Jack E. Urquhart

Jack Urquhart has been lead counsel in a wide variety of complex civil litigation throughout Texas and in 14 other states. Mr. Urquhart has brought more than 160 cases to the stage of jury selection and served as lead counsel in more than 70 major jury trials that went to verdict. He has also briefed and argued numerous appellate cases throughout Texas, in the Fifth Circuit, and in the United States Supreme Court. Today, Mr. Urquhart’s practice concentrates on cases involving complex legal, scientific, and ethical issues. He has handled thousands of claims involving regulated industries, trying cases to verdict in every major venue in Texas.

• The University of Texas (J.D., with high honors, 1973)
  • Order of the Coif
  • Chancellors
  • Article Editor, University of Texas Law Review
• Williams College (B.A., 1969)

• All Texas state courts
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 5th, 6th, and 11th Circuits
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Texas

• AV rated, Martindale-Hubbell

• Regional and national trial counsel for medical devices, including heart valves, pace makers, tracheostomy tubes, penile implants, orthopedic implants, and surgical equipment
• Obtained CAFA removal followed by a summary judgment on preemption grounds for OTC product class action
• Recently obtained three summary judgments in commercial, consumer, and personal injury litigation
• Recently overturned default judgment and had case dismissed for lack of jurisdiction
• Obtained a defense jury verdict in San Antonio in a diabetes drug case during a period of intense daily publicity about the FDA hearings on various drugs either withdrawn from the market or under close scrutiny
• Selected regional lead trial counsel by various national and international companies
• Selected national counsel by a client in agricultural chemical litigation
• Selected national trial counsel by a client in medical device litigation
• Advisor to Fortune 500 companies on labeling litigation issues, and risk assessment issues
• Took over appeal of and overturned a $3 million verdict against an asbestos manufacturer
• Successfully defended an asbestos manufacturer in a mass trial to five different juries sitting simultaneously in a single court
• Obtained a defense verdict for an asbestos manufacturer when plaintiffs were awarded large punitive damages against co-defendants
• Obtained a verdict against a police department in a brutality case that was one of the first such cases brought under civil rights law
• Selected by a hospital client to argue a case in the United States Supreme Court
• Successfully defended chemical company in toxic tort case of first impression tried to a jury in the Southern District of Texas
• Obtained substantial jury award for a small trucking company in a case of first impression
• Successfully defended a $65 million ERISA action
• Obtained dismissal of a toxic tort case brought by more than 400 West Texas residents against a chemical plant
• Successfully defended a major aerospace contractor in a $25 million case brought by subcontractors
• Obtained summary judgment in an anxiety case brought against medical device manufacturer
• Successfully defended a large paint manufacturer in lawsuits resulting from the evacuation of over 200 individuals from a building under construction

• Co-author, “Texas Chooses Uniformity on E-Discovery: High Court Enforces Existing Rules as Means of Change,” International Association of Defense Counsel’s Product Liability Newsletter, October 2009
• Co-author, “The Duty to Use Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics to Reduce the Risk of Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury,” Drug Recall Litigation Report,March 2004
• Co-author, “The High Price of Drug Politics,” The European Lawyer, October 2004
• “Litigation Cost Control Through Advance Planning,” The Practical Litigator, July 1991
• “Corporate Counsel's Guide to Litigation Management,” Editorial Board, 1990
• “Litigation Management and Cost Control,” The Lawyer's Brief, September 1989

• American Board of Trial Advocates-Rank: Advocate
• Included  in International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers, 2011, 2012
• Named by Texas Monthly as  Top Texas Attorney in the Area of Civil Litigation Defense, 2011
• Named “Texas Super Lawyer,” Texas Monthly, 2005-2012
• Top 10 Personal Injury Defense Lawyers 2003, Texas Law Journal
• 2002 Defense Verdict of the Month, National Law Journal

• State Bar of Texas
  • Litigation and Health Law Sections
• American Bar Association
• Houston Bar Association
  • Chair: Professionalism Committee, 2010-2011
• Houston Bar Foundation
  • Life Fellow
• Texas Bar Foundation
  • Sustaining Life Fellow
• National Trial Competition
  • Co-founder

• Speaker, "Aggregate Litigation: Don't Let Your End Game Blow-Up... Only Proper Governance and Ethical Procedures Protect Your Client from Potential Disaster, " Litigation Summit and Expo, Washington DC, November, 2011
• Speaker, “Litigation Cost Control Through Advance Planning,” ALI-ABA Corporate Counsel Seminar, November 1989