas Rising Stars listing of the state’s top up-and-coming lawyers.

Shawn C. Long and Darren Nicholson are highlighted for their work in business litigation, and Sawyer Neely is recognized for his work in general courtroom litigation.

This marks the third year Mr. Neely has been named to the exclusive listing, and the second year for both Ms. Long and Mr. Nicholson.

FORT WORTH – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner is announcing a lawsuit filed today against Fort Worth-based Gotta Go Express Trailways Inc. on behalf of nine church members who were injured following a Colorado bus crash in December 2010.

Noted trial lawyer Mark Werbner, co-founder of Sayles Werbner, filed the lawsuit in Tarrant County’s 236th District Court on behalf of Patricia Davidson and her two minor children; Kenneth and Patricia Marko and their two children; and Aaron and Amy Logan. The case is Patricia Davidson, et al. v. Gotta Go Express Trailways Inc., et al., No. 236-251135-11.

DALLAS – Three attorneys from the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner have earned spots on the 2011 Texas Rising Stars listing of the state’s top up-and-coming lawyers.

Shawn C. Long and Darren Nicholson are highlighted for their work in business litigation, and Sawyer Neely is recognized for his work in general courtroom litigation.

This marks the third year Mr. Neely has been named to the exclusive listing, and the second year for both Ms. Long and Mr. Nicholson.

DALLAS – The Dallas law firm of Sayles Werbner is continuing its tradition of support for worthwhile and influential organizations in the legal community as part of the upcoming Dallas Bar Association Inauguration set for Jan. 15, 2011. Click here to get tickets.

Noted Dallas attorney Barry Sorrels will be inaugurated as DBA President during the black-tie ceremony taking place at the Westin Galleria in Dallas. Mr. Sorrels, one of the leading white-collar criminal defense attorneys in the U.S., has been active in various DBA leadership roles for years.

DALLAS – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner PC has been recognized as one of the city’s leading firms for white-collar criminal defense law and general commercial litigation in the first-ever "Best Law Firms" rankings published by U.S. News & World Report.

The exclusive listing of top U.S. law firms appears in the October 2010 edition of U.S. News & World Report and at USNews.com.

"The U.S. News recognition of our work is important because it’s derived from the opinions of law firm clients and lawyers who compete against our firm,” says Richard Sayles, co-founder of Sayles Werbner. “Our firm works hard every day to skillfully represent our clients in court, and sometimes to keep them out of court in the first place.”

DALLAS – Acclaimed courtroom lawyer Richard A. Sayles, co-founder of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner, has been named “Trial Lawyer of the Year” by TEX-ABOTA Inc., the Texas chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Mr. Sayles was selected for the honor during TEX-ABOTA’s recent board meeting in Houston. He will be recognized during an awards presentation during the TEX-ABOTA Annual Black Tie Dinner on October 16 at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel in Fort Worth. 

DALLAS – Dallas trial lawyer Richard A. Sayles, co-founder of the Dallas trial boutique Sayles Werbner, has been named “Lawyer of the Year” by TEX-ABOTA, Inc., the Texas chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Sayles was selected at the August 14 TEX-ABOTA Board Meeting, held in Houston. He will receive the award at the TEX-ABOTA Annual Black Tie Dinner on October 16 at the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel.

“This award is truly humbling,” Mr. Sayles says. “To have been singled out by lawyers I consider to be the best in the profession means more than I can say. I am honored, and will do my best to continue to be deserving of this recognition.”

NEW YORK – Attorney Mark Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner says terrorism victims will benefit from a sanctions ruling issued yesterday in the ongoing lawsuit against Arab Bank over claims that the bank and its New York branch served as catalysts for financing worldwide terrorism activities.

Judge Nina Gershon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ruled that jurors will be instructed that they may infer that Arab Bank willfully and knowingly provided financial services to organizations designated by the United States as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The court also ruled that jurors may infer that Arab Bank processed and distributed payments to terrorists on behalf of the Saudi Committee to Support the Intifada Al Quds.

Dallas attorney Richard A. Sayles, founding shareholder of Sayles Werbner, P.C., recently shared his considerable legal skills and experience with attorneys from across the state as a faculty member for the prestigious Texas Trial Academy.

During the event held at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin on June 7-10, Mr. Sayles led a workshop on direct and cross examination of expert witnesses at trial. The four-day conference also included live demonstrations of courtroom trials to help attendees refine their own techniques and receive professional critiques.

DALLAS – Noted Dallas attorneys Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner, co-founders of the trial law firm Sayles Werbner, have been recognized once again as two of the nation’s top attorneys in the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America.

The fifth annual edition of the Lawdragon 500 includes less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all attorneys practicing in the U.S. Selections are based on a combination of written submissions, nominations and comments collected through an online ballot, as well as editorial research by Lawdragon staff.

MARSHALL – The Dallas law firm of Sayles Werbner is announcing a $3.7 million patent infringement verdict handed down last night in favor of The Woodlands, Texas-based Commil USA LLC against San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) in a legal dispute over wireless network technology.

Commil was represented at trial by Richard A. “Dick” Sayles and Mark S. Werbner, co-founders of Sayles Werbner.

“We are very happy that the jury found our client’s patent valid, and confirmed that Cisco wrongly infringed Commil’s patent,” says Mr. Sayles. “Commil worked hard and went through all the proper channels to develop this valuable technology only to see a giant company use it to make a profit for themselves.”

TYLER – The Dallas trial law firm of Sayles Werbner successfully represented Newegg Inc., the world’s second-largest online retailer, in a recent patent infringement lawsuit over the technology used in online shopping.

Dick Sayles, co-founder of Sayles Werbner and lead trial counsel, represented Newegg along with firm attorney Mark Strachan and attorneys from The Webb Law Firm in Pittsburgh. The jury trial decided on April 30, 2010, was heard by the Hon. Leonard Davis in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Soverain v. CDW Corporation, et al., No. 6:07-CV-00511-LED). 

Attorney Mark Werbner Calls Fifth Circuit Ruling Important Hurdle for all Wrongly Convicted Individuals

DALLAS – Attorneys from the Dallas law firm of Sayles Werbner won an important appeals court decision for a man who spent more than nine years in prison after he was wrongly convicted of rape. The federal court ruling will allow the man to continue his lawsuit against a police detective accused of manipulating evidence in order to get a conviction.

Dallas attorney Mark Werbner, co-founder of Dallas-based Sayles Werbner, called the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit a major victory for his client, Donald Wayne Good of Irving. Mr. Werbner says the ruling also represents a significant milestone for other exonerated men and women. 

DALLAS – Dallas attorney Mark Werbner, co-founder of the trial law firm Sayles Werbner, recently was honored along with an elite group of Dallas/Fort Worth-area attorneys recognized by the Dallas Bar Association as “Texas Trial Legends” based on their illustrious legal careers.

Werbner was one of eight trial lawyers recognized by the Dallas Bar Association’s Tort and Insurance Practice Section at a luncheon held on Feb. 2, 2010, at the Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas.

DALLAS – The Dallas litigation firm of Sayles Werbner has earned its sixth consecutive selection as a “Go-To Law Firm” for the country’s top businesses based on a nationwide survey of in-house counsel at the nation’s leading corporations.

The survey of corporate counsel at Fortune 500 companies across the United States appears in In-House Law Departments at the Top 500 Companies, an upcoming reference guide published by Corporate Counsel magazine. 

Bell Affiliate Sues to Block Release of Documents

A Bell Helicopter subsidiary is suing the Defense Department to block the release of government documents to a former executive who was fired last year.

The executive, Michael Prieto, was terminated as president of Bell Aerospace Services in June 2008. Prieto later filed a lawsuit alleging that Bell wrongfully fired him after he discovered and tried to investigate ethical problems, including mischarging the government for expenses on military contracts.

DALLAS – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner is pleased to announce that four of the firm’s partners once again have earned recognition among the state’s best attorneys in the annual Texas Super Lawyers listing.

Richard A. Sayles and Mark S. Werbner, co-founders of the firm, and Sayles Werbner partners Eve L. Henson and William S. Snyder are highlighted in the 2009 Texas Super Lawyers listing. Mr. Sayles, Mr. Werbner and Mr. Snyder were honored for their work in business litigation, and Ms. Henson was recognized for her work in intellectual property litigation,

DALLAS – Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner, founders of the Dallas-based trial law firm Sayles Werbner, once again have earned recognition in The Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. Sayles and Mr. Werbner are recognized in the 2010 edition based on their work in “bet-the-company” and commercial litigation. Mr. Werbner also earned a spot among the nation’s top attorneys for white-collar criminal defense.

Mr. Sayles recently helped a unit of Johnson & Johnson win a $1.67 billion verdict in an intellectual property trial over patents used to produce a popular arthritis medication. The win was reported by Bloomberg news service as the largest patent verdict in U.S. history.

by BRENDA SAPINO JEFFREYS

DALLAS - Dallas firm Jenkens & Gilchrist closed its doors more than two years ago, but despite a $4 million courthouse win late last month in a battle over fees with an old client, the firm won’t be ready to close the books until next year at the earliest.

“I would be a little surprised to see things wrapped up before 2010, and then it just depends,” says Roger Hayse, a former executive at Jenkens who returned to take the job of president of the firm as it liquidates. “Trying to guess when it’s going to end is very, very difficult.”

Hayse, owner of The Hayse Group in Dallas, says a number of claims remain outstanding against the firm, with the largest the firm is “wrestling with” coming in at $15 million. Some of the claims are in litigation, he says. “In the $15 million situation, which I can’t go into a lot of detail about . . . there are other defendants, so where it ultimately goes and shakes out . . . there is absolutely no telling,” Hayse says. But in the suit Jenkens won last week, the firm was the plaintiff.

DALLAS – Attorneys from the Dallas trial law firm of Sayles Werbner successfully represented a law firm in a breach of contract lawsuit based on arguments that the now-closed firm is still entitled to revenue from a former client’s patent licensing program.

Sayles Werbner co-founder Mark S. Werbner represented the Jenkens & Gilchrist firm in claims against Austin, Texas-based software maker Forgent Networks Inc. The verdict delivered on July 23, 2009, in the 134th Civil District Court in Dallas County awarded $3.14 million in actual damages and $1.15 million in attorneys’ fees. 

DALLAS – Noted Dallas attorneys Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner, co-founders of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner, have been recognized by D Magazine in “The Best Business Lawyers in Dallas.”

To compile the listing of the city’s top attorneys for businesses, D Magazine editors conducted a citywide poll asking Dallas lawyers to nominate their peers whose work they most admire. A blue-ribbon panel of lawyers then joined the magazine’s Executive Editor in finalizing the list of Dallas’ top business attorneys.

DALLAS – Trial lawyer Mark Werbner, co-founder of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner, will be among a distinguished group of speakers at the upcoming Texas Bar Association Advanced Consumer and Commercial Law Course.

The two-day course will be held Nov. 13-14 at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel in Dallas. A video replay of the course will be offered Dec. 18-19 at the Greenway Plaza Holiday Inn Select in Houston. 

DALLAS – Dallas trial attorneys Richard A. Sayles and Mark S. Werbner, founders of Sayles Werbner, once again are featured in the 2008 listing of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America.

First published in 2005, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America includes private lawyers from a wide range of practices, as well as in-house counsel, law professors, judges, government attorneys, and public interest lawyers. The complete 2008 listing can be found at http://www.lawdragon.com/.

“It is quite an honor to be considered among the best in the legal profession,” says Mr. Sayles. “This recognition speaks volumes about the good work that our firm strives to do every day for our clients.”

DALLAS – Accomplished trial lawyer Mark Werbner, co-founder of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner, will be among the presenters at the upcoming 32nd annual Page Keeton Civil Litigation Conference.

Mr. Werbner will speak on Breach of Fiduciary Duty Litigation at the event, which is sponsored by the University of Texas School of Law. He will focus his presentation on recent notable cases, in addition to providing practice pointers based on his years of experience handling breach of fiduciary duty claims. Mr. Werbner has authored a related paper that can be viewed here.

DALLAS – Once again, noted Dallas trial attorneys Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner are featured on the prestigious listing of The Best Lawyers in America.

Both Mr. Sayles and Mr. Werbner, founders of the Dallas-based law firm Sayles Werbner, are singled out in the 2009 listing based on their work in “bet-the-company” and commercial litigation. Additionally, Mr. Werbner is highlighted for his white-collar criminal defense work. 

DALLAS – The Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner is home to four attorneys who have earned spots on the Texas Super Lawyers listing of the state’s top lawyers.

Sayles Werbner attorneys named to the 2008 list are Richard A. Sayles, Mark S. Werbner, Eve L. Henson and William S. Snyder. Ms. Henson is recognized for her work in intellectual property litigation. Mr. Sayles, Mr. Werbner and Mr. Snyder were named for their work in business litigation.

DALLAS – For the fifth consecutive year, the Dallas litigation firm of Sayles Werbner has earned selection as a “Go-To Law Firm” based on a nationwide survey of general counsels at the country’s leading corporations. The survey of in-house attorneys at Fortune 500 companies across the United States appears in Go-To Law Firms, an upcoming reference guide published by Corporate Counsel magazine.

Sayles Werbner is named to the 2009 list of the country’s top corporate law firms based on research conducted by Corporate Counsel editors and independent research compiled through public records, key publications and other resources. Fewer than 275 law firms in the nation were selected for the “Go-To” honor in the area of commercial and business litigation this year.

AUSTIN – Attorneys from the Dallas litigation firm Sayles Werbner are announcing a rare Supreme Court of Texas opinion upholding a medical malpractice award for the family of a man who died of a heart attack after waiting 12 hours for treatment following his admission to a hospital emergency room for chest pains.

The opinion issued by the high court on Friday in Columbia Medical Center of Los Colinas Inc. d/b/a Las Colinas Medical Center v. Athena Hogue, et al., No. 04-0575, affirms an earlier appeals court holding of negligence against Columbia Medical, as well as actual and gross negligence damages.  The opinion also reversed an award for loss of inheritance damages.

Lawyer in 2002 Bus Crash Says Evidence Pointing Toward Company and Driver

DALLAS – The attorney who helped win one of the most notable bus crash lawsuits in Texas history says a Houston bus company and one of its drivers are likely to blame for the recent deadly bus crash near the Texas-Oklahoma border that has claimed the lives of 17 passengers so far.

Attorney Mark Werbner of Dallas’ Sayles Werbner says the fact that the bus was traveling on a retread tire and the record of failed safety inspections for the owner of the bus company are proof that this recent crash could have been avoided.

Minority Business Shut out of Airport Contract, Barnett Shale Proceeds, Lawsuit Says

DALLAS – Attorneys from the law firms of Sayles Werbner, PC, and Provost Umphrey, L.L.P., are announcing a lawsuit filed in Texas state district court on behalf of Dallas-based ICC Energy Corp. against Oklahoma City-based energy giant Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) claiming that Chesapeake reneged on a commitment to partner with ICC Energy on the marketing of gas from the Barnett Shale at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The lawsuit, filed yesterday in Judge Bruce Priddy’s 116th District Court in Dallas, includes claims of discrimination, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, misrepresentation, and fraud against Chesapeake as well as several company subsidiaries and individuals.

DALLAS – Veteran trial attorneys Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner, founders of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner, each have earned a spot on D Magazine’s 2008 “The Best Lawyers in Dallas” list.

The prestigious “Best Lawyers” list is determined by nominations submitted by attorneys across Dallas. Once the nominations are received by D Magazine, a blue-ribbon panel of attorneys assists the magazine’s editors with the final selections. The complete listing of the city’s top legal counsel is featured in the June 2008 issue of D Magazine, and available throughout the year at www.dmagazine.com.

DALLAS – Accomplished trial lawyer Mark Werbner, co-founder of the Dallas law firm Sayles Werbner, has been named as a finalist in the 2008 Texas Bar Journal Short Story Fiction Writing Contest.

Mr. Werbner is an avid writer, and his submission for this year’s contest was selected as one of only 15 finalists among articles sent in by attorneys from across Texas.

"Texas is home to some of the best lawyers in America and there are plenty of talented writers among them.  I'm proud that my story was selected among the finalists who entered the competition," Mr. Werbner says. "My true calling remains the courtroom, but I enjoy writing and I'm happy the judges liked my story."

MARSHALL – eTool Development, Inc. and eTool Patent Holdings Corp. announce that on May 9, 2008, the companies filed an action for patent infringement against National Semiconductor Corporation (NYSE: NSM), in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division.

The complaint charges that National, the semiconductor industry’s premier analog chip company, has directly and indirectly infringed, and is directly and indirectly infringing, U.S. patent 7,113, 919.  The 919 patent is directed to a System and Method for Configuring Products Over a Communications Network.  The complaint alleges that National’s WEBENCH® on-line design tools infringe the 919 patent.

Panel Focusing on Practice in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

HOUSTON – Noted trial lawyer Richard A. “Dick” Sayles of the Dallas-based trial firm of Sayles Werbner, PC, will be among the faculty members delivering presentations during the upcoming American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) spring meeting in Houston on May 14, 2008.

Mr. Sayles, who regularly handles intellectual property matters for leading technology companies and other businesses, will be part of a panel presentation titled “The Fact and Fiction of Litigating Patent Cases in the Eastern District of Texas.”

TXI, Truck Driver Face Civil Damages Action in HWY 183 Crash that Claimed Woman’s Life

DALLAS – Attorneys from the Dallas trial firm of Sayles Werbner, PC, are announcing the filing of a civil lawsuit against Dallas-based Texas Industries Inc. (NYSE: TXI) following a deadly freeway crash that killed a local real estate agent and seriously injured her five-year-old daughter.  The lawsuit, Gamez v. Texas Industries Inc., et al., No. 08-04820, is filed in Judge Carl Ginsberg’s 193rd District Court in Dallas.

Maria Gamez, 41, of Keller, was killed on the afternoon of April 11, 2008, when a concrete mixer truck driven by Edward Magallon swerved out of control and slid more than 140 feet on top of a State Highway 183 barrier before flipping over and crashing into Mrs. Gamez’ sport utility vehicle. The lawsuit names Mr. Magallon as a defendant, as well as his employer TXI Transportation Co., a TXI subsidiary.

DALLAS – Mark Werbner, name partner and co-founder of the Dallas litigation firm Sayles Werbner PC, is recognized among the city’s top corporate litigators in a feature article appearing in the May issue of D CEO magazine.

In the article available here, the publication takes a look at the reasons behind the success of Mr. Werbner and four other Dallas attorneys with “larger-than-life reputations in the legal community.” The article, titled “The Advocates,” points to Mr. Werbner’s “animated and lively” approach, as well as his ability to “keep a little distance, in an effort to see the case from the jury’s perspective” as what sets him apart from other attorneys. 

Profits Generated by Popular Product Line Subject of Federal Lawsuit

CHICAGO – “The Secret,” a motivational movie and book based on the “Law of Attraction,” has spawned a worldwide phenomenon of DVD and book sales. Now, “The Secret” has prompted a lawsuit from the film’s co-creator, Drew Heriot, who says he was denied profits from sales and is entitled to compensation.

Attorneys for Mr. Heriot, who co-authored the screenplay and directed “The Secret” movie, filed the federal lawsuit last week in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois/Eastern Division.

DALLAS – The Dallas-based trial firm of Sayles Werbner, PC, is announcing the addition of accomplished trial attorney Darren P. Nicholson, who brings extensive experience in both criminal and commercial litigation.

Mr. Nicholson has represented numerous individuals, small companies and Fortune 500 corporations in claims involving products liability, criminal matters, consumer class actions, copyright arbitrations and fraudulent trading investigations. He joins Sayles Werbner from the Washington, D.C., office of Arnold & Porter LLP.

$73.5 Million Breach of Contract Award is Second Largest in Texas

DALLAS – For the third time in seven years, the Dallas litigation law firm Sayles Werbner has earned a place on the annual Verdict Search list of the top 100 verdicts in the nation.

Sayles Werbner’s $73.5 million breach of contract verdict against Sears, Roebuck and Co. was recognized as the 19th largest verdict in the nation in 2007. The firm’s win also represents the second largest verdict in Texas, according to the survey. Verdict Search, an affiliate of American Lawyer Media, publishes courtroom verdicts from across the United States. The complete “Top 100 Verdicts” listing appears in a special Feb. 18, 2008, section of The National Law Journal. 

DALLAS – Mark Werbner, co-founder of the Dallas trial law firm Sayles Werbner, has earned his second selection among Texas Lawyer newspaper’s listing of the state’s top attorneys.

Mr. Werbner is recognized as one of the state’s top five commercial litigation attorneys in Texas Lawyer’s “Go-To Guide,” published in October 2007. Mr. Werbner also was featured in the inaugural 2002 “Go-To Guide” as one of the top five plaintiffs' civil litigation attorneys.

“To be recognized among the best of the best is truly humbling, and speaks to our overall success as a firm,” says Mr. Werbner. “But what means the most to me is that our clients continue to consider us as their ‘go-to’ firm.”

DALLAS – Richard A. Sayles and Mark S. Werbner, founders and name partners of the Dallas law firm Sayles Werbner, have earned spots on the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America.

Lawdragon publishes guides to the country’s top lawyers and provides an online rating service for attorneys. To compile the Leading Lawyers in America, the publication utilized online balloting and independent research involving interviews with thousands of lawyers nationwide. The list will be featured in the Fall 2007 issue, available in October. The complete list can be found at www.lawdragon.com.

DALLAS – Richard A. Sayles and Mark S. Werbner, name partners and co-founders of the Dallas litigation firm Sayles Werbner, again have earned selections among “The Best Lawyers in America.”

Mr. Sayles earned his spot in the 2008 edition of Best Lawyers based on his work in Commercial Litigation and “Bet-the Company” Litigation. This marks the third consecutive year that he has been selected to the Best Lawyers list.

Only 21 Attorneys in History Twice Selected to Prestigious List

DALLAS - For the second time, Mark Werbner, co-founder of the Dallas law firm Sayles Werbner, has been recognized as one of the top litigators in the country in The National Law Journal’s prestigious “Winning” special section.

Mr. Werbner is one of only 10 attorneys in the nation selected to the 2007 list, which was compiled by NLJ editors based on their research and nominations from around the country.  The criteria for nomination included a track record of significant wins during the last several years, and at least one significant trial win in the past 18 months.

DALLAS – The Dallas law firm Sayles Werbner is recognized among the country’s top litigation firms in the prestigious 2007 Guide to Go-To Law Firms.

The guide, compiled by Corporate Counsel magazine and American Lawyer Media, highlights the law firms the nation’s top companies choose to handle their most significant legal matters. The guide is published in the May 14, 2007 issue of Fortune magazine. 

DALLAS – Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner, founders of the Dallas-based law firm Sayles Werbner, have both earned spots on the prestigious 2007 listing of The Best Lawyers in America.

This marks the sixth straight year for Mr. Werbner to make the list, while Mr. Sayles has been honored each of the past two years.

Published annually since 1983, The Best Lawyers in America is widely regarded as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession. The Best Lawyers lists, representing 80 specialties in all 50 states and Washington, DC, are compiled through an exhaustive peer-review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the U.S. confidentially evaluate their professional peers. The current, 13th edition of Best Lawyers, is based on more than two million detailed evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers. 

DALLAS – Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner, founders of the Dallas-based law firm Sayles Werbner, are recognized in the May issue of D Magazine as among The 2007 Best Lawyers in Dallas.

D’s prestigious list honors attorneys in a wide variety of legal specialties. In a citywide search, local lawyers were asked to name those attorneys whose work they most admire. Then, a blue ribbon panel of lawyers joined the magazine’s Executive Editor in finalizing the list of Dallas’ top attorneys. 

DALLAS – Richard A. Sayles and Mark S. Werbner, founders of the Dallas-based law firm of Sayles Werbner, have earned spots on the Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiffs’ Lawyers in America listing.

Lawdragon, a national magazine and online rating service for the legal community, produces quarterly guides to the country’s top attorneys. The plaintiffs’ list will appear in the Winter 2007 edition, available in February.

“It is a tremendous honor to receive national recognition such as this,” says Mr. Sayles. “To know that our colleagues view our work so highly is quite a compliment.”

This marks the second consecutive Lawdragon honor for Mr. Sayles, who was named to the publication’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America last year. He previously has been selected among the Top Ten Super Lawyers in Texas in a survey published by Texas Monthly, and has been named one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine.

DALLAS – Richard A. Sayles of the Dallas-based law firm of Sayles Werbner has been recognized as one of the top 500 attorneys in America by Lawdragon, a national magazine and online rating service for the legal community.

The Lawdragon methodology combines verified online balloting and independent research involving interviews with thousands of lawyers nationwide. Those named to the list represent less than one-half of one percent of the legal profession.

DALLAS – Richard A. Sayles of the Dallas-based law firm of Sayles Werbner has been recognized as one of the top 500 attorneys in America by Lawdragon, a national magazine and online rating service for the legal community.  The Lawdragon methodology combines verified online balloting and independent research involving interviews with thousands of lawyers nationwide.

“Regardless of their area of specialty, I believe the vast majority of attorneys appreciate another lawyer’s demonstrated skills in the courtroom,” says Mr. Sayles.  “I’m proud of this firm’s collective recognition as skilled litigators and our commitment to gain the best possible results for our clients.”

(Dallas)  Richard A. Sayles of the Dallas-based law firm of Sayles Werbner has been recognized as one of the top 500 attorneys in America by Lawdragon, a national magazine and online rating service for the legal community.  The Lawdragon methodology combines verified online balloting and independent research involving interviews with thousands of lawyers nationwide.

"Regardless of their area of specialty, I believe the vast majority of attorneys appreciate the skills necessary to excel inside a courtroom," says Mr. Sayles.  "I'm proud of this firm's recognition as skilled litigators committed to gain the best possible results for our clients."

Firm co-founder profiled in cover story on lawsuit against Arab Bank

DALLAS – Once again, four partners from Dallas’ Sayles Werbner have earned selections as Texas Super Lawyers. Named to the prestigious 2006 list are Richard Sayles, Mark Werbner, John Conway and Eric Pearson.

The listing of the state’s top lawyers appears in the October 2006 issue of Texas Monthly magazine and Texas Super Lawyers magazine, which is published by Law & Politics Media Inc. in conjunction with Texas Monthly.

From the beginning, it was much more than a lawsuit to Mark Werbner. A calling? Perhaps. Fate? If you believe in that. Those so inclined could even consider it the intervention of a divine hand. 

Call it what you will. But when an East Coast attorney seeking to combat terrorists by hitting their finances sought out the Dallas lawyer for help, he did so with no idea of Werbner's background. No hint that Werbner had helped Jews around the world immigrate to Israel. No clue that Werbner, whose own faith had reawakened years earlier, was scouring his soul for ways to aid besieged Israelis. 

(Dallas)  Richard A. Sayles of the Dallas-based law firm of Sayles Werbner has been recognized as one of the top 500 attorneys in America by Lawdragon, a national magazine and online rating service for the legal community.  The Lawdragon methodology combines verified online balloting and independent research involving interviews with thousands of lawyers nationwide.

"Regardless of their area of specialty, I believe the vast majority of attorneys appreciate the skills necessary to excel inside a courtroom," says Mr. Sayles.  "I'm proud of this firm's recognition as skilled litigators committed to gain the best possible results for our clients."

In the first suit of its kind, Dallas attorney Mark Werbner is suing the biggest bank in the Middle East for $1 billion. No, he won’t settle.

by Todd Bensman

The Orthodox Jew who boarded Bus 14A in downtown Jerusalem fooled everyone. Under the prayer shawls and hat was an 18-year-old Palestinian wearing belts of high explosives, packed with ball bearings. His bomb shredded the bus, smashed buildings in all directions for 50 yards, and released a fireball that set pedestrians ablaze. Seventeen people died that day, June, 11, 2003; 105 others were wounded. The terrorist group Hamas claimed credit.

Name Partners Among State’s Top 10 Attorneys

DALLAS - Attorneys across Texas have singled out four Sayles Werbner partners - Richard Sayles, Mark Werbner, John Conway, and Eric Pearson - as Texas Super Lawyers.

Name partners Richard Sayles and Mark Werbner both received special recognition, being singled out as among the Top 10 attorneys in the state.  This marks the third consecutive year that Mr. Werbner has been named to the Texas Top 10.

NEW YORK – U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon today ruled in favor of a group of American victims of international terrorism who claim the Jordon-based Arab Bank has actively supported Palestinian terrorists.

In ruling on a motion by Arab Bank to dismiss the lawsuit or move the case to Amman, Jordan, Judge Gershon wrote “the factual allegations of the complaints sufficiently support an inference that Arab Bank and the terrorist organizations were participants in a common plan under which Arab Bank would supply necessary financial services to the organizations which would themselves perform the violent acts. Administering the death and dismemberment benefit plan further supports not only the existence of an agreement but Arab Bank’s knowing and intentional participation in the agreement’s illegal goals. No more is required.”

(Dallas) In an increasingly specialized world, it’s rare to come across a lawyer who can claim expertise in two seemingly disparate areas of the law. Mark Werbner is one of those lawyers.

Mr. Werbner, a name partner in Sayles Werbner, is consistently recognized by his peers and the media as one of the best lawyers in Texas. His expertise in both civil and criminal law have helped fuel that recognition.

Mr. Werbner spoke on Effective Opening Statements in Criminal Cases at the "Advanced Program on Criminal Defense Trial Advocacy," which was held May 23-26 in Plano, Texas. Mr. Werbner was also the program’s co-chair and served on the faculty for the event, which was sponsored by The Center for American and International Law.

Jury Awarded Survivors $70.9 Million, Placed Blame on bus company, owner. Court TV, the cable television network dedicated to covering trials and legal issues, is telling viewers the story of the 2002 bus crash near Terrell, Texas that killed five people and injured many more.  

A group of crash survivors sued Dallas-based Discovery Tours and its owner, Eric Rockmore.  Last September, a jury found in favor of the crash victims, and awarded about $70.9 million.  A Court TV crew traveled to Dallas and videotaped the trial, and made plans to broadcast it later.

Court TV, the cable television network dedicated to covering trials and legal issues, is telling viewers the story of the 2002 bus crash near Terrell, Texas that killed five people and injured many more.

A group of crash survivors sued Dallas-based Discovery Tours and its owner, Eric Rockmore.  Last September, a jury found in favor of the crash victims, and awarded about $70.9 million. A Court TV crew traveled to Dallas and videotaped the trial, and made plans to broadcast it later. "I'm glad that Court TV is willing to devote its considerable resources to show this trial to America. This is an important case," says attorney Mark Werbner of Sayles Werbner in Dallas.  Mr. Werbner represented the family of 15-year-old Nick Stout, who was left brain damaged and permanently disabled as a result of the crash.