Editing Susman Godfrey

{{Infobox Law Firm
| logo                      = [[Image:Susman Godfrey_logo.png|200px]]
| headquarters              = Houston; TX
| num_offices               = 5
| offices                   = 
| num_attorneys             = 117
| num_employees             = 
| practice_areas            = antitrust; arbitration; bankruptcy; business disputes; class action and aggregate litigation; employment law; energy; environmental law; intellectual property; shareholders law; securities
| established               = 
| key_people                = Stephen Susman (Founder and co-managing partner),
| revenue                   = 
| profit_per_equity_partner = 
| billable_hours            = 
| website                   = 
| nalp_profile              = 
| nickname                  = 
}}
{{Law Firm Pay Scale
| year            = 2017
| salary_1st_year = 190
| bonus_1st_year  = 
| salary_2nd_year = 190
| bonus_2nd_year  = 
| salary_3rd_year = 210
| bonus_3rd_year  = 
| salary_4th_year = 235
| bonus_4th_year  = 
| salary_5th_year = 260
| bonus_5th_year  = 
| salary_6th_year = 280
| bonus_6th_year  = 
| salary_7th_year = 300
| bonus_7th_year  = 
| salary_8th_year = 
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| salary_9th_year = 
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}}{{Orphan|date=April 2014}}

'''Susman Godfrey L.L.P.''' is a law firm founded in Houston, Texas.  The firm has been recognized by Vault as the No. 1 [[boutique law firm|boutique litigation law firm]] in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Best Law Firms in Each Practice Area: Litigation Boutiques|url=http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/rankings/individual?rankingId1=16&rankingId2=276&rankings=1&regionId=0&rankingYear=2013|work=Law Firm Rankings 2013|accessdate=25 January 2013}}</ref>

Susman Godfrey employs more than 90 attorneys in five offices throughout the U.S.  The firm provides legal solutions in the areas of [[antitrust]]; [[arbitration]]; [[bankruptcy]]; business disputes; [[class action]] and aggregate litigation; employment law; [[energy]]; [[environmental law]]; [[intellectual property]]; shareholders law; and securities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Susman Godfrey LLP Firm Profile|url=http://www.chambersandpartners.com/USA/Firms/66652-70555|publisher=Chambers USA|accessdate=25 January 2013}}</ref>

The firm is known for high-stakes commercial litigation and has won some of the largest verdicts in the nation.<ref name="forbes">{{cite news|last=Fisher|first=Daniel|title=Litigator Pushes Mutual-Disarmament Pacts To Cut Costs|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/03/07/litigator-pushes-mutual-disarmament-pacts-to-cut-costs/|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=Forbes|date=7 March 2012}}</ref> Nearly all of its attorneys have held federal clerkships.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chen|first=Vivia|title=Want a Job at Susman Godfrey? Be Brilliant and Theatrical|url=http://thecareerist.typepad.com/thecareerist/2011/02/susman-qa.html|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=The Careerist|date=14 February 2011}}</ref>

==History==

The firm was founded in 1980 by [[Stephen Susman]].  Susman developed a business model that was unique at the time to commercial litigation firms – take cases on a contingency fee basis.<ref>{{cite news|last=Carter|first=Terry|title=The G Man|url=http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/the_g_man/|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=American Bar Association Journal|date=1 February 2008}}</ref>  In 1982, Susman was joined by Lee Godfrey and both serve as co-managing partners.<ref>{{cite web|title=Susman Godfrey Firm Profile|url=http://www.superlawyers.com/texas/lawfirm/Susman-Godfrey-LLP/ab93a309-86b4-4098-a65b-09876f2953af.html|publisher=Super Lawyers|accessdate=25 January 2013}}</ref>  In September 2011, the firm announced Neal Manne as its third co-managing partner as part of Susman Godfrey’s leadership succession plan.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rozen|first=Miriam|title=Susman Godfrey elects Neal Manne as third managing partner, creates succession plan|url=http://texaslawyer.typepad.com/texas_lawyer_blog/2011/09/susman-godfrey-elects-neal-manne-as-third-managing-partner-creates-succession-plan.html|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=Texas Lawyer’s Tex Parte Blog|date=12 September 2011}}</ref>

==Notable Cases==

In 1980, the firm won the largest antitrust verdict ever at the time in the Corrugated Containers case, a price-fixing suit against 37 corrugated container manufacturers.  It recovered $500 million on behalf of plaintiffs as a result of settlements and a verdict after a three-month jury trial.<ref>{{cite book|title=Vault Guide to the Top Texas and Southwest Law Firms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qatg3Klq8YEC&pg=PA234&lpg=PA234&dq=corrugated+containers+case+and+susman&source=bl&ots=bEv-ug7wWA&sig=WElU4doAwSgVctDaY3YdNEYwYSg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=URz0UOO8Eeev0AHZjoHYCw&ved=0CEEQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=corrugated%20containers%20case%20and%20susman&f=false|publisher=Vault|accessdate=25 January 2013}}</ref>

In October 2009, a Dallas County State District Court judge upheld a $182 million verdict in a contracts case against [[NL Industries]], its CEO [[Harold Simmons]] and subsidiary NL Environmental Services.  Susman Godfrey was co-counsel to clients Efficasey Environmental, Highland Environmental Management and Industrial Recovery Capital Holdings Company.<ref>{{cite news|last=Longstreth|first=Andrew|title=Texas Judge Upholds $182 Million Verdict Against NL Industries|url=http://www.fr.com/files/News/464dd662-de0c-4108-ab1f-2d33f8085451/Presentation/NewsAttachment/d8e05658-4cdc-44fc-b81f-2d9d8de8d921/AmLaw%20Daily%20Susman%20%20FR%20Reel%20In%20%24178%207M%20Verdict%20Against%20NL%20Industries%20Melsheimer%20July%2009%20August%20.pdf|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=The American Lawyer|date=21 October 2009}}</ref>

The firm won a $58 million judgment in ''Masimo v. Tyco Healthcare Group'', an antitrust case involving exclusionary contracting practices in the U.S. market for pulse oximetry products. The trial court upheld the jury's liability findings, but ordered a new trial on damages. After the subsequent re-trial, the trial court awarded [[Masimo]], Susman Godfrey’s client, a final judgment of $43.5 million in damages in June 2007, as well as attorneys' fees. The judgment was affirmed on appeal to the [[U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit]], and Masimo ultimately was awarded $58.9 million by [[Tyco International|Tyco]].

The firm represented a native Alaskan coastal village in ''[[Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corporation|Native Village of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil Corporation]]''.  In February 2008, Susman Godfrey filed a climate change lawsuit against five oil companies, 14 electric utilities and the nation’s largest coal producer for damages suffered by the village that is being forced to relocate itself as a result of flooding brought on by the changing Arctic climate.  The [[U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California]] dismissed the suit on preemption grounds on October 15, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|title=Court dismisses global warming case against Big Oil|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2009/10/12/daily48.html|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=Houston Business Journal|date=16 October 2009}}</ref>  The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal on September 21, 2012.

The firm served as legal co-counsel to the Texas Clean Air Cities Coalition, a group of mayors representing 17 Texas cities and led by Dallas Mayor [[Laura Miller]] and Houston Mayor [[Bill White (Texas politician)|Bill White]].  The firm won the reversal of a [[Texas Commission on Environmental Quality]] order granting a permit for the Las Brisas Energy Center to build a 1,200 megawatt power plant within a few miles of downtown Corpus Christi.<ref>{{cite news|title=Susman Godfrey wins victory for clean air in Texas|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/susman-godfrey-wins-victory-for-clean-air-in-texas-151719595.html|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=PR Newswire|date=16 Mat 2012}}</ref>

==Awards==
* ''The American Lawyer'': Litigation Boutique of the Year, 2005
* ''Chambers USA'': No. 1 ranking in Antitrust and Litigation: General Commercial in the state of Texas, 2006
* ''The National Law Journal'': Pro Bono Awards, 2008<ref>{{cite news|last=Heller|first=Emily|title=Litigator put money where his mouth was|url=http://www.susmangodfrey.com/content/inline-images/About_Us/National_Law_Journal_-_2008_Pro_Bono_Award.pdf|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=The National Law Journal|date=7 January 2008}}</ref> 
* ''The American Lawyer'': Ranked in the Top 10 on the Associates Survey: Management Openness about Finances and Strategies, 2009<ref>{{cite news|title=Associates Survey 2009: Results by Size, Non-Am Law 100 Firms|url=http://www.americanlawyer.com/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202432591321&Associates_Survey_2009_Results_by_Size_NonAm_Law_100_Firms|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=The American Lawyer}}</ref> 
* ''The American Lawyer'': Ranked in the Top 10 on the Associates Survey: Partners Relations with Associates, 2009
* ''ACQ Finance'': Commercial Litigation Law Firm of the Year, 2009, 2008
* ''The Trial Lawyer'': Named a 2011 member of The Forum:  America's 25 Most Influential Law Firms, 2011
* ''Lawyers World'': Lawyers World Annual Jurisdiction Award, 2011
* ''Intellectual Asset Management'': Named one of “The World’s Leading Patent Litigators,” IAM Patent Litigation 250, 2011.
* ''Corporate Counsel'': Go-To Law Firm for the Top 500 Companies, 2012
* Benchmark Litigation: Highly Recommended Firm, 2012
* BTI Consulting: BTI Client Service-A-Team, 2012
* Vault: Ranked first in Litigation Boutiques category in the U.S., 2013; ranked fourth in Best Law Firms in Texas category, 2013<ref>{{cite news|title=Susman Godfrey LLP Vault Profile|url=http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/companies/rankings/Susman-Godfrey-L.L.P.?companyId=26351|accessdate=25 January 2013|newspaper=Vault}}</ref>

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.susmangodfrey.com Susman Godfrey L.L.P.]
* [http://trialbyagreement.com Trial By Agreement] 
* [http://www.chambersandpartners.com/USA/Firms/66652-70555 Chambers USA Firm Profile]

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[[Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard]]
[[Category:Law firms based in Houston]]
[[Category:Law firms established in 1980]]
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-{{Orphan|date=April 2014}}
 '''Susman Godfrey L.L.P.''' is a law firm founded in Houston, Texas.  The firm has been recognized by Vault as the No. 1 [[boutique law firm|boutique litigation law firm]] in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Best Law Firms in Each Practice Area: Litigation Boutiques|url=http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/rankings/individual?rankingId1=16&rankingId2=276&rankings=1&regionId=0&rankingYear=2013|work=Law Firm Rankings 2013|accessdate=25 January 2013}}</ref>