Jeffrey S. Wolff

Partner

Fulbright & Jaworski LLP

Jeffrey S. Wolff

Houston

T:+1 713 651 5466

F:+1 713 651 5246

Related services

Key industry sectors

Jeff has been a partner in the Houston office since 1990. He focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation as well as environmental and pharmaceutical/medical device litigation. Over the past 30 years, Jeff has handled a wide variety of cases including class action securities litigation, class action mass tort cases, pesticide regulatory matters, and litigation involving breach of tax sharing agreements, nuclear plant design contracts and executive stock option plans. Jeff's expertise also includes insurance coverage disputes and first amendment litigation for religious institutions. He has tried more than  60 cases and arbitration proceedings and has argued numerous appeals in Texas state courts.

[+Open all]
  • Education

    1981 - J.D., Duke University School of Law
    1978 - B.J., University of Missouri

    While in law school Jeff was the Research and Managing Editor of the Duke Law Journal. He was admitted in 1981 to practice law in Texas.

  • Representative experience
    • Represented major waste-disposal company in multiple suits filed in South Texas by over 700 plaintiffs claiming that a landfill had contaminated a regional aquifer with radioactive compounds; lead defense lawyer in six-week trial involving six bellwether plaintiffs resulted in unanimous jury verdict of no personal injury damages
    • Represented major hospital in Texas Medical Center in breach of contract action against owner of medical office building; unanimous jury verdict in favor of hospital; affirmed on appeal
    • Represented manufacturer of silicone breast implants in four-week trial in Houston, Texas filed by multiple plaintiffs; unanimous jury verdict: no product defect, no damages
    • Represented insurance carrier in two-week trial involving crash of military jet at Ellington Air Force base in Texas; unanimous jury verdict in favor of carrier; argued case on appeal; Texas appellate court affirmed judgment
    • Represented pesticide manufacturer in five-week arbitration to recover funds incurred to remediate contamination by prior plant owner; unanimous panel award in favor of client.
    • Represented insurance carrier in seven-year arbitration over environmental contamination dispute resulting in Award in favor of carrier, confirmed in district court
    • Represented municipal minority owner of Nuclear Power Plant in Texas against majority owner in action involving breach of contract and fraud claims; six-month jury trial to verdict.
    • Represented major vaccine manufacturer in multiple suits filed in Texas arising from claims that a mercury-containing preservative caused neurological defects in the plaintiffs' children; cases dismissed by court
    • Represented major gas transmission company in breach of take-or-pay contract; case tried in Louisiana; settled after one-week jury trial
    • Represented, on contingent fee basis, owner of cogeneration power facility in Texas in suit for fraud and breach of contract against plant architect engineer and constructor; case settled on favorable terms
    • Represented nation-wide church in lawsuit arising out of church's relocation to former sports arena; lawsuit alleged violations of First Amendment and deed restrictions; case settled with church acquiring rights to former sports arena
    • Represented architect/engineering firm in four-week arbitration involving claims of alleged design defects and schedule delays in construction of ethanol plant in New Mexico; case settled prior to award issued by arbitration panel
    • Represented manufacturer of all-terrain vehicles in three-week trial in Montgomery County, Texas involving design defect and strict liability allegations; case settled during jury deliberations
    • Represented insurance carrier in bad faith/failure to indemnify suit; federal court granted summary judgment in carrier's favor, final judgment entered
  • Professional activities
    • American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
    • American Board of Trial Advocates, Advocate
    • American Bar Foundation, Fellow
    • Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
    • Defense Research Institute
    • Texas Association of Defense Counsel
    • American Bar Association
    • State Bar of Texas
    • State Bar Liaison Committee on the Codification of Texas Rules of Evidence
    • Houston Bar Association
  • Professional honors
    • The Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation (2010 - 2013)
    • "Texas Top Rated Lawyer," LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell (2013)
    • "Texas Super Lawyer," Class Actions, Mass Torts, Law & Politics (2006 - 2008)
    • International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers
    • Recipient of Resolution of Commendation from Texas Access to Justice Commission
  • Publications

    Jeff has been a frequent contributor to programs and publications in various areas including the Texas Rules of Evidence, toxic tort litigation, damage calculations in construction litigation, and various aspects of commercial and tort litigation. His publications include:

    • "Article IX: Authentication & Identification Under the New Texas Rules of Evidence," 20 Houston Law Review 551
  • Civic involvement
    • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (Houston and Gulf Coast Chapter) past President, Executive Committee and Board Member
    • Anti-Defamation League (Southwest Region), Board Member
  • Licenses
    • Texas State Bar License
[+Open all]