West Webb Allbritton & Gentry

The firm’s experience in administrative law includes representation of clients in adversarial hearings before state, federal, and local governmental agencies.  Our attorneys have been active in representing clients experiencing problems with an array of licensing boards, and handle initial administrative hearings, appeals to state and district courts, and subsequent appellate work.

Our attorneys can successfully guide you through the complexities of a bankruptcy proceeding.  We represent individuals, companies, creditors, asset acquirers and financial institutions in reorganization (Chapters 11 & 13) and liquidation (Chapter 7) proceedings.

We litigate a wide range of bankruptcy issues on behalf of creditors, including:

• Claims contests
• Collateral turnover and use
• Dischargeability of debt and debtors
• Exemption challenges
• Property valuation

Our attorneys actively represent our business clients in a wide range of commercial disputes in litigation, arbitration and mediation.  The areas in which we have experience representing our clients include:

• Breach of fiduciary duties
• Contract disputes
• Deceptive trade practices
• Fraud and misrepresentation
• Labor and employment issues
• Landlord/Tenant and lease issues
• Real estate matters
• Shareholder/Officer/Director liability
• Unfair competition

Our attorneys have extensive experience in providing construction contract review and analysis.  We also have experience in a wide variety of construction litigation areas, having represented both owners and contractors regarding defect claims, disruption claims, contract disputes, and insurance coverage issues in both state and federal court.

Our attorneys advise clients on all areas involved in the structuring, formation and operation of business entities, including corporations, general and limited partnerships, and limited liability companies.  Some of these areas include:

• Entity choice and organization
• Entity governance
• Partnership agreements
• Shareholder agreements
• LLC Operating agreements
• Fiduciary duties of partners, directors, and officers
• Bankruptcy & reorganization counseling
• Equity and debt offerings
• Venture capital
• Securities exchange & NASDAQ compliance
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Stock option & purchase plans

Our attorneys help protect our clients’ interests and maximize recovery in Bankruptcy proceedings.  This includes preparing for possible bankruptcy filings from the creditors’ perspective, and protecting our clients’ interests once Bankruptcy has been filed.  Among the areas we advise our clients on are:

• Preference issues
• Fraudulent transfer and avoidance matters
• Cash collateral use issues
• Discharge issues
• Claims litigation
• Objections to exemptions
• Plan confirmation issues.

We also advise clients on all aspects of loan transactions secured by real property or personal property, from default considerations, to workout negotiations, to asset preservation, and property foreclosure.

From the debtor’s perspective, our attorneys will work to help the debtor maximize the protection that Bankruptcy has to offer.

Our attorneys have extensive experience advising, mediating, arbitrating and litigating on behalf of both employers and employees in all types of employment areas and disputes.

Advising & Defending Employers:  We advise our employer clients on compliance with employment and civil rights statutes and regulations, help our clients draft and negotiate employment related policies and agreements, and advise them on numerous employment related issues, including employee training, discipline, non-competition agreements, and unemployment compensation claims.

We have experience in helping our employer clients respond to a variety of employee claims, including:

• Sexual discrimination and harassment
• Wage and hour disputes
• Americans with Disabilities Act violations
• Race discrimination
• Family and Medical Leave Act violations
• Defamation
• Wrongful discharge
• Worker’s compensation
• Unemployment compensation

Representing Employees:  Our employment law practice includes extensive experience representing employees against both public and private employers in lawsuits involving:

• Racial, sex, religion, national origin discrimination and retaliation
• Age discrimination and retaliation
• Disability discrimination and retaliation
• Family Medical Leave act employer obligations
• Breach of employment contract claims involving commissions, bonuses, severance pay and other employer obligations
• Worker’s compensation claims
• Wrongful discharge claims

Our attorneys regularly handle complex matters in all areas of family law, including:

• Adoptions
• Child custody
• Child support
• Community property division
• Conservatorship of minor children
• Divorce
• Enforcement and modification of court orders
• Marital property rights
• Name changes
• Paternity actions
• Pre- and post-marital agreements

Our attorneys work with families whose loved ones are no longer able to care for themselves due to disability, illness or injury.  We will guide you through the process of seeking guardianship, which gives a court-appointed individual or entity (the guardian) the authority to make decisions for an individual (the ward) who is found by the court to be incapacitated.  Our attorneys also directly represent wards as a guardians ad litem through court appointment.

Areas in which our attorneys can assist you include:

• Special Needs Guardianships:  Enable the parent of a special needs child over 18 to continue caring for the child, and to help the child make life decisions regarding finances, medical care, employment, etc.
• Elder Guardianships:  Enable you to protect a loved one who has become unable to make important living and financial decisions, due to Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other mental or physical conditions.
• Guardianship Litigation:  May result in a number situations, including when there is a breach of fiduciary duty by a current guardian, or when a friend or family member improperly convinces an elderly person to alter the terms of their will.

Our attorneys handle a variety of matters related to insurance, ranging from defense of insureds to handling insurance coverage disputes and opinions.  The firm has an active practice in representing major insurance companies in the defense of personal injury, workers compensation, and professional and medical malpractice suits.

The firm represents individual physicians and dentists, professional associations, and medical partnerships in all aspects of medical/legal matters, including:

• Initial formation of the business
• Representation on liability claims, collections, tax matters, and other day-to-day legal problems of the practioner or hospital
• Legal guidance regarding patient information, consent to treatment, peer review, employment issues
• Medicare fraud and abuse
• Coordinating complex malpractice litigation

Our medical malpractice defense lawyers provide a timely, effective defense to medical professionals and institutional providers facing allegations of professional negligence.  We help to protect our clients’ valuable reputations in the medical community.  We represent physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals in a variety of legal matters including physician negligence and nursing negligence.  Our attorneys also represent physicians and nurses before their respective licensing boards.

Our attorneys regularly handle personal injury and wrongful death claims of all types, from industrial and auto accidents to slip and falls, construction accidents, trucking accidents, and products liability matters.

Our attorneys have broad experience in both commercial and residential real estate transactions and litigation, representing developers, property owners, banks, mortgage companies, and investors.  Our real estate areas of practice include:

• Acquisitions
• Condemnation & eminent domain
• Construction
• Development
• Easements
• Financing
• Foreclosures
• Homeowner association governance
• Land use, permitting, and zoning
• Leasing
• Mechanic’s and materialman’s lien disputes
• Property management operations
• Property rights disputes
• Title insurance issues

Our attorneys represent businesses and individuals in a variety of federal tax controversy and litigation matters.  We handle cases involving income taxes, estate and gift taxes, excise taxes, payroll taxes, and other complex tax issues.

 We represent clients at all levels—from the audit stage, through the administrative appeals process, and in court.  Our lawyers are licensed to practice in all of the Texas state courts, the United States Tax Court, the United States District Courts, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Our attorneys are experienced in providing the proper legal planning to ensure your wealth is distributed and preserved according to your wishes, and the needs of your loved ones and minor children are fully addressed.  Our many areas of practice include:

• Asset protection planning
• Charitable gift & trust planning
• Estate tax planning strategies
• Family limited partnerships
• Family trusts
• Private foundation planning
• Probate & trust litigation
• Revocable and irrevocable trusts
• Special needs trusts
• Will preparation

Our attorneys represent commercial lenders and borrowers in a variety of finance and lending transactions. Our institutional clients include banks, insurance companies and other institutional investors as well as commercial financing and leasing companies.  The transactions in which we help our clients include:

• Acquisition financing
• Asset securitization
• Commercial loan structuring
• Equipment leases
• Large debt collection
• Letters of credit
• Loan restructuring
• Loan document preparation
• Project financing
• Sale/leasebacks

Our firm has a strong tradition in civil litigation.  We handle diverse and complicated legal matters in state and federal courts at both the trial and the appellate level.  Representing both plaintiffs and defendants, our litigators work on behalf of corporate, business, and individual clients, financial institutions, government agencies, health-care providers, tax-exempt organizations, estates, and trusts.

Our attorneys regularly help structure and negotiate deals with suppliers, distributors, and customers. Our areas of practice include:

• Consulting agreements
• Franchising
• Joint marketing agreements and strategic alliances
• Management agreements
• Product distribution and procurement

We handle cases in all areas of consumer law, including:

• Breach of contract
• Breach of warranty
• Deceptive trade practices
• Harassing debt collection practices

Our attorneys represent landowners and individuals in transmission line cases before the Public Utility Commission of Texas. The firm also advises clients on various electric utility issues before the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Our attorneys advise clients on many areas involved in the complex legal world of the entertainment industry.  Some of these areas include:

• Preparation and negotiation of music industry agreements, including:
  • personal and business management agreements
  • booking agent agreements
  • artist recording agreements
  • music publishing and administration agreements,
  • merchandising agreements,
  • music-in-film agreements
  • live performance agreements
• Formation and governance of various entertainment industry entities.
• Music property dispute resolution (e.g. intra-band disputes, music royalty disputes, property ownership disputes).
• Copyright registration, infringement, transfer and assignment.
• Music rights clearance and licensing for film, television, video, internet and commercials.

Our attorneys understand the legal needs of farmers and ranchers, and can help them establish and maintain profitable enterprises.  We represent our clients in all types of farm and ranch law matters, including:

• Real estate transactions
• Eminent domain issues
• Oil and gas rights
• Insurance issues and disputes
• Agriculture, grazing, hunting and fishing leases

Our attorneys have extensive experience advising, mediating, arbitrating and litigating on behalf of both students and employees in all types of higher education disputes, including:

• Grade appeals
• Tenure disputes
• Disciplinary actions
• Discrimination claims
• Wrongful discharge

Articles:

Qualified Immunity: The Judiciary’s “End Run” to Civil Rights (view)
TENURE: Fact or Fallacy? (view)
Free Speech: What’s the Real Cost? (view)

Video:

CNN / Connie Chung Interview Intro (view)
CNN / Connie Chung Interview (view)

Our attorneys have extensive experience defending lawyers in a wide range of malpractice related claims, both in litigation and disciplinary actions.  We provide experienced and discreet representation, and fully appreciate the responsibility of defending the reputations and livelihoods of our professional colleagues.

Our attorneys regularly represent clients in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.  Additionally, some of our attorneys are certified mediators.  Please see individual attorney profiles for the relevant experience of each attorney.

Our attorneys have extensive experience in energy and oil and gas-related transactions and litigation.  We advise both large and independent energy companies, producers, and families on oil and gas issues, including leasing, production, regulation, environmental issues, taxation, and pipeline and other transportation issues.

Our attorneys will handle the entire process of probating a will, ensuring the deceased’s estate is properly administered and funds are disbursed to the correct beneficiaries.

Our attorneys have extensive experience handling the legal needs of school districts, administrators, and trustees in areas including:

• Compliance with state regulations
• Contracts
• Construction litigation
• Employment and personnel disputes
• Real estate matters
• Student discipline
• Tax matters

Our attorneys represent large businesses, small businesses, and individuals in a variety of state tax matters and disputes involving most Texas state taxes, including sales and use tax, franchise tax, insurance gross receipts tax, inheritance tax, crude oil tax, and natural gas tax. We handle tax disputes at all levels, beginning with assisting clients with the state audit.  We defend our clients through the Texas Comptroller’s administrative court process, the State Office of Administrative Hearings process, and in the district courts.