AZA Names Four New Partners & Hires Three New Associates

Scott W. Clark, Michael McBride, Ryan Hackney and Jane Langdell Robinson are AZA’s newest partners. Scott and Michael specialize in intellectual property (IP) and patent litigation, Ryan focuses on complex commercial litigation and Jane is an appellate lawyer.

It’s sweet to have new partners but bittersweet that we lost a partner. We’re proud that former AZA partner Lizzie Pannill Fletcher is now the Congresswoman from Texas’ 7th district. Our loss is the country and her constituents’ gain.

About our new partners:

AZA also has three new associates. Two are newly minted from the University of Chicago Law School, and one is a former Florida prosecutor.

AZA Completed 15 Trials in 2018

In 2018, AZA lawyers wrapped up 15 trials, including some fully tried arbitrations. We mean it when we say we go to trial virtually every month.

We took on all kinds of cases in 2018 – from helping nuns in a pro bono case to defending an energy company against a $167 million claim. We also helped defend a member of a prominent family business and get a take-nothing judgment in a $30 million case. And we helped them get a rare $2 million in attorneys’ fees. The Houston Chronicle declared it among “The Biggest Courtroom Wins of 2018″ (subscription required), and
Texas Lawbook placed it among “The Top Texas Litigation Stories of 2018” (subscription required).

We’ve prevailed in appellate courts, too. We beat Google on a patent appeal. And the Texas Supreme Court agreed with our argument that attorney-client privilege should apply to non-lawyer patent agents in a case Law360 called one of the biggest rulings of 2018 for that court.

AZA is often called in on the eve of trial, but it’s even more effective to have our team with you from the start. The power of being represented by lawyers who really go to trial can
speed non-trial results. For example, consider the $2.6 million in full construction costs we secured for a group of nuns in a pro bono effort over the flooding of a basement at their monastery in Washington County.

The news site Above the Law pointed to AZA as an example of why efficiently run boutiques can be the best place for in-house counsel to spend their litigation dollars. See Another Boutique Law Firm Joins The Bigtime.

Some of our 2018 victories:

• Dr. Steven Hotze and Two Brothers Win Take-Nothing Verdict in Family Business Dispute
• AZA Wins Rare $2 Million Attorneys’ Fees Award for Defendants
• AZA Prevails Against Google in Patent Infringement Dispute Appeal Over Spreadsheets
• AZA Wins Texas Supreme Court Patent Agent Privilege Case That Could Have National Import
• Appellate Court Confirms AZA’s Successful Dismissal of Landry’s Defamation Suit over Caged Tigers in Houston
• National Oilwell Varco Wins $12 Million After Discovering Ex-Employees’ Fraud
• AZA Wins $1.9 Million Contract Case for CITGO in Delaware Court
• AZA Wins Texas Supreme Court Patent Agent Privilege Case That Could Have National Import
• Jury Asks to Award More Than Requested in Case AZA Joined on Eve of Trial
• AZA Obtains Judgment for Apache Corp. in Fraud Suit

Puzzled by AZA

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Our Patent Practice
Honored Nationally

Twice in 2018 the intellectual property and patent group at AZA received high marks.

The 2018 IPR Intelligence Report by Patexia Inc. named the firm the seventh best-performing law firm in the country in a study of more than 1,100 law firms active in Inter Partes Review (IPR) cases over the last five years.

And IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2018 ranked AZA among the best Texas patent litigation firms for the fourth year in a row. “Litigation thoroughbred Ahmad Zavitsanos Anaipakos has successfully resolved disputes across virtually all technologies, industry sectors and forums; its lawyers’ gift for
constructing tightly woven and compelling narratives works in any setting,” IAM Patent 1000 wrote. The publication also rated AZA partners Demetrios Anaipakos and Amir Alavi as leading patent litigation lawyers, calling them “two hugely respected and unflappable advocates that you can greenlight for a billion-dollar case with 100% confidence.”

Wins for this group in 2018 include victories over Google and Apple. AZA beat Google in a patent infringement dispute over spreadsheets for client Data Engine Technologies LLC, a unit of Acacia Research Corp. AZA also settled a major dispute against Apple on the verge of trial in a case involving foundational patents on “high-definition voice” communications across mobile devices.  The settlement, on behalf of AZA client St. Lawrence Communications, was substantial,
but the amount is confidential. The AZA IP team is also handling ongoing major cases for energy companies and technology and software companies.

See the AZA IP team here.

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AZA Has Friends in
Napa Valley Places

You could argue about whether AZA has the best lawyers in Houston, but you can’t argue whether AZA lawyers have the best wine collections in Houston. They do. And the collections are massive and extraordinary.

AZA partner Demetrios Anaipakos has been working his way into Napa Valley wineries since he was an undergrad and law student at Stanford University where he wrote a restaurant review column. It led him on a path to becoming a top-grade oenophile known to the folks at Sotheby’s wine auctions and with early access to the limited cult releases from elite wineries like Screaming Eagle Winery, Harlan Estate and Sine Qua Non Wines. He also has access to private offerings from imported vintners like Domaine Leroy, Domaine Coche-Dury and Domaine Raveneau.

Demetrios and two other AZA partners have impressive collections of more than 15,000 bottles of fine wines, cult wines and rare finds stashed around Houston in multiple wine lockers. He has so many he has started using another partner’s home to store some of his bottles. The three partners also all have invested in Napa’s Whetstone Wine Cellars.

James Leahy of Marston Family Vineyards said Demetrios “knows so many people and vintners in Napa, it’s like he lives here. He’s like the Honorary Mayor of Napa Valley.”

AZA’s friends and clients have benefitted from this wine obsession and Demetrios’ “cork dork” status. At AZA parties and special wine tastings, vintners like Realm Cellars and Bevan Cellars have
introduced new wines that Demetrios liked and, in several cases, they soon became critically acclaimed bottles.

At AZA’s 2018 holiday party, Will Segui of the William & Mary Wine Company poured a newly released wine. Shortly after the party, it got a glowing 96-point review, from top critic Antonio Galloni, making it suddenly hard to get a sip. “Demetrios has a rare ability to spot the diamond in the rough among wines,” said partner John Zavitsanos.

“He’s not just a status collector. He has an affinity for wines,” said Jamey Whetstone of Whetstone Wine Cellars, where Demetrios and two other AZA partners have invested. “He loves pinot noirs and a great red Burgundy. He has an affinity for a lot of what’s going on in California, and he has the
same dark sense of humor that our small community has.”

Jamey estimates that Demetrios’ wine obsession is at “This is Spinal Tap – it goes to 11.” He said he’s thrilled to have investors in Demetrios and his two partners Amir Alavi and Joe Ahmad.

Joe said he first became involved with wine in law school, but at that time, he was drinking $2 German Rieslings. After he co-founded AZA, he was ”introduced to a world of amazing, but of course, pricier wines.” He said now that he’s an investor in a winery, he knows “the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business is to start with a large one.”

As for Amir, if he weren’t a lawyer, he says he’d run a wine tasting
room. Probably all three of them would.

They may be wine snobs, but they aren’t stingy about sharing. With so many wine enthusiasts at one firm, AZA has built out a spectacular special events party room where they now hold their wine tastings for clients and friends.

James Leahy of Marston Family Vineyards put it like this: “Speaking on behalf of the Napa Valley, if it weren’t for Demo and his partners at AZA inspiring greatness and challenging the Napa Valley to push beyond the theoretical limit, I’m fairly certain we’d all throw in the towel and become lawyers or something.”

VIDEO – Associates Talk About AZA After Vault Ranks the Firm High in Work Quality and Hiring Selectivity

Vault ranks AZA among the nation’s top mid-sized law firms. It puts the firm in the top 10 for quality of work and top 15 for hiring selectivity, based on the latest law firm annual rankings.

Vault, which just released its 20th law firm guide for law students and lawyers, included AZA in its “Top 150 Under 150.” This is a listing that uses employee surveys to identify the best
law firms to work for across the country.

AZA was one of only 26 Texas firms included on the list. The only other mid-sized Texas-based firm ranked along with AZA for top quality of work and selectivity in hiring was Susman Godfrey LLP.

AZA’s top quality of work ranking can be seen here.

Here are a couple of comments Vault received
from AZA associates:

“There are virtually no firm politics at AZA. The culture is all about finding the most practical, cost-efficient way to deliver a win for the client. There are virtually never fights over ‘turf’ or who gets credit for a big win.”

“In general, the partners are very respectful to associates. Moreover, the most concrete display of respect is opportunity, and the associates here have significant courtroom and client opportunities. The firm is very transparent on decision-making, finances, and promotion. This transparency does not come in the form of clearly defined,
written policies. But I have received clear answers for every question I have asked.”