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College: Cornell University
Law School: University of Houston Law Center
Admitted to the State Bar of Texas in: 1993
Practice Area(s):
Litigation
Business
EmploymentProfile:
Mr. Pilat, a director of the Firm, practices in the Litigation Section, with an emphasis in the areas of commercial litigation, construction law, casualty and personal injury claims, insurance coverage analysis and litigation, and appellate law. He also has extensive experience in municipal law matters, having served for six years as the City Attorney for the City of League City, Texas (pop. 45,000). Mr. Pilat has zealously represented clients in handling claims in state and federal courts in Texas.
Scope of Practice:
Commercial litigation; employment law, including civil rights claims under federal and state law; general civil litigation, including personal injury, casualty and insurance defense; products liability; commercial law and defense of design professionals; professional malpractice defense.
Recent Representations:
Represented major Houston-based publicly-traded manufacturing company in Section 1981 race-discrimination case; obtained summary judgment dismissing the suit and successfully defending that judgment on plaintiff's appeal before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Defended private ambulance service in Orange, Texas, in suit arising out of death of a toddler; obtained summary judgment dismissing all claims against client.
Defended equestrian facility in personal injury suit alleging dangerous premises condition. Jury returned defense verdict after deliberating for 30 minutes.
Represented Houston-area business association and five of its officers in defamation suit; obtained summary judgment for all defendants.
Defended doctor in medical malpractice suit. The plaintiff non-suited the doctor after three days of trial and continued to prosecute the claims against the co-defendant, who settled one day later for $500,000.
Professional Affiliations:
AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell; Defense Research Institute; Texas Association of Defense Counsel; Houston Bar Association, Life Fellow.
Admissions:
State Bar of Texas; United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas.
Publications:
Johnson v. Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc., 2006 WL 3227316 (S.D. Tex. 2006), aff'd, 2006 WL 3627094 (5th Cir. 2006); Kosty v. Nugent, 2001 WL 1199049 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2001); Pham Son Van v. Pena, 990 S.W.2d 751 (Tex. 1999); PPC Enterprises, Inc. v. Texas City, Texas, 76 F.Supp.2d 750 (S.D. Tex. 1999); Darden v. Houston Lighting & Power Company, 936 S.W.2d 25 (Tex. App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 1996).
Education:
University of Houston Law Center, J.D. magna cum laude, 1993; The University of Texas at Austin, M.B.A., 1982; Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, B.F.A., 1977.
Articles Editor, Houston Law Review; Member, Order of the Coif Academic Honor Society; Member, Order of the Barons Honor Society; Member, Phi Delta Phi Academic Fraternity. | 