Jim Wetwiska, Partner, Complex Commercial Litigation | Akin

Jim Wetwiska

Partner

Areas of Focus

Jim Wetwiska, Partner, Complex Commercial Litigation | Akin

Jim Wetwiska

Partner

jwetwiska@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Trial lawyer focusing on complex business, energy, product liability and software litigation, including business torts, health care, contract disputes and intellectual property.
  • Extensive experience in the area of oil and gas litigation.

Jim is a trial lawyer who handles high stakes litigation in federal and state courts and before arbitration panels. Representing plaintiffs and defendants, Jim has tried cases for a variety of clients across the United States. He has secured multimillion-dollar verdicts and obtained jury verdicts, defending significant damage claims.

Jim routinely represents companies in the energy; waste and recycling; transportation and logistics; and heavy equipment industries. He also advises health care entities in a variety of litigation matters, including antitrust and complex commercial matters.

Jim has litigated in matters involving business torts, venture agreements, breach of contract, breach of sale agreements, intellectual property disputes and antitrust. He has handled arbitrations throughout the world, including disputes in Australia, South Korea, South America and West Africa. He has litigated substantial oil and gas matters arising out of transactions in Europe, the United States and West Africa. Jim is similarly experienced in intellectual property litigation within the chemical, oil and oil service industries.

He has represented clients in personal injury matters ranging from single-plaintiff exposure cases to mass tort litigations involving thousands of plaintiffs. These matters include chemical complexes, hazardous waste facilities, disposal sites, oil and gas operations, industrial facilities and equipment operators. Jim has also represented product manufacturers in an array of defective product allegations.

Representative Work
  • Obtained a jury verdict for $29.8 million for Lufkin Industries, an oil and gas services company, against defendant International Business Machines Corporation for fraudulent inducement, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and breach of contract in a software implementation case.
  • Obtained a jury verdict for $39 million for Jewelry Television in a fraud claim arising from failed business software.
  • Successfully represented an international oil and gas exploration and production company in a confidential arbitration arising from the breach of a gas gathering and processing agreement.
  • Obtained a significant arbitration award for a client in a confidential ICC construction arbitration involving the construction of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) power plants in the Virgin Islands. Contractor asserted numerous delay-based claims and our client asserted numerous counterclaims for breach of contract.
  • Obtained a settlement for Vital Energy in a state court dispute against Shell Trading involving a crude oil purchase agreement.
  • Represents Tellurian, Inc. in a state court action defending fraudulent transfer and tortious interference claims asserted by Cheniere Energy.

Education
  • J.D., University of Oklahoma College of Law, 1992

  • B.A., University of Oklahoma, with distinction, 1989

Bar Admissions
  • Texas

Recognitions
  • Chambers USA, Litigation: General Commercial, 2020-2024.
  • Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants, 2011-2019.
Affiliations and Public Service
  • Member, American Board of Trial Advocates.
  • Member, State Bar of Texas.
  • Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation.

Insights and Achievements

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