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James Crewse_V3
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James Crewse

Founding Partner

James Crewse is a litigation attorney specializing in high-stakes civil disputes, and providing legal counsel to small and medium size businesses, business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs. James has litigated numerous complex business, employment, construction, and intellectual property disputes, including business divorce and partnership disputes, enforcement and defense of non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, breach of contract and unpaid account claims, claims alleging torts such as fraud, misappropriation and use of trade secrets, negligence, and unfair and deceptive trade practices, and cases seeking temporary restraining orders, temporary injunctions, and other injunctive relief.

James has represented a wide variety of clients, including small and large business, business owners and executives, high-net worth individuals, startups, investors, consumers, partners and partnerships, entrepreneurs, construction companies and contractors, manufacturers, material suppliers, condominium associations, transportation and e-commerce companies, and national and regional banks and investment companies, among others.

James also serves as local counsel to law firms and clients in federal court cases pending in the Northern District of Texas and Texas state court cases in Dallas Fort Worth, and has litigated, as both lead and local counsel,claims for injunctive relief and has pursued various pre and post-judgment remedies and discovery to enforce and satisfy judgments,especially including writs of garnishment.

Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Crewse separately served as a judicial intern at the Fourteenth Court of Appeals for Justice Richard Edelman and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Scott Brister and subsequently served as a judicial clerk and briefing attorney for Justice John Sharp Anderson of the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston, Texas.

Selected Client Representations

  • Represented a business owner sued by four banks/lenders for alleged fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy, and breach of guaranty in connection with a $50 million loan facility and successfully negotiated a settlement for the client that: (a) resulted in money being paid to the client by each plaintiff; (b) caused all claims against the client to be dismissed; and (c) preserved the client’s claims against out-of-state non-parties.
  • Represented international manufacturer of roofing material in suit by multiple plaintiffs alleging ten causes of action and seven theories of participatory/vicarious liability, and obtained a pre-trial dismissal of all claims by all plaintiffs
  • Defended a business client in arbitration before the American Arbitration Association and, after final hearing, obtained an award in favor of the defendant client for attorney’s fees.
  • Successfully obtained a pre-trial dismissal of plaintiff’s Equal Pay and gender discrimination claims against corporate client and obtained a take-nothing jury verdict on the plaintiff’s remaining retaliation claim, which sought actual and exemplary damages;
  • Obtained an affirmation of summary judgment on behalf of a national hotel chain in a wrongful termination and retaliation case;
  • Obtained confidential settlement on behalf of an entity plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging fraudulent representations made in connection with a commercial real estate transaction;
  • Obtained a favorable federal court trial verdict on behalf of investors against a corporation and its executive for violations of among others, the Securities Exchange Act, Rule 10b-5, and the Texas Securities Act;
  • Obtained a take-nothing trial verdict for a Fortune 500 client in an adversary proceeding in federal court;
  • Obtained temporary restraining orders, temporary injunctions, permanent injunctions and judgments for large and small corporate clients in cases involving trade secret misappropriation, unfair business practices, and covenants not to compete and non-solicitation agreements;
  • Obtained a favorable settlement for a retail department store client in a lease dispute with commercial landlord after obtaining a Temporary Restraining Order and Temporary Injunction enjoining the landlord from pursuing a lock out;
  • Obtained a favorable federal court judgment against several foreign defendants in a breach of contract action and garnished the entire amount of the judgment and overcame the judgment debtors’ motion to dissolve;
  • Obtained a favorable state court trial verdict for corporate client on breach of contract claim;
  • Represented manufacturers and material suppliers in numerous breach of contract and unpaid account cases;
  • Obtained a reversal of trial court’s order denying client’s motion to dismiss through an interlocutory appeal following oral argument before the court of appeals;
  • Represented commercial landlords, property management companies, and commercial tenants in numerous breach of lease cases;
  • Represented a financial institution involving the interpretation and legal significance of certain language in customer account agreements;
  • Represented national financial institutions in actions alleging unfair business practices and violations of federal and state statutes relating to consumer credit accounts;
  • Obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of a real estate developer involving a boundary dispute and damages resulting from an alleged trespass;
  • Successfully obtained a post-judgment Order exempting a million-dollar judgment from discharge in bankruptcy;
  • Tried approximately 70 cases on behalf of the City of Plano, Texas as part of the City of Plano Loaner Attorney Program.

Admitted to Practice

  • State of Texas (all state courts in Texas)
  • U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

Education

South Texas College of Law, 2004

    • Summa Cum Laude (top 2%)
    • Law Review;
    • Langdell Scholar, Torts and Contracts;
    • Order of the Lytae;
    • American Jurisprudence Award, (Evidence, Texas Pre-Trial Procedure, Texas Trial and Appellate Procedure, Torts II, Property II, Employment Discrimination, and Professional Responsibility);
    • Who’s Who Among American Law Students, 22nd and 23rd Editions;

Texas Tech University, B.A., 2001

  • President’s List, Dean’s List, and National Dean’s Honor List;
  • Member of Phi Gamma Delta

Recent Honors / Awards

  • Selected as a “Texas Rising Star” appearing in Texas Monthly Magazine/Law Politics Magazine (2010-2018)
  • AV®® Preeminent rating, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Elected to membership in the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation (2012), Life Fellow (2016)
  • Judicial Clerkship and Briefing Attorney to the Honorable John Sharp Anderson, Fourteenth Court of Appeals, Houston, Texas (2004-2005)
  • Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals, Honors Edition

Presentations and Publications

  • Co-Author, Litigation Practice – Enforcement and Defense of Non-Compete Agreements and Trade Secret Cases in Texas, Lorman Education Services
  • Co-Author, Accounting Malpractice, Lawline
  • Co-Author, Winding Up and Dissolving the Business – It’s Trickier Today than Ever, University of Houston Law Foundation, CLE

Professional Affiliations

  • State Bar of Texas, Litigation Section
  • Dallas Bar Association
  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers

Offices and Appointments

  • Judiciary Committee, Dallas Bar Association (2012-2014)
  • Speakers Committee, Dallas Bar Association (2012-2014)
  • Publications Committee, Dallas Bar Association (2012)