Law360 interviewed Appellate Attorney Stacy R. Obenhaus of Gardere's Dallas office. Among Law360's most well-received content, Law360 Q&As offer practice leaders at top law firms the opportunity to share their experience and insight. An excerpt may be viewed below.
Q&A with Gardere's Stacy Obenhaus
Q: What is the most challenging case you have worked on and what made it challenging?
A: I drafted the jury charge – and argued the objections at the charge conference – in a multiplaintiff strict products liability lawsuit several years ago in Marin County, California. There were two challenges: the potential applicability of several other states' laws to the liability and damages issues for several plaintiffs (who resided in other states at the time of injury), and my own unfamiliarity with the protocols for the jury charge in the California state courts.
At the end of the day, we jettisoned the rather unwieldy pattern jury charge forms of that jurisdiction and decided to just do it the way we do it here in Texas – because we do everything better in Texas, right? We got the charge we wanted – simple broad-form special interrogatories strictly under California law – and my Firm's trial lawyers got a "no liability" verdict. Nothing like having great trial lawyers to back you up.
Subscribers can access the full Q&A here.