Firm News
Recognized by Chambers USA for 2025, we don’t just litigate—we control the risk, shift leverage, and position our clients for the win.
Mitby Pacholder Johnson PLLC Sponsors Harvard Law School Association of Houston Panel on the Texas Business Court
Mitby Pacholder Johnson PLLC (MPJ) was proud to sponsor the Harvard Law School Association of Houston’s recent panel discussion on the Texas Business Court, an event that brought together prominent members of the Texas legal community to explore the court’s role in handling complex commercial disputes efficiently and effectively.
The distinguished panel included Justice James Sullivan of the Texas Supreme Court (HLS ’06), Justice April Farris of the Fifteenth Court of Appeals (HLS ’09), and Judges Sofia Adrogué and Grant Dorfman of the Eleventh Business Court Division — two of the first judges appointed to the Houston division.
The discussion examined the Texas Business Court’s purpose, structure, and potential to streamline the resolution of high-stakes business litigation in the state.
Steve Mitby, a Harvard Law School graduate (HLS ’02) and founding partner of MPJ, emphasized the importance of open dialogue within the legal community.
“Panel discussions such as this one provide a perspective that fuels our support for conversations — where informed dialogue drives meaningful insight and shapes the future of business litigation in Texas,” Mitby said. “Looking ahead, our firm will keep backing initiatives that push the practice of law forward — here in Texas and on the national stage.”
Established by the Texas Legislature in 2023, the Texas Business Court was designed to provide a specialized venue for complex business disputes. The Eleventh Division, based in Houston, was officially sworn in on November 19, 2024, marking a significant step in the court’s statewide rollout.
MPJ’s sponsorship of the event reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to fostering thought leadership and advancing excellence in business litigation across Texas and beyond.
Steven Mitby and Ryan Van Steenis Named to the 2025 edition of Texas Super Lawyers®
Mitby Pacholder Johnson is pleased to announce that attorneys Steven Mitby and Ryan van Steenis have been included in the 2025 edition of Texas Super Lawyers®.
Mitby, a founding partner of the firm, regularly tackles bet-the-company litigation in some of the fastest evolving industries – oil and gas, petrochemical, medical, software, real estate, healthcare, banking, finance, and alternative energy – in the U.S. and beyond. He maintains a diverse trial practice, having successfully represented companies in the oil and gas, petrochemical, medical, software, real estate development, healthcare and medical equipment, banking, finance, and alternative energy industries, among others. Mitby has been named a Texas Super Lawyer since 2015.
A seasoned litigator, van Steenis regularly represents both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes cases across the country and frequently uncovers novel solutions to breach of fiduciary duty, appraisal rights, and directors’ and officers’ liability issues. He has successfully tried cases in federal and state courts, including the Delaware Court of Chancery, where he frequently uncovers novel solutions to intricate issues such as breach of fiduciary duty, appraisal rights, and directors’ and officers’ liability. His diverse experience extends to advising private-public partnerships, foreign companies, and non-profits, contributing to significant events like the Houston Super Bowl, Barrett-Jackson’s Inaugural Houston Auto Auction, and the World Petroleum Congress. Introduced in 1991, Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas. Each year, less than 5% of attorneys are selected as “Super Lawyers” and 2.5% as “Rising Stars.” To be selected for inclusion, candidates are nominated by peers within and outside the firm and are evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. After the patented selection process is complete, results are validated by a third-party organization, resulting in a credible, comprehensive, and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys.
Bristow Group, Inc. V. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
We represent Bristow Group, Inc. in litigation over a $29 million helicopter purchase from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. The litigation relates to Sikorsky’s decision to retain a $11.7 million deposit as alleged liquidated damages for Bristow’s failure to take possession of the aircraft during a downturn in the oilfield services market. We proved in discovery that Sikorsky sold the aircraft frame to the government of Uzbekistan at a substantial profit, preventing Sikorsky from retaining the deposit. Motions for summary judgment are pending.
Bristow Group, Inc., et al v. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, et al.; Adv. Proc. No. 19-03691; In the Southern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court.
Glasscock Family Trust Dispute
We represent one of the heirs to the Glasscock Family Trust in negotiations concerning 2G Ranch, an 8,000-acre property valued at $91 million located outside of Columbus, Texas. Our objective is to facilitate the separation of our client’s interest in the ranch and other estate properties from the remainder of the trust.
While this matter involves an intra-family dispute, we have successfully navigated the complexities to prevent escalation into litigation. We anticipate a favorable resolution in which our client will secure his 10% share of the estate, allowing the remaining heirs to proceed with the sale of their portion of the 2G Ranch.
Defense of Homeowners in Deed Covenant Litigation
We represent 108 homeowners in a luxury subdivision near Austin, Texas, in litigation against a developer attempting to enforce deed covenants that mandate membership in a private club. The developer has mismanaged the club while increasing monthly membership dues and initiation fees. This case raises a novel question of Texas law regarding whether developers can impose club membership as a condition of homeownership within a private subdivision.
We are seeking injunctive relief for future membership requirements and a refund of past payments. Recently, we achieved a significant victory by securing a temporary injunction against the developer after a contentious two-day evidentiary hearing. The court found that our clients are likely to succeed on the merits of their case, strengthening our position as we move forward in the litigation.
Sealy Emergency Room LLC Settlement
We served as lead counsel for Sealy Emergency Room LLC, stepping in as the third law firm on the eve of trial. At that point, Sealy had already faced a setback with a summary judgment ruling on liability. We quickly developed new legal theories, arguing that the physician-owner of Sealy ER should not be held personally liable for the alleged damages, which would place the plaintiff at risk of recovering from an entity with no assets. Additionally, we contended that the claimed damages were significantly overstated.
To strengthen our negotiation position, we advised our client to proceed with jury selection, a strategy that allowed us to take a firmer stance during settlement discussions. This decision proved effective, enabling us to negotiate a favorable settlement shortly after the trial commenced. Ultimately, the case settled for a fraction of the attorney’s fees that the plaintiff had incurred, significantly benefiting our client.