AUSTIN — The Texas Supreme Court recently ruled against a law firm that claims it was wrongfully excluded from settlements between the City of Houston, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas and BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The plaintiff, the Rucker Law Firm, alleges that two lawyers who represented the city and the transit authority violated an agreement to share approximately $600 million in attorney fees doled out by BP, according to court documents. The law firm contends that it was never paid for its services.
The plaintiff sued the lawyers, Dennis C. Reich of Reich & Binstock LLP and Jan Woodward Fox of Jan Woodward Fox PLC, for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, tortious interference, fraud, conspiracy and aiding and abetting. The Rucker Law Firm also alleges that a trial court judge blocked it from accessing client records.
Though the Texas Supreme Court announced the decision on May 10, it did not explain why it ruled against the plaintiff.