Site People

Steven H. Stodghill

Principal

Dallas

214-292-4040

Mr. Stodghill is National Director of Business Litigation Development for Fish & Richardson.

Mr. Stodghill was profiled in the Texas Super Lawyers 2003 magazine published by Texas Monthly in an article entitled "The Dark Knight: Holy Transactions and Litigation! Steve Stodghill comes to the rescue for all his famous clients." As Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and Mr. Stodghill’s long-time client, stated in that article: "Steve’s mind is always working on your case, and I like that … I’m not an expert in litigation, but Steve has one quality I really like: He wins." Mr. Stodghill has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly for the years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Mr. Stodghill was named one of the top 500 lawyers in the nation for 2006 and 2007 by Lawdragon.com (and in the top 3000 lawyers in the nation for 2008, 2009 and 2010), was recognized among the country’s top business litigators in the 2008 and 2010 issues of Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, was named to the litigation section of the 2011 Super Lawyers Business Edition, was named one of the top 15 business defense attorneys in North Texas in 2009 by the Dallas Business Journal, and he also has an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for ethics and ability. The 2007 Dallas Observer "Best of Dallas" issue described Mr. Stodghill as a "pit bull of a lawyer."

Mr. Stodghill is a Principal in the Dallas office of Fish & Richardson P.C. His practice emphasizes all aspects of complex litigation. Mr. Stodghill served as Team Counsel for the Dallas Mavericks from 2000 to 2002. He was a Founding Partner at Lynn, Stodghill, Melsheimer & Tillotson (which the Texas Monthly described in a 1998 article "Top Guns" as the "Navy Seals" of litigation), working with the firm from 1993 to 2000. He also served as an associate with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld from 1987 to 1993 and as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Ralph M. Hall in 1985.

Mr. Stodghill possesses a broad range of experience in complex commercial litigation representing both plaintiffs and defendants in contractual disputes, breach of fiduciary duty cases, securities litigation and arbitration, shareholder derivative actions and shareholder oppression cases, TRO and injunctive relief proceedings, insurance coverage disputes, class actions, employment litigation, catastrophic injury and medical malpractice cases, intellectual property/trade secret theft cases, lawyer/accountant malpractice cases and post trial/appellate practice. In addition to being chief litigation counsel to Mark Cuban and The Dallas Mavericks, Mr. Stodghill has also represented numerous prominent companies including Yahoo!, Bank One, Zurich Financial, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Alcatel, Guaranty Federal Bank, Trammell Crow, Texaco, Xerox, Sabre, Eljer Industries, Qwest, Hunt Asset Management, Callaway Golf, Dean Foods, Fossil, broadcast.com, Richmont, U.S. Risk, Generation Partners and Driscoll Children's Hospital in significant litigation matters. In addition to Mark Cuban, Mr. Stodghill has represented interests of numerous billionaires and other high net worth individuals including Todd Wagner, Tom Hicks, Lamar Hunt, Trammell Crow, Phil Romano, Tim Headington, and multiple members of the Al Rajhi family. Mr. Stodghill has also represented Carrie Prejean (former Miss California and first runner up Miss USA) and her husband, Kyle Boller (quarterback Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders).

The firm’s representation of Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks has drawn numerous media accolades:

The Dallas Observer called the motion: “The Greatest Legal Brief in the History of Jurisprudence”

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram said the motion: “ . . . extended the Mavericks victory parade another week.”

The American Lawyer described Stodghill as “. . . a longtime Cuban confidant . . . ” and said Cuban is “. . . no stranger to high-powered defense lawyers.”

The San Antonio Express-News described the motion as “. . . the ultimate legal defense . . .”

The Wall Street Journal described Cuban’s argument as “The Dallas Mavericks are world champions, so go pound sand.”

Deadspin.com referred to Tom Melsheimer as: “The Brilliant Legal Mind Behind Mark Cuban's … Brief”

Entertainment website ology.com said: “Even Mark Cuban's legal team is the best in the world.”

GackSports.com said “Mark Cuban’s Legal Document RULES!”

CBSSports.com: “Mark Cuban files classic legal brief . . .probably the greatest legal brief in the history of legal briefs . . .”
A high-profile legal website labeled Cuban’s legal team as “. . . the best lawyers around.”

Admissions

Texas 1987
United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Supreme Court of the United States

Memberships and Affiliations

Member: Dallas Bar Association; American Bar Association; Research Fellow, Southwestern Legal Foundation; Charter Member, Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court; Texas Bar Foundation. Mr. Stodghill was profiled in the cover story of the February 21, 2000 issue of the Texas Lawyer: "When it's a serious issue, and [Mark] Cuban figures an opponent is after his deep pockets, the billionaire entrepreneur says he asks Stodghill to take care of the problem. 'When there is even a hint of a threat, I put Stodg on them to "Stodg them," meaning pull out all the stops and let them know they are dealing with Steve Stodghill and they don't have a chance.' Cuban says." In 2007, Mr. Stodghill played the role of Luke Wilson’s lawyer in The Wendell Baker Story (co-starring Owen Wilson, Will Farrell, Eva Mendes and Harry Dean Stanton), a performance, which Robert Wilonsky of The Dallas Observer described as “the best thing in the movie.” In 2008, Mr. Stodghill appeared in the film Karma Police, and in 2010 Mr. Stodghill will be featured in the documentary Dinner. Eagle Scout with Silver Palm.

Philanthropic Activities

American Film Institute Dallas International Film Festival

Board Member 2006-2011
Executive Board 2008-2009
Inaugural Chair of Festival 2009

SMU Tate Lecture Series

Board Member 2008-2011
Chair, Strategic Planning Committee 2010-2011

Special Care and Career Services/LaunchAbility

Inaugural Chair of Special Evening Event 2003
Board Member 2006-2011
Honorary Chair of Special Evening Event 2007
Inaugural Chair of Community Advisory Board 2011

Sports for Education and Economic Development

Chair, NBA All Star Game VIP Party 2010

Dallas Summer Musicals

Board Member 2010-2011

Turtle Creek Recovery Center

Founder, A Night at the Turtle Creek Karaoke Lounge 2010
Honorary Chair, A Night at the Turtle Creek Karaoke Lounge 2011

Constituting America

Chair, Constituting America Dinner Honoring Texas Governor Rick Perry 2011

Dallas Contemporary

Founding Member

Other Distinctions

Publications
"Punitive Damages: Standard less Juries, Due Process & Current Reform," address before the American Bar Association Litigation section Meeting Business Torts Committee (Aug. 9, 1993); Co-Author: with Thomas M. Melsheimer, "Annual Survey to Texas Law: Damages," 46 Southern Methodist University Law Review 1315, Spring 1993; "Due Process and Punitive Damages: Providing Meaningful Guidance to the Jury," 47 Southern Methodist University Law Review 329, January/February 1994; with Thomas M. Melsheimer and Diana L. Faust, "The Law of Sexual Harassment on Campus: A Work on Progress," The Review of Litigation, University of Texas School of Law, Summer 1994; Author: "Anita Hill's Legacy: While Texas Courts Tighten the Boundaries, Juries Pave the Way for Sexual Harassment Plaintiffs," Texas Lawyer Labor & Employment Law Supplement, Volume 12, Number 15, June 24, 1995; "The Top Ten Factors in Evaluating a Sexual Harassment Case," Texas Lawyer Labor & Employment Law Supplement, Volume 12, Number 15, June 24, 1995; with M. Brett Johnson, "Race and Sex Discrimination," University of Houston Advanced Employment Law Seminar, February (Dallas) and March (Houston), 1997; with M. Brett Johnson and Rene Skinner, "Race and Sex Discrimination," University of Houston Advanced Employment Law Seminar, March (Dallas, Houston), 1998; with M. Brett Johnson and Thomas E. Gavigan, "Race and Sex Discrimination," University of Houston Advanced Employment Law Seminar, February (Dallas, Houston), 1999; "Rolling the Dice: A Plaintiff and Defense Perspective on Texas Employment Law," ABA Litigation Section 1999 Annual Meeting, April 1999.

Education

BA, University of Texas 1983
magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
JD, University of Texas at Austin School of Law 1987

Experience

Breach of Contract/Breach of Fiduciary Duty/Fraud

Universal Image v. Mark Cuban, Yahoo!, et al. – obtained summary judgment on behalf of Mark Cuban dismissing $3,000,000,000 claims for fraud; dissolved injunction requiring Yahoo! to shut down its website. (Lawrence J. Friedman opposing counsel).

Bank One, Texas, N.A. v. FDIC – obtained summary judgment on behalf of Bank One dismissing $70,000,000 breach of contract claim.

American Airlines v. Sabre – represented Sabre in zeroing out American Airlines on a $34,000,000 claim in arbitration.

Eljer Industries v. Household Finance – obtained $30,000,000 settlement on breach of contract claim after defeating seven motions for summary judgment.

Belo v. Mark Cuban – obtained favorable settlement for a fraction of $40,000,000 breach of contract claim.

Ross Perot, Jr. v. Mark Cuban– in what was termed "lawsuit of the year" by the Dallas Observer, represented Mark Cuban in arbitration panel denying Mr. Perot’s $4,000,000 claim and awarding Mr. Cuban his attorney’s fees.

Marketing Specialists Corp., et al. v. Mary Kay, Inc. et al. – represented Richmont Capital Partners I, MSSC Acquisition Corporation d/b/a MSSC Acquisition, Inc., and MS Acquisition, Limited (collectively, "Richmont"), all subsidiaries of Mary Kay, Inc., in litigation arising out of the bankruptcy of Marketing Specialists, Corp. Marketing Specialists was one of the largest food brokers in the country and was publicly traded. The Trustee in bankruptcy sued Richmont and others asserting 27 causes of action, including claims for breach of fiduciary duties, misappropriation of trade secrets, conversion of assets, fraud, waste and gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation, tortious interference, conspiracy, fraudulent transfers, computer fraud & abuse, sought to pierce the corporate veil and claimed damages of over $210,000,000 plus punitives and attorneys' fees. Case settled on very favorable terms for client.

WWE v. DHL – obtained $7,100,000 jury verdict in breach of contract/trade secret theft claim and denial of $28,000,000 counterclaim.

Sovereign Associates v. Doe – obtained $1,500,000 AAA arbitration award on breach of contract claim.

Obtained jury verdict of $4,000,000 in a breach of contract and fraud case in state district court in Dallas County, Texas for Dallas architect, William Croft.

For a large investment fund, we settled a breach of contract claim for $8,500,000 in value through cash paid and debt forgiven.

Injunctive Relief
KOP Investments v. Martin Broughton, et al. – obtained TRO stopping the sale of Liverpool, FC on behalf of Tom Hicks' ownership group.

Securities Fraud/Derivative Actions
Coolink Trustee in Bankruptcy and a large group of Coolink shareholders – settled securities fraud and breach of fiduciary duty litigation for $8,100,000.

EOS Partners v. Hunt Asset Management – represented Hunt Family Investment Fund in litigation against investors in a telecommunications company. Settled a $20,000,000 lawsuit fund under which our client paid nothing and recovered 100% of its attorney’s fees from insurance.

Lawrence v. TICOR – represented plaintiff in employment claims and shareholder derivative action alleging damages exceeding $2,000,000; after defendant's experts were stricken prior to trial, case settled on favorable terms.

Rosenthal v. Texas Cardiology – represented plaintiff in shareholder derivative action seeking millions of dollars for breach of fiduciary duty against officers and directors of cardiology group. Lawsuit disclosed on eve of potential merger and settled on favorable terms.

Insurance Coverage/Bad Faith
Dallas Mavericks v. Trustmark – brought an arbitration action against Trustmark Insurance Company for its failure to pay insurance benefits related to an injured player. Settled the case for more than $10,000,000.

Dallas Mavericks v. TIG – prevailed in the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court on a coverage claim resulting in a payment of the indemnity and bad faith claims for approximately $3,000,000. This case has been cited by some commentators as the first pro insured result in the Texas Supreme Court in a coverage dispute in the last 8 years, and as the reason the insurance industry has had to adopt a mandatory endorsement excluding such claims from CGL policies. Published opinion available at TIG Ins. Co. v. Dallas Basketball Ltd., 129 S.W.3d 232 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2004, pet. Denied).

For a large health care provider, we settled an insurance coverage claim for $6,500,000.

Employment/Whistleblower
Driscoll Children’s Hospital – obtained summary judgment dismissal of a $30,000,000 claim under the Federal False Claims Act in federal court in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Lorna Pilgrim v. Victor Costa – obtained $1,500,000 judgment on sexual harassment claim.

Layman v. Xerox Corporation – obtained reversal of $9,000,000 jury verdict in favor of former employee of Xerox for breach of contract and age and sex discrimination.

Pearl v. Texas Cardiology Consultants – represented group of vascular surgeons in dispute with their cardiology group; after their covenants not to compete and other restrictive covenants were held unenforceable as matter or law, case settled on favorable terms, which allowed the surgeons to start their own practice.

State of Texas v. Driscoll Children's Hospital – represented defendant in False Claims Act case alleging over $200,000,000 in damages. Case settled for a fraction of amount in controversy; hospital not required to submit to corporate integrity program.

United States of America, et al. v. Driscoll Children’s Hospital, et al. – represented defendant in False Claims Act case alleging fraud by the hospital in seeking reimbursement by the Texas Medicaid program. Following summary judgment in favor of the hospital on all False Claims Act and fraud claims, the case settled for less than 1% of the alleged damages of $6,000,000.

Professional Negligence
For a large health care provider, we settled an auditor negligence case for $7,300,000.

For a client of a law firm, we settled an attorney malpractice case for over $3,000,000.

Appellate
TIG v. Dallas Basketball Ltd. 129 S.W.3d 232 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2004) – upheld summary judgment on appeal to the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Texas for insured professional basketball team in suit for the duty to defend against TCPA claims under CGL policy. Appellate victory caused the insurance industry to adopt a mandatory endorsement excluding such claims from future CGL policies. Published opinion available at TIG Ins. Co. v. Dallas Basketball Ltd., 129 S.W.3d 232 (Tex. App.-Dallas 2004, pet. denied).

Texas Workers' Compensation Comm'n v. Garcia 893 S.W.2d 504 (Tex. 1995), rev’g 862 S.W.2d 61 (Tex. App.-San Antonio 1993, writ granted) – filed an amicus curiae brief in the court of appeals and Texas Supreme Court on behalf of the three largest insurance trade associations and Continental Casualty Company in support of the constitutionality of the Texas Workers' Compensation Act. The Texas Supreme Court adopted our arguments on appeal.

Temple EasTex, Inc. v. Old Orchard Creek Partners, Ltd.848 S.W.2d 724 (Tex. App-Dallas 1992) – obtained reversal of $7,800,000 jury verdict based on claims of negligence and products liability in the construction of apartment complex.

Brown v. Texaco Inc. – obtained reduction by trial court of $15,000,000 jury verdict against Texaco to $2,700,000 million; case then settled on favorable terms.

Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, Texas v. A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.989 F. 2nd 1054 (5th Cir. 1990) – obtained Fifth Circuit opinion related to arbitration clause in multimillion dollar securities churning case; case then settled on favorable terms.

Watson v. Brazos Electric Power Corp.918 S.W. 2nd 639 (Tex. App. -Waco 1996, writ denied) – reversing trial court in holding that spoliation, trespass and gross negligence issues should have been submitted to jury; we then settled on favorable terms.

In re Universal Image, Inc. – mandamus denied in multiple case filings of lawsuit against Mark Cuban (2000 WL 127078); denial of relator’s motion for emergency stay of proceedings and writ of mandamus (2000 WL 378525).

First Amendment/Privacy
Tod Lindholm v. Alex Gibney, HD Net Films, L.L.C., and Jigsaw Productions, Inc. – obtained court-ordered dismissal on behalf of a film director and production company in defamation and invasion of privacy lawsuit. An individual who appeared in the trailer to an Oscar®-nominated documentary film sued alleging that the use of his image in the film’s advertising was a misappropriation of his likeness and harmed his reputation. On a motion by the clients, the court found that the plaintiff had failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted and dismissed the action.

Tammie Kirkham, et al. v. Michael Cain, et al. – obtained a take-nothing jury verdict in favor of the producers of the Sundance award-winning documentary, "TV Junkie," which was featured on HBO. The film depicted the drug addiction of Richard "Rick" Kirkham, a former journalist for "Inside Edition." Rick Kirkham's ex-wife filed suit on behalf of herself and her minor children asserting claims for breach of contract, invasion of privacy, negligence, and quantum merit. Ms. Kirkham unsuccessfully sought damages in excess of $1,000,000. The plaintiffs did not appeal.

Class Action
Rodriguez v. Dallas Basketball Limited – settled multiple class action litigations against Dallas Mavericks basketball team alleging $135,000,000 in damages for less than 1% of claims. Subsequently prevailed in claims against insurance company who were ordered to pay all costs of litigation and settlement with penalties and interest.

Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. v. Prophet Equity, L.P. - We represented Prophet Equity, LP and others in defense of multiple class action lawsuits filed by shareholders of Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. arising from a proposed acquisition of SSTI by Prophet that was valued at over $200,000,000. After less than six months of litigation, the plaintiffs agreed to dismiss Prophet and its affiliated companies with $0 paid in settlement, despite projected damages claim in the range of $95,000,000.

Patent
Shaw v. Yahoo!, Microsoft and Real Networks – obtained summary judgment for Yahoo! in suit alleging that Microsoft’s and Real Network's multimedia applications, when used in combination with Yahoo!'s streaming media services, infringed the Shaws' patent. The plaintiffs never specified an exact dollar amount for damages they were seeking. However, had they been successful in claim construction or on the merits, the decision would have implicated anyone who uses a network such as the Internet to download multimedia content, any computer or software application used for downloading multimedia content, and every Internet website that provides multimedia content.

Deep Nines v. McAfee – represented plaintiff in patent infringement suit that resulted in jury verdict of $18,000,000.

Trademark
U.S. Risk v. Lighthouse Programs – represented plaintiff in trademark infringement case that resulted in $5,500,000 jury verdict, which was listed in the top 40 jury verdicts of 2009 by the Texas Lawyer.

Tort
In re September 11 litigation - For four billionaire Saudi Arabian bankers, a team of F&R Dallas attorneys obtained dismissal of all allegations of claims based on the September 11 attacks in New York and DC after six years of litigation. The MDL case in the Southern District of New York was purported to be the largest case in the United States based on amounts in controversy, with damage claims potentially totalling in the trillions of dollars.

Working with high-profile clients, Mr. Stodghill has drawn many media accolades and mentions. TMZ.com called his work for Mark Cuban and The Dallas Mavericks: “The Most Badass Legal Doc Ever.”

Client Testimonials:

Terdema Ussery, President and CEO, Dallas Mavericks:

I like to call Steve ‘The Dark Knight.’ When he focuses on the litigation and believes his client has been wronged, he has this laser-like focus to come in, find what’s not right, and blow up stuff.

They’ve done everything for us. They’ve run the gamut of legal work for us over the years.

I remember walking in there when there was no one in the office but Steve and his Batman costume.

We feel like we’re client no. 1, and I’m sure all their clients feel the same way.

You get the feeling that after they agree to do something, the problem is already resolved.

He goes into dark situations, and takes them on. That’s why I call him The Dark Knight.

Steve and Tom are intellectual black belts. They know it, but they don’t flaunt it.

Terdema Ussery

Dallas Mavericks

2909 Taylor Street

Dallas, TX 75226

Phone: (214) 658-7180

Email: terdema.ussery@dallasmavs.com

Sterling Miller, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Sabre Holdings

I have recommended Steve and Fish & Richardson to a number of general counsel around the country.

I think very highly of Steve, Tom and their team for litigation expertise and patent litigation expertise.

We have worked with Steve on commercial litigation matters, and other attorneys at the firm on patent litigation, employment litigation, copyright matters, practically everything.

In every case, we’ve been very pleased with the result.

If we have to go to trial, I can’t think of a better team to bring to trial.

They have the best client relationship skills of any firm I’ve dealt with. I’m not talking about dinners or tickets to a Maverick’s game. On their own time and their own dime – they’ll do a whole presentation on what the case is about.

They are so thoughtful on the front end in terms of what you need to know about a case.

They return phone calls right away. They don’t nickel and dime you for five minutes, or even 20 minutes. Those types of things go a long way.

I sent an email about my case, and got an email from Tom in five minutes.

I’m a big fan of Tom and Steve.

You find that same attitude to solve problems with everyone at the firm.

Sterling Miller

Sabre Holdings

3150 Sabre Drive

Southlake, TX 76092

Phone: (682) 605-1552

Email: sterling.miller@sabre.com

Nathan Moore, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Mary Kay

Steve and the firm have helped us with patent litigation and high-stakes commercial litigation.

Steve truly understands the role of general counsel - the intricacies and the details.

To be a good outside counsel and add value, you must have a keen understanding of your client’s business.

One of Steve’s strengths is understanding our business.

If it’s a patent litigation matter, then by definition it’s a very serious litigation matter.

Something that we would get Fish and Steve involved in.

They’ve delivered again and again.

At the end of the day, they deliver results.

We’ve recommended them on several occasions.

Nathan Moore

Mary Kay

16251 Dallas Parkway

Addison, TX 75001

Phone: (972) 687-5770

Email: nathan.moore@mkcorp.com

Rick W. Merrill, CEO & President, Cook Children's Health Care System

I was introduced to the fine attorneys at FR when I was working in Corpus Christi at Driscoll Children’s Hospital where they handled a couple of qui tam lawsuits.

We had a lot on our plate to deal with, obviously, and Steve and Tom did great work for us.

We settled with the federal government for pennies on the dollar.

The team at Fish & Richardson did a remarkable job at helping position Driscoll Children’s in the best way possible.

They are on my speed dial. If we ever have to punch that button, they're on the top of my list

These are good guys and they know their stuff. This is a firm that clearly understands the law and they do a great job of working through the issues with an organization in order to drive a favorable outcome.

Rick Merrill

Cook Children’s Healthcare System

801 Seventh Avenue

Fort Worth, TX 76104

Phone: (682) 885-4000

Email: Rick.Merrill@cookchildrens.org

Ross Gatlin, CEO/Managing Partner, Prophet Equity LLC

We found something rare at Fish & Richardson.

Fish & Richardson and Steve were recommended to me by a lot of folks who I respect.

Steve is obviously a litigator.

When we first talked, I outlined a decision I was facing, and his advice was counterintuitive for a litigator. He told me, ‘Ross a lawsuit is like cancer; you want to avoid it in every possible way.’ That gave me enormous confidence in this guy. For him to recommend something so opposite of what you would expect from a lawyer is why he earned my trust immediately.

I don’t think you can ask an attorney to be more thoughtful and practical than Steve Stodghill.

He uses wisdom, judgment and experience to make calculated decisions on how to handle things.

He is the best form of warrior. There’s nothing more that Steve Stodghill wants than a good fight. He loves the battle. He loves the taste of blood. But years of wisdom have taught him when not draw the sword. That’s rare, and that’s what impresses me most about Stodghill.

He’ll say ‘I could get you another five or ten million, but you have to decide if that’s a good use of your time.’ I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked away from situations that others would view as an opportunity because Steve knew it was a bad situation.

He has enough experience to get really involved in the important parts of a case, and to delegate the rest to a great team and let them stand on their own.

These guys are focused on the right priority issues. They don’t lose the forest for the trees, and they don’t try to boil the ocean.

Steve is a Renaissance man among lawyers. I don’t think of him as a lawyer, he’s a business advisor.

Ross Gatlin

Prophet Equity LLC

1460 Main Street, Suite 200

Southlake, TX 76092

Phone: (817) 898-1501

Email: rgatlin@prophetequity.com

Dr. Greg Pearl, Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery, Baylor University Medical Center

We were involved with a physician practice management company that was underperforming, and things went from bad to worse. We had an ironclad contract not to complete that would have prevented us from practicing vascular surgery in Texas.

They showed and proved that it would have been a true hardship for the community to lose our the vascular services provided by our group.

We got a summary judgment. We kicked their butt.

I’ve referred them to several other clients.

Steve is a fantastic communicator. We had a great experience with them.

They explained everything that was going on in our case.

Steve and I have become great friends.

Dr. Greg Pearl

Baylor University Medical Center

621 N. Hall Street, Suite 100

Dallas, TX 75226

Phone: (214) 821-9600

Email: gregp@baylorhealth.edu

Randy Hyne, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Fossil Partners, L.P.

I’ve been very satisfied with the work they’ve done for us. Over the years, we’ve had to fight off several patent trolls, and they’ve done a good job for us.

A lot of law firms rely on email, but we have lot of phone calls and in person meetings.

I’ve referred cases to them. In fact, an attorney who used to work for me is now with another company and he also works with Fish & Richardson.

Randy Hyne

Fossil Partners, L.P.

2280 N. Greenville Ave.

Richardson, TX 75082

Phone: (972) 699-2115

Email: randyh@fossil.com

David Kiger, President and CEO, Worldwide Express

We’ve worked with them for the whole 10 years they’ve been at Fish & Richardson, and worked with them before then.

The core group of Stodghill, Melsheimer and Harper are who we’ve worked with the most.

I have taken any and all litigation to them, and they have handled all of those cases to our complete satisfaction.

As a large franchise-based company, we’ve had quite a few legal matters arise over the years, and we always call on Steve and Tom. They’re just the best.

I refer to him as the ‘Wizard of Stodg.’ He’s always been able to handle the work, no matter that I’ve brought to him. He will find a way to work through everything. No matter has ever confounded him or left us in a position where we didn’t think we were completely protected.

They’ve handled our contract matters, large and small.

When we started working with Steve and Tom, we were a $40 million company. Now we’re in excess of $300 million. I guess you can say we’ve grown along with them over the years.

Litigation for a business can be very unsettling, but they have a great way of making you feel comfortable and explaining the issues in a way that lets you know they understand your case.

David Kiger

Worldwide Express

2828 Routh Street, Suite 400

Dallas, TX 75201

Phone: (800) 758-7447

Email: dkiger@wwex.com

Mark Jennings, Managing Partner, Generation Partners

As long as I was able to avoid litigation professionally, I didn’t need Steve. When I did, he was the first person I called.

Steve is our first phone call. It doesn’t matter what the topic is.

Steve is a quarterback; he knows how to lead. He’s just so trustworthy and loyal.

He’s someone who’s kept every friend he’s had.

He’ll drop everything he’s doing, jump on a plane and do whatever it takes to help us out.

Steve has the biggest brain of anyone I’ve ever met.

What’s so interesting about Steve is that he can just remember everything he’s ever learned. He’s the closest I’ve ever known to someone with a photographic memory. In litigation it’s priceless. He devours information.

I’ve recommended him and other attorneys at the firm on many, many occasions.

Maybe Steve is Batman, who knows?

Mark Jennings

Generation Partners

One Greenwhich Office Park

Greenwhich, CT 06831-5156

Phone: (203) 422-8202

Email: MJennings@generation.com

John W. Bickel, II, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner, Bickel & Brewer

Steve and I have worked together on three or four major pieces of litigation. Steve is not only an extraordinary personality, he’s also a gifted, big case, strategic lawyer. I've seen him outmaneuver some talented opponents and, in the course, position his client for very favorable settlements. I've never had the pleasure of litigating with or against Tom but I like him personally a lot and by reputation, he's viewed by many as one of the best trial lawyers in the country.

I have the utmost respect for Steve and Tom, their abilities as lawyers, and their building of the Fish & Richardson office in Dallas -- from the ground up.

They have accomplished a great deal. It’s difficult to attract and keep a quality group of lawyers, then provide that group with interesting, significant, complex matters on which to work. Thereafter the task is to obtain superior results for those clients, again and again. Tom and Steve have done just that.

They’re both big firm expatriates, just like Bill Brewer and I were when we had the audacity to start Bickel & Brewer. We had no idea how difficult or how fun it would be to build a firm.

There are a number of reasons why it's difficult to succeed as a new law firm in Dallas. First, there are a number of firms and relationships that have been in existence for decades, embedded in the community. Second, national law firms decided that Dallas was a market that they wanted to farm and they opened offices. Third, Houston's three largest firms opened offices in Dallas. The competition for quality corporate and individual clients became keen. Considering the market, Stodghill's and Melsheimer's building the Fish office has been noteworthy.

John W. Bickel, II

Bickel & Brewer

1717 Main Street, Suite 4800

Dallas, TX 75201

Phone: (214) 653-4820

Email: jbickel@bickelbrewer.com

Steven H. Stodghill

Admissions

Memberships and Affiliations

Other Distinctions

Education

Experience

News

Speaking Engagements

Services