Law Offices of Brad Jackson Wins Appeals Court Ruling Against City of Austin in Illegal Takings Property Dispute

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A three-judge panel from the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Austin issued a key ruling in favor of a property owner represented by The Law Offices of Brad Jackson in Dallas as part of an illegal takings lawsuit against the City of Austin.

Brad Jackson, Cheryl Mann, and Patrick Fang worked with Mike Northrup from Dallas’ Cowles & Thompson to secure the appeals court victory for 1811 Guadalupe LLC, which owns the mixed-use property at the same address in downtown Austin.

The case was filed in 455th District Court in Travis County after the City of Austin conducted street repairs that eliminated key access to 1811 Guadalupe, which previously was home to a popular Pizza Hut location. The street changes were part of a project aimed at improving access for pedestrians, cyclists, and city buses.

By the time the work was completed in 2019, delivery vehicles had to be rerouted to reach the property because a driving lane and access points to a parking lot and alley were eliminated or rerouted. The Law Offices of Brad Jackson responded with an inverse condemnation claim against the city for the property owners’ loss of value.

Attorneys from the Austin City Attorney’s Office argued that the city should receive governmental immunity and that the property owners suffered no significant damage. The city’s arguments were based on an employee’s affidavit and report, photos of the location, and portions of the project plans.

Appeals Court Upholds District Court Ruling

The Austin City Attorney’s Office moved to dismiss the case after arguing the owners suffered no significant damage, and that the city should receive governmental immunity. The city’s arguments were based on an employee’s affidavit and report, photos of the location, and portions of the project plans.

The team from The Law Offices of Brad Jackson responded with a separate expert report prepared by a traffic engineer who disagreed with the city’s position. The city’s lawyers responded by asking the trial judge to strike the report. However, the judge ruled in favor of the property owner and cleared the way for the case to proceed.

On the heels of the judge’s ruling, the City of Austin filed the appeal, which was denied by the 3rd District Court of Appeals in the ruling noted above. The case is now headed back to the district court, where Mr. Jackson, Ms. Mann, and Mr. Fang will continue to present the facts to hold the city accountable.

 

Attorneys from Dallas’ Law Offices of Brad Jackson Earn Texas Super Lawyers Honors

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Photo of attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann of The Law Offices of Brad Jackson.

DALLAS – Veteran Texas business litigation attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann from The Law Offices of Brad Jackson in Dallas are recognized on the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers list of outstanding Texas attorneys published by Thomson Reuters.

The annual Super Lawyers list includes no more than 5 percent of all attorneys in Texas. Mr. Jackson, Ms. Mann, and the other honorees earned selection based on an independent, multistage review by Super Lawyers researchers and peer nominations by other attorneys who handle the same types of cases.

Both Mr. Jackson and Ms. Mann are routinely named to the annual Super Lawyers list and other guides to leading attorneys. Mr. Jackson has been recognized in Super Lawyers since the list first launched in 2004, and Ms. Mann has earned selection for four years straight.

The experienced attorneys at the Law Offices of Brad Jackson have handled a wide variety of legal issues for clients in Texas and throughout the country for the past three decades. The firm’s history of success includes representing clients with complex business disputes, cases involving catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful death, and other significant civil law matters, cementing its reputation throughout the state and beyond.

Courtroom Victories for Law Offices of Brad Jackson

Earlier this year, Mr. Jackson, Ms. Mann, and fellow firm attorney Patrick Fang won a judgment of more than $650,000 against the City of Dallas in a lawsuit over a disputed strip of property in one of the city’s most popular neighborhoods. The total amount awarded to the firm’s client exceeded $850,000 with prejudgment interest.

Last year, the attorneys from The Law Offices of Brad Jackson helped the family of a local woman win a $7.33 billion jury verdict against a Fortune 100 company. The verdict was the largest jury award in the U.S. last year and was recognized as the Courtroom View Network’s Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdict of 2022.

 

Dallas Commercial Litigation Attorneys Brad Jackson, Cheryl Mann Earn Selections in Best Lawyers in America

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Photo of attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann

DALLAS – Experienced attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann from Dallas’ The Law Offices of Brad Jackson are receiving high marks in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for their work in business lawsuits.

The two attorneys have represented individuals and businesses in all types of commercial litigation for decades. They have been ranked among the top attorneys in Dallas and North Texas multiple times in Best Lawyers.

Best Lawyers honorees are selected based on nominations from other lawyers recognized in the exclusive listing before. The Best Lawyers research team and the publication’s editors make the final selections among the attorneys with the most nominations from their peers.

Recent Firm Victories

Mr. Jackson, Ms. Mann, and fellow firm attorney Patrick Fang won a judgment of more than $650,000 against the City of Dallas earlier this year in a lawsuit over a disputed strip of property in one of the city’s most popular neighborhoods. The total amount awarded to the firm’s clients exceeded $850,000 with prejudgment interest.

Last year, the attorneys from The Law Offices of Brad Jackson helped the family of a local woman win a $7.53 billion verdict against a Fortune 100 company. Evidence in the trial showed that the company failed to conduct a proper background check and to properly supervise its employee who murdered an 83-year-old woman in her home in Irving. The verdict was the largest jury award in the U.S. last year and was recognized as the Courtroom View Network’s Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdict of 2022.

In addition to the Best Lawyers recognition, Mr. Jackson was again named among the Best Lawyers in Dallas this spring by the publishers of D Magazine for his work in business lawsuits. The firm is also recognized on the Best Law Firms list published by Best Lawyers in recognition of its work for clients in commercial disputes.

 

Trial Lawyer Brad Jackson Named One of Dallas’ Best for Business Disputes

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Red D Magazine logo with "Voted Best Lawyers" text.

DALLAS – Attorneys across the Dallas/Fort Worth area and the publishers of D Magazine once again are recognizing Brad Jackson of The Law Offices of Brad Jackson as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas.

Mr. Jackson has earned a spot on the exclusive list of Dallas’ leading attorneys for over a decade by successfully representing individuals and businesses in cases involving complex business disputes, civil law violations, and corporate liability for dangerous products. In addition, he has been Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for nearly 20 years.

Earlier this year, Mr. Jackson and fellow firm attorneys Cheryl Mann and Patrick Fang were recognized for their roles in winning last year’s $7.3 billion verdict in Dallas County Court at Law in one of the country’s highest-profile wrongful death cases. The jury’s award represents the largest verdict in a U.S. courtroom during the past year, and it was named the “Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdict of 2022” by the Courtroom View Network.

Six-Figure Judgment for Client in Real Estate Dispute

Shortly before that honor, Mr. Jackson, Ms. Mann, and Mr. Fang helped their client win a judgment totaling more than $650,000 against the City of Dallas in an “illegal takings” lawsuit. Mr. Jackson’s clients were awarded the full judgment amount, including attorney’s and expert witness fees, after the court ruled that the city wrongfully tried to commandeer a strip of their valuable property on the well-traveled Mockingbird Lane.

In addition to the D Magazine recognition, Mr. Jackson is repeatedly recognized in the annual edition of The Best Lawyers in America alongside Ms. Mann, as well as the annual Texas Super Lawyers list recognizing the state’s leading civil trial lawyers.

Law Offices of Brad Jackson Recognized for Top Plaintiff Verdict of 2022

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Banner announcing Law Offices of Brad Jackson being honored for the Top Verdict of 2022.

The Law Offices of Brad Jackson in Dallas is being recognized for the firm’s role in a wrongful death trial that produced the “Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdict of 2022” against one of the country’s largest telecommunications companies.

The $7.3 billion verdict handed down last July by a jury in Dallas County Court at Law No. 5 is the largest jury award in the U.S. during the past year, leading the Courtroom View Network’s compilation of its top trials in 2022.

Firm founder Brad Jackson represented the family of Betty Thomas along with lawyers from Dallas’ Mullen & Mullen in the lawsuit against Charter Communications. Chris Hamilton and Ray Khirallah of Dallas-based Hamilton Wingo lead the trial team in the multi-week trial.

Punitive Damages Verdict Follows Forged Document Evidence

Jurors in Dallas County Court at Law No. 5 awarded Mr. Jackson’s clients $7.3 billion in damages after finding Charter 90 percent liable for the death of Ms. Thomas, 83, who was killed in 2019 by one of the company’s repair technicians who stole her credit cards before going on a spending spree. The technician, Roy Holden, pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison in April 2021.

Evidence in the trial showed that Charter officials failed to conduct a proper background check, which would have revealed a series of troubling actions by Mr. Holden at prior jobs. The company also ignored Mr. Holden’s multiple pleas to supervisors about his worsening financial problems and personal issues.

Prior to awarding the multibillion-dollar punitive damages award, the jury was presented with evidence that Charter attempted to use forged documents to prevent the case from being tried in public.

Based in Dallas, The Law Offices of Brad Jackson provides decades of experience representing clients in Texas and across the nation. Brad Jackson is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The firm handles many types of business disputes, as well as cases involving serious personal injury and wrongful death.

 

Law Offices of Brad Jackson Wins Judgment Against City of Dallas

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Experienced business litigation attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann, assisted by associate attorney Patrick Fang, all of Dallas’ The Law Offices of Brad Jackson, have won a judgment of more than $656,000 against the City of Dallas in a real estate dispute over a strip of valuable land along Mockingbird Lane. With the addition of prejudgment interest, the total amount due under the judgment exceeds $850,000.

Mr. Jackson and Ms. Mann successfully represented real estate developer 6101 Mockingbird, LLC in the lawsuit after the City of Dallas demanded a 10-foot strip of land as a condition of approving the owners’ request for a plat to permit the redevelopment of two adjoining lots, which the company argued was an “illegal taking.”

Mr. Jackson and Ms. Mann defeated the city’s attempts to have the case dismissed by winning a key ruling from the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas that cleared the way for a trial.

Judgment Includes Actual Damages, Attorneys’ Fees

The trial’s first phase was conducted in September when the court found that the city was liable to the company for taking the land. The damages phase of the trial occurred in December, with a final ruling issued in favor of Mr. Jackson’s and Ms. Mann’s client on December 23.

In the final judgment, Hon. Judge Juan Renteria of County Court at Law No. 5 ordered the City of Dallas to pay $327,603 in actual damages plus prejudgment interest of 7 percent beginning Dec. 2, 2015. The city was additionally ordered to pay $328,617.50 in attorneys’ fees and approximately $25,000 in fees for expert witnesses. If the city unsuccessfully appeals the case, it will be liable for 6101 Mockingbird’s appellate attorney fees, potentially totaling nearly $100,000.

 

Dallas’ Law Offices of Brad Jackson Ranked Among Nation’s Best for Business Disputes, Commercial Litigation

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DALLAS – The publishers of U.S. News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America are recognizing Dallas’ The Law Offices of Brad Jackson on the 2023 Best Law Firms list for the firm’s work in lawsuits involving businesses. Earlier this year, Mr. Jackson and firm attorney Cheryl Mann were named in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America based on their wins for clients in significant business lawsuits.

This marks the eighth year in a row that The Law Offices of Brad Jackson has earned selection among the country’s leading business litigation firms. The exhaustive research behind the exclusive annual list is based on nominations from other attorneys who handle the same types of lawsuits, a survey of law firms from across the U.S., and a series of in-depth interviews with firms’ clients and individuals familiar with the honorees’ work.

Expertise in Business Disputes

The Law Offices of Brad Jackson represents businesses and individuals from various industries in all types of civil lawsuits with a focus on business law. The firm’s victories include cases involving fraudulent transfer claims, contract disputes, product defects, property disputes, fraud and breach of contract allegations, and partnership dissolutions.

Experienced attorney Brad Jackson founded the firm more than 30 years ago, and he is among a select group of lawyers who are Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Based in Dallas, The Law Offices of Brad Jackson provides decades of experience representing clients in Texas and across the nation. Brad Jackson is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The firm handles practically every type of business dispute, as well as cases involving serious personal injury and wrongful death.

Attorneys from Dallas’ Law Offices of Brad Jackson Earn Texas Super Lawyers Honors

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DALLAS – Experienced Texas business attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann of The Law Offices of Brad Jackson in Dallas are recognized as two of the state’s top trial attorneys for companies on the 2022 Texas Super Lawyers list published by Thomson Reuters.

Both lawyers are featured on the 2022 roster of Texas’ leading legal practitioners based on nominations from other business litigation attorneys across the state and an extensive research process conducted by the list’s editors. The exclusive Super Lawyers list includes the top 5 percent of attorneys in Texas.

Jackson, Mann Earn High Marks for Business Law

Mr. Jackson, Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, has represented companies and individuals in significant legal matters for decades. His track record in Texas courtrooms includes multimillion-dollar wins for businesses and families. He also has successfully defended numerous business clients against claims seeking millions of dollars.

Like Mr. Jackson, Ms. Mann has earned repeated selections on the Super Lawyers list based on years of work for clients in cases involving various legal issues. In addition to handling business disputes, she and Mr. Jackson have helped clients prevail in lawsuits over contested contracts, breaches of fiduciary duty, probate and trust matters, and legal appeals, among others.

Firm Victories Lead to Super Lawyers Rankings

The Law Offices of Brad Jackson has proudly represented clients in North Texas and throughout the state for more than 30 years. The firm’s recent victories for clients include:

Experienced Attorneys at Dallas’ Law Offices of Brad Jackson Again Ranked Among Nation’s Best for Business Lawsuits

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Photo of attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann

Firm attorneys Brad Jackson and Cheryl Mann of Dallas’ The Law Offices of Brad Jackson have been named two of the country’s top lawyers for business lawsuits in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. Jackson, who is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and Ms. Mann have earned selection in the annual Best Lawyers listing for years.

The firm recently helped the daughters of an elderly North Texas woman win a record-setting $7.3 billion negligence verdict against Charter Communications after a field technician for the company’s Spectrum division brutally stabbed their mother to death. The verdict handed down in late July is one of the five largest jury awards in U.S. history.

Jurors heard how Charter/Spectrum failed to properly screen the employee who killed Betty Jo Thomas, 83, a day after fixing a fax machine at her home in Irving. He arrived wearing a Spectrum uniform and driving a Spectrum van even though he was off the clock. After entering her home and killing Ms. Thomas, the technician stole her credit card and went on a spending spree before being arrested. He was sentenced to life in prison last year after pleading guilty to murder.

Jury Assesses Punitive Damages

In addition to more than $300 million in actual damages, the jury assessed $7 billion in punitive damages against Charter/Spectrum after hearing evidence that the company relied on forged documents to try to force Ms. Thomas’ family to bring their case before an arbitration panel instead of a jury. The scheme failed, and the jury responded with the massive award in Goff, et al. v. Holden, et al., No. CC-20-01579-E, in Dallas County Court-At-Law No. 5.

Based in Dallas, The Law Offices of Brad Jackson provides decades of experience representing clients in Texas and across the nation. Brad Jackson is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The firm handles practically every type of business dispute, as well as cases involving serious personal injury and wrongful death.

Brad Jackson Helps Texas Family Win Historic $7.3 Billion Negligence Verdict

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Experienced Texas trial attorney Brad Jackson of The Law Offices of Brad Jackson in Dallas has helped the family of an elderly murder victim win a $7.3 billion negligence and punitive damage verdict against telecommunications giant Charter Communications Inc. The verdict represents one of the five largest jury awards in U.S. history.

Mr. Jackson represented the three adult daughters and the estate of Betty Jo Thomas, 83, alongside trial attorneys Chris Hamilton and Ray Khirallah of Dallas’ Hamilton Wingo.

The jury awarded $375 million in compensatory damages against Charter, which does business as Spectrum, on June 23 in Dallas County Court at Law No. 5 after finding the company was 90 percent responsible Ms. Thomas’ death. Charter/Spectrum technician Roy Holden Jr., 45, was found 10 percent responsible.

Stabbing Death Leads to Historic Verdict

Mr. Holden visited Ms. Thomas’ home in Irving in December 2019 to repair a fax machine before he returned the next day in a Spectrum van under the pretense of performing additional repairs. He proceeded to brutally stab Ms. Thomas to death with a Charter/Spectrum-issued utility knife before leaving with her credit cards and going on a spending spree. Jurors heard how Mr. Holden had previously scammed other elderly women by stealing credit cards and checks while on service calls.

Evidence showed that Mr. Holden had been fired from previous jobs for forgery, falsifying documents, and harassing fellow employees, although Charter/Spectrum never attempted to confirm his prior employment. If it had, the company would have learned that Mr. Holden had fabricated the employment history on his job application.

One week before the murder, Mr. Holden told supervisors he was suffering severe personal problems and financial issues, even crying in a meeting and telling a supervisor that he was “not OK,” yet Charter/Spectrum continued to send him into customers’ homes. He was sentenced to life in prison last year after pleading guilty to murder.

Jury Says Charter/Spectrum Used Forged Documents

Trial testimony showed that Charter/Spectrum failed to properly screen employees and stopped its pre-screening requirements in 2016 after acquiring Time Warner Cable. The jury also heard about the company’s negligent hiring practices and failure to address known warning signs of violence among employees and to control the off-duty use of company vehicles.

The award of $7 billion in punitive damages on July 28 in phase two of the trial followed additional evidence and a finding by the jury that Charter/Spectrum tried to use forged documents to force Ms. Thomas’ family to present their case in a non-public arbitration proceeding rather than to a jury in a public courtroom.