Michelle Pector

パートナー

Houston 電話 +1.713.890.5455 Fax +1.713.890.5001

1000 Louisiana St., Suite 4000//Houston, TX 77002-5006//United States

Michelle Pector is a seasoned trial lawyer and trusted counselor who is co-chair of Morgan Lewis’s energy litigation practice , the chair of ML Women, and a member of the firm’s COVID-19 Texas Taskforce. For more than two decades, Michelle has represented energy, technology, and healthcare clients in a wide range of business, consumer, and employment disputes with an emphasis on complex commercial litigation, litigation arising out of severe weather events, trade secret disputes, business fraud, supply chain disputes, personal injury litigation, and merger and acquisition disputes. Michelle also has experience defending class actions for energy clients and handling all aspects of injunction proceedings.

Over the course of her career, Michelle has been lead trial counsel in matters litigated in state and federal courts throughout Texas and other parts of the United States. She also has arbitration experience and handles matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and state employment agencies.

Michelle provides counsel focused on her clients’ interests and long-term strategic goals. She advises clients on key issues including internal investigations, crisis management, compliance matters, contract negotiations, and pre-litigation legal strategy, as well as post-litigation guidance to implement learned solutions and best practices. She works with clients to develop practical, innovative, and effective solutions tailored to achieve their business and legal objectives, and is trial ready when litigation ensues.

Selected Representations

Lead counsel in a business fraud matter involving the multimillion-dollar embezzlement of company funds by a manager of the client; secured a temporary restraining order, temporary injunction, and contempt order in favor of the client and final judgment in the amount of $10.2+ million and the recovery of attorney fees and costs
Lead co-counsel in a complex commercial arbitration involving theft of escrow funds that resulted in a multimillion-dollar breach of contract finding in favor of the client and the full recovery of attorney fees and costs
Trial counsel in an unfair competition dispute in Texas state court that resulted in a breach of contract jury finding in favor of the client and an award of all attorney fees and costs
Lead trial counsel in a protracted litigation matter alleging in excess of $200 million dollars in damages that had spanned two years; after being retained, obtained summary judgment on a combination of 21 state and federal claims, including retaliation and discrimination claims, in favor of the client resulting in a full dismissal of the case before trial
Arbitration counsel in a complex contract dispute between a leading oil field services provider and a wireless broadband company involving more than $100 million in claims; after more than two weeks of testimony, a unanimous defense verdict was awarded in favor of the client
A leading oilfield service provider in Texas state court in defense of a workers’ compensation retaliation claim and various discrimination claims; obtained summary judgment
Lead counsel for an energy client in a class action consumer dispute in which a dismissal of all claims was obtained in federal court for the client
Trial counsel in a two-week complex commercial dispute involving tens of millions of dollars in alleged damages in connection with asserted breaches of an earnout agreement; obtained an award of sanctions in favor of the client in connection with spoliation activity by plaintiffs
Lead counsel for an energy service company (ESCO) in the successful defense of a multimillion-dollar consumer fraud class action that resulted in a dismissal of all claims
Lead counsel defeating an application for preliminary injunction seeking worldwide restraints against international clients in a complex commercial dispute
Lead counsel for an ESCO in the dismissal of a nationwide Telephone Consumer Protection Act putative class action that was upheld on appeal
Trial counsel for a medical device manufacturer when a competing company misappropriated confidential information acquired in negotiations; after completing discovery on an expedited basis, obtained injunctive relief in federal court enjoining the retention and use of confidential information and securing royalty payments for the client; after a two-day injunction hearing, the case was resolved with a highly favorable settlement for the client
A leading oilfield services company in a contentious dispute involving theft of trade secrets and enforcement of nonsolicitation agreements, resulting in extensive injunctive relief and a highly favorable settlement for the client
A leading oilfield services company in the resolution of various personal injury matters through litigation resulting in favorable resolutions for the client
Lead counsel in various lawsuits involving claims of discrimination or retaliation where summary judgment was obtained in favor of the clients
Various EEOC and state agency employment matters with highly favorable resolutions for the clients, thereby eliminating subsequent litigation