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Oct 06 2025
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The Advocate Publishes Michael C. Smith on Proportionality in Complex Discovery (Fall 2025)

By Attorney Spotlight, News & Events

We’re pleased to share that Scheef & Stone Partner Michael C. Smith has been published in the Fall 2025 issue of The Advocate (State Bar of Texas Litigation Section), with an article titled “Proportionality in Discovery for Complex Cases: Understanding the 2015 Federal Amendment and its Real-World Application.”

Michael explains how the 2015 amendment to the Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1) moved proportionality to the center of discovery and what that means in practice for complex matters. He walks through the six proportionality factors and offers practical guidance—planning targeted discovery at Rule 26(f), documenting burden with specifics, leveraging technology-assisted review, cooperating on scope, using staged discovery and sampling, and embedding proportionality alongside relevance in analysis of every request and response.

Based in our Marshall office, Michael focuses on complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts. He is the editor of O’Connor’s Federal Rules: Civil Trials, a former chair of the Texas Bar Journal Board of Editors and the State Bar of Texas Litigation Section, and currently serves as vice chair of the @State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Law Section. He also authors EDTexweblog.com and Eastern District & Texas IP Law Blog.

Read the Fall 2025 “Complex Litigation” issue of The Advocate to see the full article: https://texasbar.informz.net/texasbar/data/images/PID25.pdf

Aug 08 2023
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Scheef & Stone Welcomes IP Partner Keith Rawlins

By News & Events

Keith RawlinsScheef & Stone, LLP is pleased to announce the addition of IP attorney Keith Rawlins as a partner in the firm’s Dallas office.

Keith focuses his practice on all forms of intellectual property with an emphasis on the preparation, prosecution, and management of U.S. and international patent portfolios, working with clients to identify IP assets and secure protection of those assets. He also provides legal opinions and analyses for non-infringement and invalidity of patents in the U.S. and abroad with particular experience in chemical, oil & gas, polymer, software, patent system, pharmaceutical, renewable energy, and membrane separation technologies. Keith regularly serves as in-house counsel for his clients, providing strategic guidance and implementing internal processes to help cultivate and streamline their IP.

“We are excited to add depth to our patent prosecution and management team and know that Keith’s industry experience and focus on client relationships will make him an asset to our team,” said IP Partner, Robin Barnes.

Prior to joining Scheef & Stone, Keith was a partner with an IP and business law firm in Dallas. He earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center and received his B.A. from the University of Colorado, as well as his B.S. in chemical engineering. Keith is a member of the Intellectual Property section of both the State Bar of Texas and the Dallas Bar Association.

The arrival of Keith furthers Scheef & Stone’s goal of strategic growth to meet clients’ needs.

Jul 12 2023
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Scheef & Stone Welcomes Bryan Haynes’ Return

By News & Events

Bryan HaynesScheef & Stone is pleased to announce that Bryan Haynes has returned to the firm after serving as the Lead Trial Partner with the intellectual property firm Klemchuk LLP. Bryan has been on the front lines of litigation battles for more than 32 years, trying dozens of cases to verdict and final awards and handling countless evidentiary and non-evidentiary hearings. He has successfully tried and arbitrated patents, trade secrets, trademarks, fiduciary duty, complex contracts, business “divorces,” employment, probate, insurance coverage, wrongful death, product liability matters, and others.

“Throughout his career, Bryan has garnered a reputation for his exceptional legal skills, unwavering dedication, and unwavering commitment to achieving favorable outcomes for his clients,” said Founding Partner, Kelly Crawford. “His extensive expertise covers a wide range of practice areas, including litigation, banking, real estate, corporate and business, and intellectual property just to name a few, making him a valuable asset to our clients and our firm.”

“Bryan possesses a deep understanding of the intricate legal landscape, having previously worked at Scheef & Stone. This familiarity with our firm’s values, culture, and commitment to excellence will undoubtedly facilitate a seamless transition and enable him to hit the ground running.”

Through his experiences on both sides of the docket, Bryan has gained immeasurable knowledge and understanding of how judges, jurors, and arbitrators consider and weigh the rules, legal authorities, arguments, and, most importantly, assessing the credibility of witnesses and other evidence.

Bryan was admitted to practice in Texas in May 1991 and has appeared in courts in more than 90 of Texas’ 254 counties. He is also admitted to the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Western, and Southern Districts of Texas, Northern District of Indiana, Western District of Michigan, Western District of Missouri, Northern District of Oklahoma, and each of the Districts of Colorado, North Dakota, and Utah. He has also appeared pro hac vice in state and federal courts in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

We pride ourselves on assembling a team of exception legal professionals who are dedicated to delivering the highest caliber of legal services. With Bryan’s return, our firm’s expertise and capabilities are further strengthened, allowing us to continue providing unparalleled legal solutions to our value clients. Please join us in welcoming Bryan back to the firm!

For more information or to schedule a consultation with Bryan, please contact him via this link.

Jul 05 2023
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Scheef & Stone’s Brent Kugler Obtains Defense Verdict for Video Products Engineer and Manufacturer

By News & Events

Brent KuglerScheef & Stone, LLP congratulates litigation partner Brent Kugler for obtaining a unanimous jury verdict on behalf of his client, a manufacturer of HDTV modulators and electronics products for IPTV networks and digital RF systems, in a shareholder derivative suit seeking $3.7 million in the 16th District Court in Denton County, Texas.

District Court Judge Sherry Shipman entered a directed verdict on the plaintiff’s individual claims and on June 30 the jury issued a unanimous verdict finding the defendants not liable on the plaintiffs’ shareholder derivative claims after a five-day trial. The unanimous jury verdict found the defendants not liable and awarded zero monetary damages to the plaintiff.

“I am extremely pleased for the positive outcome for our client after a four-year legal battle. The jury’s unanimous verdict is supported by overwhelming evidence that the defendants did not breach their fiduciary duties or engage in any sort of fraudulent activity,” said Kugler, who served as counsel for the corporate defendant.

The lawsuit was brought by a minority shareholder against Kugler’s client, as well as the company’s CEO, and involved allegations of breach of fiduciary duty and other derivative claims. Kugler and Joe Ackles, counsel for the CEO, collaborated on the litigation strategy to defend their clients, ultimately securing a defense verdict. Kugler was assisted by Scheef & Stone associates Priya Jesani and David Wills.

Jul 03 2023
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Scheef & Stone’s Michael Smith Recognized as IP Trailblazer

By News & Events

Michael Smith

Scheef & Stone is proud to announce that the National Law Journal named Michael Smith an Intellectual Property Trailblazer. The IP Trailblazers is awarded to professionals working as agents of change in their practice areas.

When asked about his path to becoming a trailblazer, Michael pointed to his pioneering work in 2003, starting an IP blog before the advent of Facebook or the smartphone. He launched EDTexweblog.com to write about important IP cases coming out of the Eastern District of Texas and it went on to become one of the most enduring blogs devoted to IP law, still going strong 20 years later. In the years since, he has also launched TEXIPLAWBLOG devoted exclusively to important IP cases coming out of all of Texas and a podcast series, “Texas IP Roundup With Michael Smith,” in partnership with the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology.

Michael is a partner in the firm’s Marshall office, where his practice focuses on complex commercial and patent litigation in federal court. He is counsel of record in over 900 civil cases in the Eastern District of Texas. He is the former chair of the Eastern District’s Local Rules Advisory Committee; past president of the Eastern District Bar Association; Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation; two-time member of the Texas Bar Board of Directors; past chair of both the Texas Bar Litigation Section and Texas Bar Journal Board of Editors; and editor of “O’Connor’s Federal Rules Civil Trials” for over 20 years.

Selection criteria for the National Law Journal’s Trailblazers is available here.

Jun 29 2023
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Scheef & Stone Welcomes Michael Schofield

By News & Events

Michael SchofieldScheef & Stone is excited to announce the addition of USPTO-registered patent attorney Michael Schofield as their newest Member to join the firm.

Michael began his career as a mechanical engineer where he developed an appreciation for the role that the law plays in protecting intellectual property. This appreciation led him to law school to become a patent attorney.

He has over a decade of experience preparing and prosecuting domestic and international patent applications and enjoys taking the time to understand the nuances of the intellectual property he works to protect.

“Michael’s start as a mechanical engineer provides him valuable experience as a creator of intellectual property,” said Founding Partner, John Scheef. “We are excited to have him on our team to help clients protect their valuable and hard work.”

Prior to joining the firm, Michael worked as a senior IP counsel at a large company focused on electrifying the commercial transportation industry.

Michael’s addition further solidifies Scheef & Stone’s position as a leader in the IP and legal community.

Jun 08 2023
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Scheef & Stone Welcomes Marc McSwain to the Firm

By News & Events

Marc D. McSwain

Scheef & Stone is excited to announce the addition of Marc McSwain to the firm’s Intellectual Property practice area.

Marc is a USPTO-registered patent attorney with over 24 years of experience in patent law, including several years as a patent agent before becoming an attorney.

“Marc’s breadth of experience in patent law is impressive,” said Founding Partner, John Scheef. “We are thrilled to have him on our team and are excited about the solid counsel he will provide to our clients.”

Marc’s experience includes identifying and protecting valuable inventions, directing technological improvements, and providing support for litigation and/or licensing activities for future business success.

The addition of Marc further solidifies Scheef & Stone’s position as a leader in the legal community and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead with him joining our team.