Stephen Taylor is a member of Winstead’s Business Litigation Practice Group. He represents companies and business owners in a variety of business, health care, and real estate litigation matters. Stephen also serves as outside general counsel to several businesses headquartered in North Texas.    

Stephen has tried multiple cases to jury verdicts and appeared in hearings before arbitration panels. His practice is focused on three areas: 

• Complex business litigation, including partnership and shareholder disputes, and cases involving misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark infringement, fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, breach of non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and commercial contracts. 
• Real estate related disputes, including representation of developers, investors, REITS, and private equity funds in litigation related to real estate investment and development, acquisition and disposition of assets, leasing, and property management; developers and contractors in construction disputes; and oil and gas producers and pipeline companies in property contests and lawsuits involving, surface damages and title issues. 
• Litigation involving the health care field, including disputes stemming from the purchase and sale of physician groups, investments in hospitals, health care facilities, and medical groups, and litigation involving third-party vendors and physician restrictive covenants. 

Representative Experience

• Obtained significant seven-figure jury verdict for landowner in lawsuit filed against title insurer for breaches of title policy and insurance code violations.
• Obtained seven-figure judgment for client against former spouse for breach of promissory note and fraudulent transfers of assets.
• Represented owner of multi-billion dollar real estate development company in relation to breach of fiduciary duty and fraud claims against co-owner and for split-up of company.
• Represented regional consulting firm in breach of trade secrets and violation of restrictive covenants case; obtained injunction prohibiting former employee from using client trade secrets and enforcing restrictive covenants.
• Represented co-owner of commercial construction company in dispute over ownership of company and defended against claims for breaches of fiduciary duties; after obtaining summary judgment dismissing all claims against client, obtained significant seven-figure settlement.
• Defended directors and officers of publicly traded company against claims by a bankruptcy trustee for alleged breaches of fiduciary duties and seeking damages from clients in excess of $30 million; obtained favorable summary judgment rulings which led to resolution of claims against clients.
• Represented commercial real estate owner at trial in dispute with shareholders who were claiming securities fraud and breaches of fiduciary duties and seeking $24 million in alleged damages. 
• Defended construction manager against $4 million claim by owner for alleged delays and overages related to construction of dual-branded hotel and conference center; after favorable pre-trial rulings, secured high six-figure settlement payment to client. 
• Represented professional sports franchise against antitrust claims brought by competitor related to ownership and operation of arenas; reached favorable resolution for client on eve of trial. 
• Represented large physician group in lawsuit against its former billing services provider; after prevailing on summary judgment, obtained seven-figure settlement for client.  
• Defended 50% owner of physician group in lawsuit brought by co-owner of group, alleging various breaches of fiduciary duties and fraud, and seeking damages in excess of $3,000,000; after deposition of co-owner in which key admissions were obtained, resolved dispute with a walk-away settlement in favor of client.
• Represented healthcare industry REIT in pursuing over forty guarantors of a hospital lease; resulted in eight-figure recovery for client. 
• Defended state-wide physician group in lease termination lawsuit with landlord; resulted in walk-away settlement after prevailing on summary judgment motions, even though seven years remained on lease.
• Represented four related oil and gas companies in lawsuit against former CPA firm for malpractice; obtained high six-figure settlement for clients. 
• Represented international software developer in dispute with PC manufacturer over software licensing agreements and indemnity obligations arising from patent infringement; resulted in favorable settlement after court denied PC manufacturer’s motion to dismiss. 
• Defended mineral estate owner in title dispute filed by heir of prior mineral estate owner; obtained summary judgment dismissing heir’s claims to mineral interest. 
• Representing a software developer, secured temporary restraining order and injunction preventing competitor from theft of trade secrets and an order requiring return of client’s intellectual property. 
• As first chair lawyer, obtained a jury verdict against a well-known roofing company for deceptive practices and breach of implied warranties. 
• Represented upstart medical sales company in lawsuit filed by promoter seeking interest in company; secured take-nothing summary judgment ruling on promoter’s claims. 
• Represented international design firm in Nevada State Court lawsuit claiming design defects at a large-scale residential development; obtained favorable pre-trial rulings that resulted in positive settlement for client. 
• Defended a regional financial and consulting firm against allegations that non-compete and non-solicitation agreements were violated; resulted in walk-away settlement with withdrawal of all claims against client. 
• Represented engineering and design firm in a state court lawsuit and two concurrently filed arbitrations for recovery of delay damages and other economic damages arising from commercial construction project; obtained partial dismissal, which resulted in favorable settlement for client. 
• Defended workforce housing developer against competitor’s attempted injunction to prohibit client from conducting business based upon claims for breach of fiduciary duties and theft of trade secrets; resulted in walk-away settlement after trial court denied injunction request. 
• Represented engineering and design firm in lawsuit related to construction of Reliant Stadium and involving over $20 million in damages claimed by owner. 
• Representing a natural gas provider at an injunction hearing, obtained order denying landowners’ attempt to enjoin a large-scale pipeline construction project. 
• Defending oil and gas servicing company in lawsuit involving claims for breach of contract and defamation, obtained summary judgment dismissing entire lawsuit against client. 
• As first chair lawyer, obtained jury verdict in favor of client on contract and conversion claims related to dispute over services performed by Defendant; jury awarded client all actual damages and legal fees sought by client.