Appellate Practice & Trial Consulting

Shook, Hardy & Bacon’s Appellate & Trial Consulting Practice has briefed and argued cases in state and federal appellate courts, as well as before regulatory agencies and military tribunals, throughout the United States. SHB appellate lawyers have successfully represented parties in numerous substantive areas, including products liability; intellectual property; contract disputes; mass, toxic and other torts; pharmaceutical and medical device litigation; banking and UCC litigation; insurance coverage; and environmental and land use litigation; and in challenges to proposed state constitutional amendments and administrative rules. In addition, SHB attorneys have played a key role in developing potential revisions to federal and state court rules and, in recent years, have filed amicus briefs on behalf of organizations involved in high-profile appeals that raise significant class action-related policy and public policy questions.

Attorneys in the SHB Appellate & Trial Consulting Practice work closely with clients and trial counsel to formulate appellate strategies; identify and research critical issues; draft and edit briefs and petitions for extraordinary writs; present oral arguments; prepare post-appeal motions; and mediate cases that are pending on appeal. They also provide valuable services at the trial court level by assisting with the development of legal theories and by preparing summary judgment and other dispositive motions that involve legal issues likely to be the subject of appellate review, as well as jury instructions, jury verdict forms, directed verdict motions, and post-trial motions. When warranted by the complexity of the issues or magnitude of the claims, SHB appellate attorneys are available to monitor trials for the purpose of helping to identify and ensure the preservation of reversible error.

Due to the nature of this work, an SHB appellate attorney may be called on to consult, assist or assume primary responsibility for an entire appeal. Because appeals are based entirely on the written record of the trial court proceedings, it is not necessary that appellate counsel be located in the same jurisdiction or geographic region where the trial was conducted. When taking an appeal from an adverse decision or when defending a favorable judgment, SHB’s appellate attorneys will ensure that appellate procedures are followed correctly and that the final product is first-rate in substance, form and professional quality.

Practice Area Contacts

Manuel López
(Houston) 713-546-5620

Robert T. Adams
(Kansas City) 816-559-2230

Daniel B. Rogers
(Miami) 305-960-6968

Frank C. Rothrock
(Orange County) 949-475-1500

Patrick J. Gregory
(San Francisco) 415-544-1900

Victor E. Schwartz
(Washington, D.C.) 202-662-4886

Related Practice Areas

Business Litigation
Class Actions & Complex Litigation
eDiscovery, Data & Document Management
Global Product Liability
Insurance & Reinsurance
Intellectual Property & Technology Litigation
Pharmaceutical & Medical Device
Toxic Torts