J. LaurensWilkes

Partner

Houston + 1.832.239.3796

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Laurens Wilkes' practice focuses on complex civil litigation in state and federal courts with an emphasis on infrastructure, fiduciary duty, and products liability disputes. He represents clients in the transportation, energy, construction, and financial industries in litigation, counseling, and regulatory matters. His infrastructure experience includes representing both contractors and owners/sponsors as well as lenders. He routinely handles breach of contract, products liability, fraud and fiduciary duty, trade secret, restructuring, and tort matters as well as internal and governmental investigations. Laurens has led numerous trial and arbitration matters involving multibillion dollar disputes from preliminary restraining orders and injunctions to jury trials and final hearings.

Laurens' experience includes work for Babcock Power, Bechtel Corporation, CECO Environmental, Cintra Infrastructures (Ferrovial Group), Community Trust Bank (n.k.a. Origins Bank), Franklin Templeton, Jacobs Engineering Group, Kiewit, Newpark Resources, Occidental Chemical Corporation, SAP, Total, and VINCI. He also implements and manages e-discovery policies and practices for clients around the globe related to major multiparty and multiforum litigation.

Laurens is an active member of the Construction Law Sections of the American Bar Association and State Bar of Texas as well as a member of the Eastern District of Texas and Fifth Circuit Bar Associations. He is involved with the Houston Bar Association, having served as a co-chair of the Special Olympics Committee, and a member of the Professionalism Committee and the United Way, including serving on the United Way Young Leaders Council. Laurens also serves as the administrative partner for the Houston Office.

Experience

  • Canadian private equity fund and its portfolio company defend against extra-contractual and breach of contract claimsJones Day defended a Canadian private equity fund and its portfolio company against various state law claims, including fraud and fiduciary duty.
  • Global pharmaceutical company secures summary judgment on all claims in wrongful death action involving clinical trial participantJones Day successfully defended a global pharmaceutical manufacturer in a wrongful death suit filed by the parents of a young woman with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia who died in a clinical trial for CAR-T cell therapy.
  • Environmental equipment manufacturer resolves contract disputeJones Day assisted a major manufacturer of environmental equipment in resolving claims related to components installed at two large power plants.
  • Construction contractor and technology solutions provider company successfully resolves arbitration claim related to large construction projectJones Day represented the subsidiary of a construction contractor and technology solutions provider company in a construction arbitration arising out of a large scale construction project in Tennessee.
  • Senior creditors of iHeartCommunications negotiate exit term loan facilityJones Day advised senior creditors holding in excess of $7.4 billion in iHeartCommunications, Inc.'s prepetition indebtedness in connection with all aspects of the restructuring of iHeart's debt in a chapter 11 proceeding in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, including the negotiation and issuance of an approximately $3.5 billion senior secured exit term loan credit facility for iHeartCommunications, Inc. that was distributed to creditors under the plan.
  • Babcock Power wins full dismissal in Florida construction disputeOn behalf of Babcock Power Environmental, Inc. (BPE), Jones Day secured a complete dismissal in an alleged breach-of-contract lawsuit in a Florida construction dispute.
  • Jacobs Engineering Group defends wrongful death actionJones Day is defending Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. in a wrongful death action arising out of the deaths of four workers at DuPont's insecticide plant in LaPorte, Texas after a toxic chemical release in November 2014.
  • Drug manufacturer defends against public nuisance and related tort and statutory claims in prescription opiate MDL and state court proceedingsJones Day is defending a major drug manufacturer against public nuisance and related tort and statutory claims asserted in actions consolidated for pretrial proceedings in In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, No. 1:17-MD-2804 (N.D. Ohio), as well as in analogous state court actions in Arkansas, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
  • Salvadoran woman fleeing gang and domestic violence due to her participation in women's rights group obtains asylumJones Day recently obtained asylum for the client, H.U., and her two young daughters.
  • Infrastructure firm defends post-reorganization claimsJones Day is defending an international infrastructure company in Texas federal court against fiduciary duty and fraudulent transfer claims stemming from construction and bankruptcy disputes.
  • Newpark seeks damages in arbitration against oil and gas company related to destroyed propertyJones Day filed an arbitration proceeding against an international oil and gas company seeking damages for the destruction of Newpark Mats and Integrated Service LLC's property.
  • FloWorks International sells its plate and sheet business to CL Alloys - Dallas, LLCJones Day advised FloWorks International LLC on the sale of its plate and sheet operations in Garland, Texas to CL Alloys - Dallas, LLC, a provider of stainless and aluminum coil and sheet products.
  • Air Medical Group Holdings obtains TRO in trade secret and non-solicitation matterJones Day successfully obtained a temporary restraining order for its client, Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc. and affiliated companies ("AMGH"), in two related lawsuits against three former employees and AMGH's competitor, Medical Air Services Association d/b/a MASA Assist ("MASA").
  • Newpark seeks temporary restraining order against oil and gas company to prevent destruction of property and spoliation of evidenceJones Day filed a petition and application for temporary restraining order in Harris County District Court against an international oil and gas company to prevent the destruction of Newpark Mats and Integrated Service LLC's property.
  • Fisher-Klosterman pursues claims of misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contractFisher-Klosterman, Inc. ("FKI"), a subsidiary of CECO Environmental Company LLC, retained Jones Day just prior to a two-day bench trial.
  • Advanced Graphics reaches settlement in breach of contract suitJones Day client Advanced Graphics Technologies, Inc. reached a settlement with seven defendants after 20 months of litigation in Texas state court.
  • Atlas Resource Partners acquires $225 million oil rich assets in South TexasJones Day advised Atlas Resource Partners in the $225 million acquisition of oil rich assets in South Texas. The assets consist of 22 producing wells and 19 undeveloped locations containing an estimated 12 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mmboe).
  • Arizona prison inmates successfully challenge adequacy of medical, mental health, dental care, and conditions in isolation in Arizona state prison systemJones Day, working with the ACLU's National Prison Project and the Prison Law Office, has tentatively settled litigation brought on behalf of a certified class of Arizona inmates challenging the adequacy of medical, mental health, dental care, and conditions in isolation in the Arizona state prison system under the U.S. constitution.
  • SAP's district court victory affirmed by Ninth CircuitThree months after oral argument, the Ninth Circuit issued an order affirming federal district court judge Phyllis Hamilton's decision to overturn a $1.3 billion verdict against Jones Day client SAP AG in a long-running copyright dispute with Oracle.
  • Fisher-Klosterman obtains summary judgment in Texas state court lawsuit alleging products liability and tort claimsJones Day obtained summary judgment for client Fisher-Klosterman, Inc. ("Fisher-Klosterman"), an oil refinery equipment provider, in Harris County, Texas.
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