BigLaw Partner as Plaintiff Wins Multimillion-Dollar Verdict in Suit over Oil Company Sale

A Vinson & Elkins bankruptcy partner had a court win in Houston on Tuesday that could add $116 million to his bank account.

D. Bobbitt Noel Jr. was a plaintiff rather than a lawyer in the suit against a Dallas billionaire, the New York Lawyer reports. Jurors found the defendant Trevor Rees-Jones breached his fiduciary duty to Noel when he bought Noel’s minority stake in an oil and gas company for less than a fair price. Rees-Jones is a former lawyer at Thompson & Knight.

Jurors assessed the damages at $116 million on a special verdict form, but the amount was advisory. Rees-Jones plans an appeal, his lawyer told the New York Lawyer.

Another lawyer who sued Rees-Jones, former Thompson & Knight partner Robert “Skip” Allen, lost on a motion for summary judgment in 2009. An appeal is pending.