George Parker Young has enjoyed an extensive and diverse litigation practice for more than twenty-four years. He represents clients in the full range of business litigation, and has significant experience in the areas of oil and gas, fiduciary duty, intellectual property, insurance and securities litigation.
George has successfully handled several oil and gas matters over the last two years, including disputes between royalty and working interest owners, disputes involving investors in oil and gas ventures, disputes between producers and surface owners, and disputes between pipelines and producers. During the first twelve years of legal career, he handled numerous oil and gas matters, including several for the largest oil and gas lending bank in Fort Worth.
In 2004, George argued to the U.S. Supreme Court a landmark case on ERISA preemption and HMO liability; in 2003 he was a finalist for Trial Lawyer of the Year awarded by the Trial Lawyers of Public Justice (eight cases nominated nationally), and was among 2003-2005 and 2008-2009 "Super Lawyers" selected by Texas Monthly (less than 5% of all Texas lawyers), and 2004 and 2005 "Top Attorneys in Tarrant County" selected by Fort Worth Magazine and The Fort Worth Business Press.
EXAMPLES OF COMPLEX BUSINESS LITIGATION SINCE RECENTLY JOINING THE FIRM
- Successful defense of a multi-national chemicals manufacturing corporation in a federal court case where plaintiff was seeking over $15 million in damages for fraud in the sale of an alleged defective product.
- Oil and gas litigation involving multiple allegations of breaches of fiduciary duty; successfully resolved with clients' interests being sold for millions
- Lead counsel for nationally known public company involving compelling arbitration of dispute over post-closing accounting adjustments; successfully mediated just three months after suit filed
OTHER COMPLEX BUSINESS LITIGATION MATTERS HANDLED
- Obtained multi-million dollar tortious interference verdict and settlement for frustrated acquirer of regional telephone company
- Successfully defended national bank in several large lender liability actions
- Co-counsel for savings and loan plaintiff in one of the first significant civil RICO matters tried in the Northern District of Texas (trial lasting almost eleven weeks)
- Defended and obtained summary judgment on behalf of major manufacturing client in intellectual property litigation involving claims of patent infringement (successfully settled just before oral argument in the Federal Circuit)
- Successful appellate counsel in a number of Fifth Circuit and State Courts of Appeals Special counsel to Texas Attorney General in matter involving HMO's effort to have Texas' 1997 HMO liability statute declared preempted
- First attorney to successfully use the 1997 law which prohibits financial incentives that act as an inducement to limit medically necessary care
- Filed first suit and obtained first verdict and judgment (over $13 million) under Texas' 1997 HMO Liability Act.
SUCCESSFUL APPELLATE COUNSEL IN THE FOLLOWING SELECTED APPEALS
Hartman v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 95 F.3d 1149 (5th Cir. 1996); Hamman v. Southwestern Gas Pipeline, 832 F.2d 55 (5th Cir. 1987); Giles v. NYLCare, 172 F.3d 332 (5th Cir. 1999); Calad v. CIGNA Healthcare of Texas, Inc./Davila v. Aetna U.S. Healthcare, 307 F.2d 298 (5th Cir. 2002) rev'd on appeal; Special Counsel to Attorney General, Corporate Health Ins., Inc. v. Texas Department of Ins., 12 F.Supp.2d 597 (N.D. Tex. 1998), aff'd in part, rev'd in part, 215 F.3d 526 (5th Cir.), rehearing denied, 220 F.3d 641 (5th Cir. 2000) (Aetna's unsuccessful declaratory judgment action to declare Texas HMO liability statute preempted by ERISA).
Recent Publications
- January 2009: "A Rough Sense of Justice" or "Practical Politics?" Recent Texas Supreme Court Opinions on Causation, 25th Annual Litigation Update Institute
- April 2008: "An Intersection or the End of the Road? Impact of Chapter 33 on Indemnity in Texas," Texas College for Judicial Studies
- Fall 2007: "An Annotated 'Model' Settlement Agreement," The Advocate, State Bar of Texas Litigation Section
- August 2007: "Chapter 33 and Indemnity," 30th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course, State Bar of Texas
- August 2006: "Chapter 33: Proportionate Responsibility and Other Frights," 29th Advanced Civil Trial Course
- August 2005: "Chapter 33: One Need Not Be A Party to be Invited to the Party (A Wake for 'Joint and Several Liability' and the Retreat from 'Broad Form Submission' in Texas)," State Bar 28th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course (co-authored with Kendyl Darby)
- September 2004: "Preparing to Take Depositions" and "Taking Depositions," State Bar of Texas Litigation Section Magazine (co-author)
Selected Representative Experience
Online Publications
05/12/2009 -
Fifth Circuit Enforces Disclaimer Provision in Form Agreement to Bar Misrepresentation Claims Against Manufacturer
On May 7, 2009, the Fifth Circuit affirmed a take-nothing summary judgment for Haynes and Boone, LLP client BASF Corporation, rejecting Plaintiff Thermacor Process, L.P.’s negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent inducement, and Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) claims based on a standard disclaimer-of-warranty provision and the absence of any actionable misrepresentation. Thermacor Process, L.P. v. BASF Corp., No. 08-10227 (5th Cir. May 7, 2009). This decision reinforces Texas law that manufacturers can rely on standard disclaimers in their form agreements to defeat claims based on the absence of any misrepresentation, particularly when the parties are sophisticated and the disclaimer is conspicuous.
08/27/2008 -
Running an Olympian Gauntlet: The Chapter 33 Decathlon
Presented at the Texas Advanced Civil Trial Courses, Fall, 2008.
08/30/2006 -
Chapter 33: Proportionate Responsibility and Other Frights!
Presented at the State Bar of Texas 29th Annual Advanced Civil Trial Course.
08/31/2005 -
Chapter 33: One Need Not Be a Party to Be Invited to the Party
(A Wake for "Joint and Several Liability" and the Retreat from "Broad Form Submission" in Texas)