Representative Experience

Government Solutions/Government Contracts

• Trial counsel for a government contractor in a request for equitable adjustment arising from increased costs of performance on a 10-year maintenance contract. The client prevailed in both liability and damage phases of a bifurcated trial proceeding before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals in Leesburg, Virginia.
• Part of a three-lawyer trial team that successfully defended a government contractor against claims of fraud, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty asserted by a competitor whose proposal was not selected for a government contract. After a jury trial in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, the plaintiff recovered only $1 in damages. Judgment was affirmed on appeal.
• Defended government contractor against breach of contract, breach of the duty of good faith, promissory estoppel, and unjust enrichment claims asserted by a competitor who alleged the client was contractually obligated to submit a bid with the claimant.

Representing Manufacturers/Suppliers in Commercial Disputes

• Successfully defended a manufacturer of machine tools against claims of deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, and fraud. After a jury trial in Dallas County, Texas, obtained a judgment awarding plaintiff only $1 in damages.
• Successfully defended a retailer in a breach of contract case filed by one of its suppliers, obtained summary judgment on breach of contract claims (representing 99% of the monetary damages sought by plaintiff), and tried the remaining claims to a jury in federal court in El Paso, Texas.
• Part of a three-lawyer trial team that successfully represented a gas processing company in breach of contract claims against its customer in a four-week bench trial in Dallas County, Texas.
• Obtained summary judgment for a distribution company and two of its officers/shareholders against allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, theft of trade secrets, tortious interference, and fraudulent transfer.
• Obtained summary judgment for a distributor of automotive refinishing products against a competitor’s claims of violations of Texas antitrust laws and tortious interference.

Representing Manufacturers/Suppliers in Defense of Tort Claims

• Successfully defended a bicycle supplier in an eight-week jury trial in Marin County, California, filed by children from across the country who claimed to have sustained brain damage, facial scarring, broken teeth, and other injuries as a result of defective front wheel quick-release mechanisms on bicycles.
• Obtained summary judgment on claims of more than 200 plaintiffs seeking to recover money damages for personal injuries allegedly caused by exposure to chemicals and hazardous materials at a job site.
• Obtained summary judgment against tort claims filed by seven plaintiffs alleging wrongful death and personal injuries during an explosion in an industrial plant in Mexico.
• Obtained dismissal on forum non-convenient ground for a product supplier sued under product liability and negligence theories in connection with a vehicular collision and subsequent explosion that killed 37 people and injured hundreds.
• Successfully defended an employer and employee against claims of wrongful death of a customer at a company-sponsored hunting event. Obtained a complete defense verdict after a jury trial in federal court in San Antonio, Texas.

Representing Financial Institutions

• Obtained summary judgment for a financial institution against claims of deceptive trade practices and violations of the Home Solicitation Act.
• Obtained summary judgment on a breach of contract claim filed by plaintiffs seeking to recover a finder’s fee from a financial institution, related to the purchase of loan portfolios.
• Obtained summary judgment for a financial institution against usury and breach of contract claims.

Pro Bono Clients

Throughout her career, Joanne has helped clients on a pro bono basis in a variety of matters, including challenging prison conditions, undertaking family law cases, helping tenants avoid eviction, and regularly volunteering at the legal clinic for veterans.

• Successfully defended a security guard in a criminal jury trial against charges that he unlawfully fled from the police.
• Obtained asylum for a woman from Mexico and her two young daughters.
• Obtained asylum for a woman from Honduras and her two young daughters.
• Worked with the Innocence Project and Foley colleagues in a successful habeas proceeding on behalf of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.