Skip to main content

Scheef & Stone’s Jim Griffin Included in Top 10 List

By News & Events

Jim GriffinScheef & Stone is thrilled to announce that Business Today has named Jim Griffin to its list of the Top 10 Texas lawyers transforming employee benefits & compensation. The selected attorneys are highlighted for their broad spectrum of knowledge in employee benefits and executive compensation.

Business Today reported that Jim’s peers had the following to say: “He is a great, great lawyer. He is very practical, down to earth, and makes things easy. He is smart and thoughtful.”

Jim is a partner in the firm’s Dallas office and for more than 30 years, he has helped clients solve their employee benefit problems. Jim enjoys helping clients break down barriers to achieve positive results in the important area of employee benefits and executive compensation. His clients count on him to provide practical solutions with common sense explanations.

Furthermore, Jim serves on the boards of several community organizations, including the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority and KCBI radio. He is also a member of the estate planning council at Southwestern Medical School and Children’s Medical Center, and he serves on the Executive Board at the SMU Dedman School of Law.

More information on the Top 10 list is available here.

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.

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.